Page 2 Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

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Artistic Vision

To be an artist is to be blessed. Performance is an act of giving, of releasing energies which will never be the same but may return to us, re-constituted, to begin another cycle of nourishment. Pan Asian Rep was founded to nurture and support those who have dedicated their life's pursuit to and made sacrifices to stay in the living theatre.

An ensemble of artists united by professional commitment and shaped by cultural heritage, who share the celebratory traditions of rhythm and movement, would become the springboard to forging a repertoire of new Asian American works. Plays which reflect the evolution of Asians in America - our secrets, struggles and celebrations - expressed in a myriad of artistic modes and in a new found common language, English.

-Tisa Chang
Artistic Producing Director

History

Pan Asian Rep is the professional theatre founded to celebrate Asian American artistic expressiveness on the living stage. It became a major New York theatre presence in 1983 with the long off-Broadway run of Yellow Fever, introducing the tough Japanese private eye with a heart of gold, Sam Shikaze. The company grew out of Tisa Chang's experimental work at LaMama ETC with a core of Asian actors in such benchmark bilingual productions as the Peking Opera adaptation of Return of the Phoenix and the inter-cultural version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Memorable productions helped to expand the boundaries of American theatre, including: Lao She's Teahouse, spanning 50 years of modern Chinese history; Ghashiram Kotwal, the Marathi musical expose of Brahmin abuse of privilege; and the adaptation, Shogun MacBeth.

Pan Asian Rep now is the largest producer of Asian American theatre with regular international and national touring and residencies. In 1992, the company began a five year plan towards institutionalization with support from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund for New Audiences Program and a 1994 Challenge Grant from The National Endowment for the Arts.

Pan Asian Rep serves not only diverse Asian/Asian American groups of Chinese, Japanese, East Indians, Filipinos, Koreans and new immigrants from Southeast Asia, but over 20,000 audience members, annually, with its New York season and national and international tours.

The company has expanded its outreach program to high school and college students, senior citizens, English as a Second Language classes, as well as the hearing impaired community. As the Company's repertoire grows and as the global community is more vitally linked, Pan Asian Rep will forge the way to reach out to multi-cultural and international audiences.

Artistic Programs

New York Season

A full season of off-Broadway Mainstage productions from October through May at Theatre at St. Clement's at 423 West 46th Street, New York City.

A repertoire of new plays by Asian American playwrights, translations and adaptations of Asian masterworks, and innovative productions of Western classics.

Senior Artists

Established in 1987, a resident core of exemplary actors, many who had worked in a dozen or more productions with versatility as actors/directors/playwrights.

The company provides augmented work weeks, responsibilities as workshop leaders; extended rehearsal time; and participation in commissioned plays, the creation of new works, and collaborative projects with guest artists.

Senior Artists and Resident Ensemble Members: Michael G. Chin, Carol A. Honda, Kati Kuroda, Ron Nakahara, Natsuko Ohama, Keenan Shimizu, and Christen Villamor.

Youth and Outreach

At special school matinees, educators and students are encouraged to experience theatre as a creative way to discover Asian American cultures. Study guides, post-performance discussions and subsidized special rates are offered to support all efforts to cross cultural bridges.

A Team of three actors with an Arts-In-Education Coordinator are available to perform selections from the repertoire at colleges, community centers, schools and multi-cultural celebrations.

Touring

Pan Asian Rep's national and international touring continues to expand. Nationally, Pan Asian Rep visit such cities as Albany, Boston, El Paso, Durham, and Philadelphia. Representing the United States, the company has gone to international festivals such as the 1992 Singapore Festival of the Arts, the 1988 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a 1995 month long tour to the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET) and the Arts Alive Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Workshops and Asian American Play Development

Professional training workshops are led by invited master theatre professionals and Pan Asian Rep's Senior Artists.

Past classes have included Shakespearean Acting Technique, Traditional Indian Theatre Movement, Peking Opera Technique, Vocal Projection, Kyogen and Noh Technique.

Emphasis on discovering and nurturing Asian American playwrights.

Staged presentations include new works by emerging and established Asian American playwrights. Playwrights, directors and actors collaborate in a developmental and interactive process on work that may be considered for mainstage productions.

Finances

The company's annual budget is derived from earned revenue through: box office and touring fees; federal, state and city government grants; major foundations and corporations; the Board of Trustees; and many individuals.

In 1994, Pan Asian Rep began a three year campaign to match the NEA Challenge Grant and establish a working capital reserve.

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