EAST WEST PLAYERS SETS CAST AND DESIGNERS FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF LAVA

LAVA, by Edward Sakamoto, is the fourth production of the inaugural season at East West Players in the new David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, located in Little Tokyo at 120 N. Judge John Aiso Street (formerly N. San Pedro Street, between First and Temple Streets). The opening for this world premiere production is set for September 16 and closing on October 4, 1998. Low-priced previews begin September 10. Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. There is no matinee performance on Saturday, September 19.

Directed by Shizuko Hoshi, a veteran actor and director of East West Players, LAVA is the eleventh play by popular Hawai'ian playwright Edward Sakamoto produced at EWP. LAVA, a dark comedy that tales place in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, brings together a local guy and a haole mainlander who must face each other as adversaries. During the course of the play, two women who may or may or may not be malevolent spirits, appear to the two men in the form of life-size Bunraku puppets.

The cast for LAVA includes (in alphabetical order) Mimosa Iwamatsu, Lawrence Novikoff, Janice Terukina, and Keone Young. Sets are designed by recent Academy Award winner Chris Tashima (for his Live Action Short Film Visas and Virtue), costumes by Dori Quan, lighting by Rae Creevey, a founding member of EWP, and sound design by Scott Nagatani. Puppet design for LAVA is by founding artistic director Mako. Victoria A. Gathe is the production stage manager.

Ticket prices are $27 for orchestra and $22 for balcony. Patrons can purchase tickets by calling Telecharge at 800-233-3123, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Senior, student and groups rates are available by calling 213-6257000, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.

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