Teada announces 2008-09 season (Aug08)

Los Angeles Premieres –
“WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST” and “FARID MERCURY”

2008-2009 Season begins September 19, 2008 in Santa Monica and ends May 17, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA. For complete listing of performance dates and locations please see the last page of this release.

The TeAda 2008-2009 season is TeAda Productions’ biggest to date, with each production presented at different theater space across Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Beginning TeAda’s cross-town season-long adventure is a three-week run of a Kristina Wong original in Santa Monica’s Miles Memorial Playhouse, continuing with a presentation of Minneapolis based Guatemalan-Iranian performance artist Robert Farid Karimi at Highways Performance Space, and concluding with two installments of the 7th Annual TEADAWORKS New Performance Festival at CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights and 2100 Square Feet located in the mid-town of Los Angeles.

TeAda continues its tradition this season by producing contemporary work that gives voice to underserved communities, addressing such issues as mental health, sexuality, domestic violence, caregiving, and drug abuse.

WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
September 19-October 5, 2008
Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403

After touring the country, Kristina Wong brings her nationally acclaimed show home for it’s Los Angeles premiere. Incisive writer and performer Kristina Wong mixes sharp humor and psychology in Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a swear-to-god-not-autobiographical, serio-comic portrayal of the high incidence of mental illness among Asian American women. Wong’s irreverent and provocative work has given her a national cult following for “politically charged art with unapologetic humor." –Bitch Magazine. Knitters—cuckoo or not—are invited to knit in the audience during the shows.

Described by the East Bay Express as "brutal but hilarious... a woman who takes life's absurdities very seriously," Kristina Wong is a nationally presented solo performer, writer, actor, educator, culture jammer, and filmmaker. Kristina Wong was recently selected to write and perform in the 2008 CBS Multicultural Comedy Showcase. Her show "Free?" was featured earlier this year at the South Beach Comedy Festival in Miami. She is also completing a novel started with the PEN USA Rosenthal Emerging Voices Fellowship.

Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a National Performance Network Creation Fund Project commissioned by Asian Arts Initiative and La Peña Cultural Center. Funding for Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Ford Foundation, and La Peña's New Works Fund supported by The James Irvine Foundation. Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is also a Project of Creative Capital.

FARID MERCURY
November 14-15, 2008
Highways Performance Space
1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Frustrated by the looming spectre of war with Iran, performance artist Robert Farid Karimi seeks out divine intervention in the form of sainted pop star Freddie Mercury. Part documentary theater, part rock concert, FARID MERCURY tells the story of Iranian/Guatemalan Robertito who must face the demons of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Patriot Act, and Iran-Iraq War, all the while balancing the Chicano Punk Rock Scene, his search for a wrestling champion, and the death of his Iranian grandmother. Returning to LA brings Karimi brings his national search to Los Angeles, home to largest Iranian community in the country and discovers the Freddy Mercury inside us all.

Robert Farid Karimi is an interdisciplinary artist/playwright/poet from the San Francisco Bay Area and son of Iranian and Guatemalan parents. A UCLA graduate, National Poetry Slam champion, & Def Poetry Jam performer, Karimi recently received the Alliance of Artists Communities Midwestern Voices & Visions Award and a Verve Spoken Word Grant. As artistic director of kaotic good productions, karimi creates projects that use the familiar to engage audiences to delve into the complexities of cultural intersection. Primarily a solo artist, Karimi has collaborated with Guillermo Gomez Peña, Laurie Carlos, and others. He has published his work in Callaloo, Latino Literature Today, and most recently in Total Chaos: The Art and the Aesthetics of Hip Hop by Jeff Chang. Farid Mercury is the sequel to his critically acclaimed “self (the remix)”, birthed at TeAda productions as well. Karimi also directs, teaches spoken word/performance workshops, and lectures on food/mixed race/spirituality and tours other shows including the funniest most revolutionary performative cooking experience EVER, The Cooking Show con Karimi y Comrades.

FARID MERCURY is supported in part by cultural grants from the City of Santa Monica and National Performance Network.

7TH ANNUAL TEADAWORKS: HEALING ALOUD
Festival of New Performance Works
Bringing Voice to the Health Needs of LA’s comunities
March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101, 2009 E. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033
May 15-17, 2009 at 2100 Square Feet, 5615 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

The 7th Annual TEADAWORKS Festival features new work by Maria Martinez, Shyamala Moorty, Marcella Pabros-Clark, and Raquel Salinas. All have been commissioned by TeAda Productions to write and perform new performance projects highlighting various health issues from underserved and immigrant communities. TeAda’s new HEALING ALOUD program also offers the commissioned artists a chance to collaborate with related immigrant health organizations and their constituents. Over the next year these artists will continue to workshop and develop their performance pieces with their partnered organizations and the year will conclude with a weekend of performances at CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights and 2100 Square Feet in Mid-town Los Angeles.

