NAATCO Presents A Dream Play at Here, March 22 – April 13, 2013

The OBIE Award-winning National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) — now in its 23rd season of presenting classics and new works performed by Asian American actors — will present August Strindberg’s A DREAM PLAY in a new adaptation by Sung Rno and Andrew Pang, directed by Mr. Pang, with previews set to begin March 22 prior to an official opening night of March 27 at HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue (entrance on Dominick, 1 Block South of Spring) in New York.
A DREAM PLAY runs through April 13. Tickets are priced from $15 (for preview performances, March 22nd- 26th) – $25 (for performances March 27th – April 13th). For Tickets & Information, please visit www.here.org or call 212-352-3101. This production of A DREAM PLAY is a part of SubletSeries@HERE, HERE’s curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

Sung Rno’s plays — which include GRAVITY FALLS FROM TREES, wAve, THE TRAJECTORY OF A HEART, FRACTURE and KONISHIKI, MON AMOUR — have been produced by Ma-Yi Theater Company, East West Players, Dance Theatre Workshop, Immigrants Theater Project and NY International Fringe Festival. Andrew Pang is an actor/director who has performed with NAATCO, Ma-Yi and Pan Asian Rep and with the Steppenwolf Theatre in productions directed by Frank Galati.

Jojo Gonzalez, Siho Ellsmore, Tina Chilip and Dave Shih in NAATCO’s A Dream Play at Here. Photo by William P. Steele

In A DREAM PLAY, Agnes, a god’s daughter, has lost her way and finds herself falling to the third sphere from the sun, “the densest and heaviest of the spheres that roam in space.” Her father encourages her to descend and observe the “Creator’s children” saying that the world is “not the best for sure, but not the worst. Have courage, child, ’tis but a trial.” Agnes observes at first but, drawn to the human beings she encounters, decides to participate in their lives to better understand them.

Jojo Gonzalez and Rica de Ocampo in NAATCO’s A Dream Play at Here. Photo by William P. Steele

The day after the opening of A DREAM PLAY in 1907, Strindberg wrote in his diary: “Thus the world exists only through sin, if it exists at all, for it is only a dream picture (hence my Dream Play is a picture of life).” The play inspired Surrealism, Expressionism, and Ingmar Bergman was very influenced, if not obsessed by the work, mounting it four times in Stockholm. Strindberg — the Swedish playwright and author of MISS JULIE, THE GHOST SONATA and THE DANCE OF DEATH — called it “my most beloved play, the child of my greatest pain.”

The cast of A DREAM PLAY includes Alexis Camins, Tina Chilip, Rica de Ocampo, Siho Ellsmore, Eston Fung, Jojo Gonzalez, David Shih, Sophia Skiles, Dax Valdes, and Brent Yoshikami.

A DREAM PLAY has scenic design by Joseph Lark-Riley, costumes design by Alice Tavener, lighting design by Sarah Lurie, and sound design by Alex Hawthorn. Dax Valdes is the choreographer.

A DREAM PLAY will be performed Mondays – Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. from Friday, March 22nd – Saturday, April 13th. There will be no performances on March 30 (4:00), April 3, April 6 (4:00), and April 8.

