Pork Filled Players present the Northwest premiere of Big Hunk

Launching its first full length play, the Pork Filled Players (PFP) proudly present the Northwest premiere of Big Hunk O’ Burnin’ Love by the award-winning Prince Gomolvilas, at the Northwest Actors Studio (1100 E. Pike, Seattle), from March 2 to 24, 2007.

A romantic comedy about family curses, Thai brides and spontaneous human combustion, Big Hunk centers on Winston, a single Thai American man who must beat a different biological clock—get married by age 30 (four days away!) or be doomed to burst into flames! As each day passes, Winston feels the pressure from his kooky parents, his acerbic best friend, his troubled ex-girlfriend and a teenaged Thai mail order bride.

“This is our first traditional play,” says Roger Tang, PFP’s Artistic Director, “but it’s not a bigleap. There’s been a gap in Asian American theatre in Seattle. We can fill it while maintaining our mission—presenting the humorous side of Asian American culture.

“Prince is perfect for this. He’s one of the top Asian American playwrights. He’s funny, he’s warm and he paints pictures of America from angles you’ve never considered before, yet no one in the Northwest has seen him before. We aim to correct that.”

Directing Big Hunk is Miko Premo, who has helmed several episodes of the wildly successful Sex in Seattle series and the critically acclaimed Cowboy Vs. Samurai. Heading up the cast are PFP alumni Daniel Arreola, Leilani Berinobis and Christian Ver, who welcome newcomers Jose Abaoag, Elizabeth Daruthayan and Kellen Kaiser

Performances of Big Hunk are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm. Ticket prices are $14, general and $10, student seniors, Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at the door or online through Ticket Window (www.ticketwindowonline.com or 206/325-6500). For more information, visit www.porkfilled.com or email oink@porkfilled.com.

The Los Angeles Times has called it a “romantic comedy with a touch of parable [that] highlights a new, fluid comic voice. Big Hunk announces the arrival of a playwright with a sure and steady comic style” Aisle Say has deemed it a “vehicle that pokes fun at the cultural realities of an Asian (in this case, Thai) family. Hilarious!” and The North Virginia Sun Weekly found it “delectably loopy! Plenty of inspired one-liners and witty observations.”

Prince Gomolvilas is the author of The Theory of Everything, Donut Holes in Space, Debunking Love, BEE, Mysterious Skin and The Fabulous Adventures of Captain Queer; he and musician Brandon Patton has presented their performance piece, Jukebox Stories in the Bay Area and is set to take it to New York and California. He has received the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild/Julie Harris Playwright Award, International Herald Tribune/SRT Playwriting Award, PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Drama and the 2006 Made in America Award for Contributions to Asian American Theatre.

The Pork Filled Players are the second oldest sketch comedy group in Seattle and one of the oldest Asian American theatre in the Northwest. Starting in 1998, PFP has produced dozens of original shows, from Oregon to British Columbia. Major festival appearances include SketchFest Seattle, SketchOff@%#? (Vancouver, BC), Bumbershoot and the Seattle Fringe Fest. The Players are presenting their first traditional play, yet they still maintain their mission of presenting the whole voice of Asia America—including the funny, the offbeat and the comedic.