New Opera About Illegal Immigrant Trapped in Elevator Premieres in Seattle

Seattle, WA -- The Theatre Off Jackson proudly presents Stuck Elevator: The Super-Heroic Stationary Journey of Ming Kuang Chen. This solo performance opera directed by Tom Milewski with music direction by Julia Tai, stars Xike Xin in initial presentations this June.

Stuck Elevator was inspired by the real-life experience of Ming Kuang Chen, the Happy Dragon Chinese restaurant deliveryman who was trapped in a Bronx high rise apartment elevator. After three days, he emerged dehydrated and terrified into a New York media blitz.

Chen paid smugglers $60,000 for his passage from China to the United States. Along with paying his debt, he sends money home to his wife and son who are still in China.

Prompted by this true story of an undocumented immigrant/indentured slave in 21st century America, Seattle composer Byron Au Yong and New Haven writer Aaron Jafferis created a boundary-breaking new work about being confined.

Au Yong describes the opera: "Suspended between the upward mobility of the American dream and the downward plunge into an empty abyss, Stuck Elevator explores the places between Refuge/Prison, Freedom/Safety and Voice/Silence for an Asian man in America."

Stuck Elevator runs for two nights only at the Theatre Off Jackson in the International District.

Performances, Location and Tickets

Monday, June 18, 2007, 8pm
Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 8pm

Theatre Off Jackson
409 7th Avenue S
Seattle WA 98104
Phone: 206.340.1049
www.TheatreOffJackson.org

Tickets in Advance are $12 General Admission and $10 for Students/Seniors through BrownPaperTickets.com. Tickets at the Door are $15 General Admission and $13 Students/Seniors on the day of the performance.