Now in its 23rd season, the OBIE Award-winning NAATCO was created to provide opportunities for Asian American actors, directors, and designers. NAATCO has presented a host of classic works, adaptations of these works by Asian American Playwrights, and has produced original work by non-Asian American Playwrights, presenting these with all Asian American casts. Recent productions include the Drama Desk nominated A PLAY ON WAR (an adaptation of Brecht’s MOTHER COURAGE, nominated for Outstanding Music in a Play), and the critically acclaimed THE SEAGULL. Other notable productions include OTHELLO, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, OUR TOWN, YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, William Finn’s FALSETTOLAND, ANTIGONE, IVANOV, THE DISPUTE, the world premieres of Karen Hartman’s LEAH’S TRAIN, Catherine Filloux’s EYES OF THE HEART, Michael Golamco’s COWBOY V. SAMURAI, and the rolling world premiere of Jordan Harrison’s FUTURA.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
NAATCO’s All-Asian American cast for The Seagull features Marcus Ho, Mia Katigbak and Orville Mendoza
National Asian American Theatre Festival runs October 13-18 in New York
NAATCO’s LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION with special guest Terrence McNally
NAATCO’s pitch perfect Falsettoland hits all the right notes
Photos: Christine Toy Johnson, Angela Lin, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Susan Hyon, Jake Manabat, David Shih in Jen Silverman’s Crane Story at The Cherry Lane
David Henry Hwang and FOX Entertainment Japan’s Dan Smith Among Judges for 2013 72-Hour Shootout; Pre-Shootout Events
Signature Theatre’s Revival of David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Set for Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Wuzhen, China, May 9-12, 2013
Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda, Sharon Omi, and Jeanne Sakata Set for East West Players’ Reading of A Cage of Fireflies by Daniel Akiyama at Tateuchi Democracy Forum on March 21, 2013
Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night
Photos: All-Access Pass to August Wilson’s Two Trains Running with John Earl Jelks, Harvy Blanks,Chuck Cooper, Anthony Chisholm, Owiso Odera, Roslyn Ruff and James A. Williams
Signature Theatre’s 2013-14 Season Features New Works by Albee, Hwang, Enos, Taylor, Wilson, Clarke and Jacobs-Jenkins
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
Ron Domingo, Francis Jue and Jon Norman Schneider Join the Cast of the World Premiere of Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre, February 28 – April 13, 2013
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2013 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Signature Theatre’s Revival of David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Set for Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Wuzhen, China, May 9-12, 2013

Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang just returned from Hong Kong, where the West Coast production of his hit Broadway play Chinglish, starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, played to soldout houses at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Ruy Iskandar, David Henry Hwang and Yuekun Wu. Photo by Lia Chang

In May, he’ll head back to Asia, when Signature Theatre’s critically acclaimed revival of Hwang’s play THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD, directed by May Adrales, will have a limited run at The Inaugural Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Wuzhen, China, May 9-12, 2013. The entire production, which features Ruy Iskandar as Ma and Yuekun Wu as Lone, ends its extended run at The Pershing Square Signature Center on March 24, 2013 and will make the transfer. This marks the first time that a play by David Henry Hwang has been performed in mainland China.

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival will be China’s window to the world’s recent theatre. It will also be an incubator for new creative works by young artists on timely subjects. With a generous award system, it will heighten the profile of theatre and take its place as Asia’s premiere theatre festival. The festival will last for ten days and shows will be performed in both brand new theatres and refurbished ancient stages, ready to meet theatre fans from all over the globe. THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD will be performed in the newly restored Ancient Courtyard Theatre.

In response to the announcement, David Henry Hwang said: “Though my plays have been performed in many Asian countries, The Dance and the Railroad will be my first work to be produced in Mainland China, and I am very grateful to the Wuzhen Festival and Signature Theatre for their dedication and hard work in making this possible. Wuzhen sits just outside Shanghai, where my late Father was born and raised. I think my Dad would be very happy to know that the work of his Chinese American son will be coming home at last.”

On a California mountaintop in 1867 near the Transcontinental Railroad, two Chinese workers struggle through poverty and hunger to reconnect with the traditions of their homeland. THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD follows the twice-extended GOLDEN CHILD as the second production in the Residency One: David Henry Hwang Series.

The design team includes Mimi Lien (Scenic Design), Jennifer Moeller (Costume Design), Jiyoun Chang (Lighting Design), Broken Chord (Sound Design), Huang Ruo (Music), Qian Yi (Chinese Opera Consultant), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Design) and Grace Zandarski (Vocal Coach). Casting by Telsey + Company, William Cantler CSA. The production stage manager for the New York production is Cole P. Bonenberger. The production stage manager for the Wuzhen production will be Michael Rico Cohen.

THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD will continue to play through Sunday, March 24 in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

To purchase tickets for all Signature Productions, call the Signature Theatre Box Office (212-244-7529) or visit signaturetheatre.org.

