Pan Asian presents TEA (Apr07)

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre continues its 30th Anniversary celebration with another anniversary. Velina Hasu Houston’s Tea premiered in New York in 1987. In the two decades since, it has been seen around the world and has become one of the most enduring members of the Asian American theatrical canon. Pan Asian is honored to include this distinguished production in our own milestone year.

2007 is auspicious for the anniversaries for Tea and for Pan Asian and also for the beginning of what promises to be a landmark biennial event in its own right – the 1st National Asian American Theatre Festival. Sparked by last year’s BIG BANG Asian American Theatre Conference in Los Angeles, the NAATF is going to be a biennial festival bringing together diverse forms of Asian American theatre from around the country. New York was selected to host the inaugural festival and Pan Asian Rep, as one of the festival steering members, will be presenting Tea in the festival as its entry.

Tea will play May 20th – June 17th at the West End Theatre
(263 W. 86th Street between Broadway & West End Av. in the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 2nd floor).
Opening night is Wednesday, May 30th at 7:30pm.
Regular ticket pricing: $40 - Seniors/Corporate/Industry: $30 - Students: $20
Special Preview and Memorial Day rate: $25 for all performances May 20th – 27th

Set in Kansas in 1968, four Japanese war brides gather to remember their friend Himiko, who killed herself before the play begins. Himiko's Japanese Buddhist friends gather in her old home to have tea, clean her house, and discuss her life. Soon the women begin to reminisce about their days in Japan, and how they ended up where they are, the discrimination they have faced, the direction their lives have taken.

"Tea is not quiet, but turbulent. We Japanese women drink a lot of it. Become it. Swallow the tempest. And nobody knows the storm inside. We remain... peaceful, contained, the eye of the hurricane. But if you can taste the tea, if it can roll over your tongue in one swallow, then the rest will come to you. When the tea leaves are left behind in the bottom of a cup. When we are long gone and forgotten."

-Velina Hasu Houston

Regular: $40 - Seniors/Corporate/Industry: $30 - Students: $20
Special Preview and Memorial Day rate: $25 for all performances May 20th – 27th

Questions? Email



	Pan Asian Repertory presents Tea Pan Asian Repertory Theatre continues its 30th Anniversary celebration with another anniversary. Velina Hasu Houston’s *Tea* premiered in New York in 1987. In the two decades since, it has been seen around the world and has become one of the most enduring members of the Asian American theatrical canon. Pan Asian is honored to include this distinguished production in our own milestone year. 2007 is auspicious for the anniversaries for Tea and for Pan Asian and also for the beginning of what promises to be a landmark biennial event in its own right – the 1st National Asian American Theatre Festival. Sparked by last year’s BIG BANG Asian American Theatre Conference in Los Angeles, the NAATF is going to be a biennial festival bringing together diverse forms of Asian American theatre from around the country. New York was selected to host the inaugural festival and Pan Asian Rep, as one of the festival steering members, will be presenting Tea in the festival as its entry. *Tea* will play May 20th – June 17th at the West End Theatre (263 W. 86th Street between Broadway & West End Av. in the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 2nd floor). Opening night is Wednesday, May 30th at 7:30pm. Regular ticket pricing: $40 - Seniors/Corporate/Industry: $30 - Students: $20 Special Preview and Memorial Day rate: $25 for all performances May 20th – 27th Set in Kansas in 1968, four Japanese war brides gather to remember their friend Himiko, who killed herself before the play begins. Himiko's Japanese Buddhist friends gather in her old home to have tea, clean her house, and discuss her life. Soon the women begin to reminisce about their days in Japan, and how they ended up where they are, the discrimination they have faced, the direction their lives have taken. "Tea is not quiet, but turbulent. We Japanese women drink a lot of it. Become it. Swallow the tempest. And nobody knows the storm inside. We remain... peaceful, contained, the eye of the hurricane. But if you can taste the tea, if it can roll over your tongue in one swallow, then the rest will come to you. When the tea leaves are left behind in the bottom of a cup. When we are long gone and forgotten." -Velina Hasu Houston For more information about the festival, visit www.naatf.org For updates on Tea, visit www.panasianrep.org or call 212-868-4030 Tickets call OvationTix: 212-352-3101 or visit www.panasianrep.org. Regular: $40 - Seniors/Corporate/Industry: $30 - Students: $20 Special Preview and Memorial Day rate: $25 for all performances May 20th – 27th Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Library \| Plays Copyright 2007, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Pan Asian Repertory presents Tea