Individual performance descriptions:
“BREAKFAST WITH MY MOTHER” by Maria Martinez
A play about three generations of Chicana women and the role reversal of their lives as dementia enters the isolated world of retirement, gardens, and Spanish-language television. (March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101)

“HEALING MARS” written and performed by Marcella Pabros-Clark
“Healing Mars” delves into the world of going against Doctor’s orders. Taking a holistic approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Marcella Pabros-Clark challenges the monsters of prescription drugs and health insurance. Creating theatrical dance through multimedia, she reclaims her body, mind, and soul. (March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101)

“MAMI, MAMI, QUIEN SOY? YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE” written and performed by Raquel Salinas
While facing sibling rivalries and her mother’s dementia, a woman finds herself the keeper of her mother’s stories. Veteran solo performer Raquel Salinas crafts a magnificent multi-character tale of caregiving. Ometeotl. (May 15-17 at 2100 Square Feet)

“CARRIE’S WEB” written and performed by Shyamala Moorty
Spiders have often been a source of humans’ deepest nightmares. However, in this story, they may actually save the day! Carrie, a body-conscious, high heel-loving spider is spinning out new moves when her world collides with a young, scared human girl who's dealing with a terrible family secret. (May 15-17 at 2100 Square Feet)

The 7th Annual TEADAWORKS: HEALING ALOUD was funded in part by cultural grants from the Los Angeles Immigrant Funders Collaborative, California Arts Council, and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

TeAda’s 2008-2009 Season Available on Subscription Only
Tickets for TeAda’s 2008-2009 Season are currently available by subscription only. Single tickets for "Wong Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" are on sale now. For information and to charge subscriptions by phone, call 310-998-8765.
[Production photos are available in jpg and gif form. Please call (310) 998-7376, or e-mail Marie-Reine Velez marie@teada.org]
# # #

Season Production #1
September 19 – October 5, 2008
Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Season Production #2
November 14-15, 2008
Highways Performance Space
1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Season Production #3a
March 6-8, 2009
CASA 0101
2009 E. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

7th Annual TEADAWORKS FESTIVAL: HEALING ALOUD, Part One
Featuring
“Breakfast with my Mother” by Maria Martinez
“Healing Mars” written and performed by Marcella Pabros-Clark

Season Production #3b
May 15-17, 2009
2100 Square Feet
5615 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

7TH Annual TEADAWORKS FESTIVAL: HEALING ALOUD, Part Two
Featuring
“Carrie’s Web” written and performed by Shyamala Moorty

