Fabric to debut in Europe

Fabric, Henry Ong's play about 72 Thai workers who were enslaved in a sweatshop in Southern California, will make its European debut at The Nomad Theatre, Bishopsmead Parade, East Horsley, Leatherhead, Surrey, England from November 21 to 25, 2000.

Developed from a City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department grant, Fabric was presented at several non-traditional venues in Los Angeles, California in 1998. Last year, it was presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre in Singapore during the Singapore Arts Festival.

Ong is the author of Madame Mao's Memories, which was produced extensively in the United States, including the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, as well as internationally in London, Edinburgh (Edinburgh Festival) and Singapore. Other works include: People Like Me, which won Ong a DramaLogue award for excellence in writing; Odd Birds, a musical for which Ong wrote the book; and Lady White Snake and other Asian Folk Tales.

Ong's most recent work is Dream of the Red Chamber, a six-hour stage adaptation of the famed seventeenth century Chinese classic novel, It received public readings at the Central Library, Los Angeles Public Library in May and June this year.

"I am thrilled that Fabric, a play about the real-life tragedy of Asian immigrants in the United States will be performed in England," said Ong. "I hope that this will spur more American theaters to produce the work since it is in this country where that infamous scandal occurred."

For more information, call (323) 757-8210, (323) 665-7612 or (818) 360-7093.