Questions? Email



	Teada Productions’ 2008-2009 Season Announcement Los Angeles Premieres – “WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST” and “FARID MERCURY” New Performance Work Festival – 7TH ANNUAL TEADAWORKS: “HEALING ALOUD” 2008-2009 Season begins September 19, 2008 in Santa Monica and ends May 17, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA. For complete listing of performance dates and locations please see the last page of this release. The TeAda 2008-2009 season is TeAda Productions’ biggest to date, with each production presented at different theater space across Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Beginning TeAda’s cross-town season-long adventure is a three-week run of a Kristina Wong original in Santa Monica’s Miles Memorial Playhouse, continuing with a presentation of Minneapolis based Guatemalan-Iranian performance artist Robert Farid Karimi at Highways Performance Space, and concluding with two installments of the 7th Annual TEADAWORKS New Performance Festival at CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights and 2100 Square Feet located in the mid-town of Los Angeles. TeAda continues its tradition this season by producing contemporary work that gives voice to underserved communities, addressing such issues as mental health, sexuality, domestic violence, caregiving, and drug abuse. WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST September 19-October 5, 2008 Miles Memorial Playhouse 1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 After touring the country, Kristina Wong brings her nationally acclaimed show home for it’s Los Angeles premiere. Incisive writer and performer Kristina Wong mixes sharp humor and psychology in Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a swear-to-god-not-autobiographical, serio-comic portrayal of the high incidence of mental illness among Asian American women. Wong’s irreverent and provocative work has given her a national cult following for “politically charged art with unapologetic humor." –Bitch Magazine. Knitters—cuckoo or not—are invited to knit in the audience during the shows. Described by the East Bay Express as "brutal but hilarious... a woman who takes life's absurdities very seriously," Kristina Wong is a nationally presented solo performer, writer, actor, educator, culture jammer, and filmmaker. Kristina Wong was recently selected to write and perform in the 2008 CBS Multicultural Comedy Showcase. Her show "Free?" was featured earlier this year at the South Beach Comedy Festival in Miami. She is also completing a novel started with the PEN USA Rosenthal Emerging Voices Fellowship. Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a National Performance Network Creation Fund Project commissioned by Asian Arts Initiative and La Peña Cultural Center. Funding for Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Ford Foundation, and La Peña's New Works Fund supported by The James Irvine Foundation. Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is also a Project of Creative Capital. FARID MERCURY November 14-15, 2008 Highways Performance Space 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Frustrated by the looming spectre of war with Iran, performance artist Robert Farid Karimi seeks out divine intervention in the form of sainted pop star Freddie Mercury. Part documentary theater, part rock concert, FARID MERCURY tells the story of Iranian/Guatemalan Robertito who must face the demons of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Patriot Act, and Iran-Iraq War, all the while balancing the Chicano Punk Rock Scene, his search for a wrestling champion, and the death of his Iranian grandmother. Returning to LA brings Karimi brings his national search to Los Angeles, home to largest Iranian community in the country and discovers the Freddy Mercury inside us all. Robert Farid Karimi is an interdisciplinary artist/playwright/poet from the San Francisco Bay Area and son of Iranian and Guatemalan parents. A UCLA graduate, National Poetry Slam champion, & Def Poetry Jam performer, Karimi recently received the Alliance of Artists Communities Midwestern Voices & Visions Award and a Verve Spoken Word Grant. As artistic director of kaotic good productions, karimi creates projects that use the familiar to engage audiences to delve into the complexities of cultural intersection. Primarily a solo artist, Karimi has collaborated with Guillermo Gomez Peña, Laurie Carlos, and others. He has published his work in Callaloo, Latino Literature Today, and most recently in Total Chaos: The Art and the Aesthetics of Hip Hop by Jeff Chang. Farid Mercury is the sequel to his critically acclaimed “self (the remix)”, birthed at TeAda productions as well. Karimi also directs, teaches spoken word/performance workshops, and lectures on food/mixed race/spirituality and tours other shows including the funniest most revolutionary performative cooking experience EVER, The Cooking Show con Karimi y Comrades. FARID MERCURY is supported in part by cultural grants from the City of Santa Monica and National Performance Network. 7TH ANNUAL TEADAWORKS: HEALING ALOUD Festival of New Performance Works Bringing Voice to the Health Needs of LA’s comunities March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101, 2009 E. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 May 15-17, 2009 at 2100 Square Feet, 5615 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019 The 7th Annual TEADAWORKS Festival features new work by Maria Martinez, Shyamala Moorty, Marcella Pabros-Clark, and Raquel Salinas. All have been commissioned by TeAda Productions to write and perform new performance projects highlighting various health issues from underserved and immigrant communities. TeAda’s new HEALING ALOUD program also offers the commissioned artists a chance to collaborate with related immigrant health organizations and their constituents. Over the next year these artists will continue to workshop and develop their performance pieces with their partnered organizations and the year will conclude with a weekend of performances at CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights and 2100 Square Feet in Mid-town Los Angeles. Individual performance descriptions: “BREAKFAST WITH MY MOTHER” by Maria Martinez A play about three generations of Chicana women and the role reversal of their lives as dementia enters the isolated world of retirement, gardens, and Spanish-language television. (March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101) “HEALING MARS” written and performed by Marcella Pabros-Clark “Healing Mars” delves into the world of going against Doctor’s orders. Taking a holistic approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Marcella Pabros-Clark challenges the monsters of prescription drugs and health insurance. Creating theatrical dance through multimedia, she reclaims her body, mind, and soul. (March 6-8, 2009 at CASA 0101) “MAMI, MAMI, QUIEN SOY? YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE” written and performed by Raquel Salinas While facing sibling rivalries and her mother’s dementia, a woman finds herself the keeper of her mother’s stories. Veteran solo performer Raquel Salinas crafts a magnificent multi-character tale of caregiving. Ometeotl. (May 15-17 at 2100 Square Feet) “CARRIE’S WEB” written and performed by Shyamala Moorty Spiders have often been a source of humans’ deepest nightmares. However, in this story, they may actually save the day! Carrie, a body-conscious, high heel-loving spider is spinning out new moves when her world collides with a young, scared human girl who's dealing with a terrible family secret. (May 15-17 at 2100 Square Feet) The 7th Annual TEADAWORKS: HEALING ALOUD was funded in part by cultural grants from the Los Angeles Immigrant Funders Collaborative, California Arts Council, and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. TeAda’s 2008-2009 Season Available on Subscription Only Tickets for TeAda’s 2008-2009 Season are currently available by subscription only. Single tickets for "Wong Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" are on sale now. For information and to charge subscriptions by phone, call 310-998-8765. [Production photos are available in jpg and gif form. Please call (310) 998-7376, or e-mail Marie-Reine Velez marie@teada.org] # # # Season Production #1 September 19 – October 5, 2008 Miles Memorial Playhouse 1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST Written and performed by Kristina Wong Season Production #2 November 14-15, 2008 Highways Performance Space 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 FARID MERCURY Written and performed by Robert Karimi Season Production #3a March 6-8, 2009 CASA 0101 2009 E. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 7th Annual TEADAWORKS FESTIVAL: HEALING ALOUD, Part One Featuring “Breakfast with my Mother” by Maria Martinez “Healing Mars” written and performed by Marcella Pabros-Clark Season Production #3b May 15-17, 2009 2100 Square Feet 5615 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019 7TH Annual TEADAWORKS FESTIVAL: HEALING ALOUD, Part Two Featuring “Carrie’s Web” written and performed by Shyamala Moorty “Mami Mami Quien Soy?” written and performed by Raquel Salinas Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront \| Timeline Copyright 2008, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Teada Productions’ 2008-2009 Season Announcement