David Henry Hwang Articles:
Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night at Signature Theatre
Signature Theatre extends David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad starring Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu through March 24, 2013
Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu Set for Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad, February 5 – March 17, 2013
Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge Star in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at South Coast Repertory, January 25 – February 24, 2013
Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child; Extended Run Ends December 16, 2012
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 16, 2012
Greg Watanabe, Julyana Soelistyo and Jennifer Lim Lead the Cast of Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, October 23-December 2, 2012
Berkeley Rep’s Production Photos of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, Starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, Extends through October 21, 2012
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Click here for other articles on David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
AALDEF Honors Congressman John Lewis, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Simone Wu with 2013 Justice in Action Awards
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
Ron Domingo, Francis Jue and Jon Norman Schneider Join the Cast of the World Premiere of Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre, February 28 – April 13, 2013
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Signature Theatre’s World Premiere of Sam Shepard’s Heartless Starring Lois Smith, Gary Cole, Jenny Bacon, Betty Gilpin, and Julianne Nicholson Extends through September 30, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. She is a Signature Theatre alumni who was in the cast of Sam Shepard’s Chicago, during his Signature 1996-1997 Playwright-in-Residence Season.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2013 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night at Signature Theatre

On Monday, February 25, 2013, Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) celebrated the opening night performance of Signature Theatre’s revival of The Dance and The Railroad starring Ruy Iskandar as Ma and Yuekun Wu as Lone, and directed by May Adrales, in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street in New York.

Ruy Iskandar, David Henry Hwang and Yuekun Wu. Photo by Lia Chang

The Dance and The Railroad premiered as part of a commission by the New Federal Theatre in 1981, and had its professional debut on July 16, 1981 Off-Broadway at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. It was directed by John Lone, with Lone and Tzi Ma in the cast. The Dance and The Railroad is set on a California mountaintop in 1867 near the Transcontinental Railroad where two Chinese workers struggle through poverty and hunger to reconnect with the traditions of their homeland. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for a 1982 Drama Desk Award. The Dance and The Railroad follows the twice-extended Golden Child as the second production in the Residency One: David Henry Hwang Series.

Ruy Iskandar, David Henry Hwang and Yuekun Wu. Photo by Lia Chang

The design team includes Mimi Lien (Scenic Design), Jennifer Moeller (Costume Design), Jiyoun Chang (Lighting Design), Broken Chord Collective (Sound Design), Huang Ruo (Music), Qian Yi (Chinese Opera Consultant), Leah Loukas (Wig Design) and Grace Zandarski (Vocal Coach). Casting by TELSEY + COMPANY, William Cantler CSA. Cole P. Bonenberger is Production Stage Manager.

May Adrales and David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

Hwang was joined by his wife Kathryn Layng, his daughter Eva Hwang, his sister Grace Hwang, and composer Lucia Hwong-Gordon, who created the score for the 1981 production of The Dance and The Railroad.

Eva Hwang, David Henry Hwang and Kathryn Layng. Photo by Lia Chang

Eva Hwang, David Henry Hwang and Kathryn Layng. Photo by Lia Chang

Lucia Hwong-Gordon, David Henry Hwang and Kathryn Layng. Photo by Lia Chang

Siblings Grace Hwang and David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

Among the guests to congratulate Hwang at the opening night party were playwrights Edward Albee, John Guare, Bruce Norris; actors Coleman Domingo, John Earl Jelks, James A. Williams and Will Rogers; director Leigh Silverman; casting director Will Cantler; Rachel Cooper, Director Global Performing Arts Cultural Initiatives; and Signature Theatre’s founding artistic director Jim Houghton.

Edward Albee and David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

John Guare, David Henry Hwang and Bruce Norris. Photo by Lia Chang

Coleman Domingo, James A. Williams and John Earl Jelks. Photo by Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang, James A. Williams, John Earl Jelks and Leigh Silverman. Photo by Lia Chang

Jim Houghton and David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

Lucia Hwong-Gordon, David Henry Hwang and Rachel Cooper. Photo by Lia Chang

John Earl Jelks, Will Cantler and Ruy Iskandar. Photo by Lia Chang

Will Rogers and Leigh Silverman. Photo by Lia Chang

Signature Theatre’s revival of The Dance and The Railroad, originally scheduled to run through through March 17, 2013, has been extended until March 24, 2013. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. Purchase Tickets All tickets for the extension are $50.

David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinese American playwright David Henry Hwang has been described by the New York Times as “a true original” and by TIME magazine as “the first important dramatist of American public life since Arthur Miller.” Hwang’s plays include Bondage, Chinglish (2012 Drama Desk Award nomination), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), FOB (1981 Obie Award), Golden Child (1997 Obie Award, 1998 Tony Award nomination), M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize finalist), and Yellow Face (2008 Obie Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist).

David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

According to Opera News, Hwang is America’s most-produced living opera librettist. He wrote the libretti for three Broadway musicals: Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Disney’s Tarzan, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination). In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Icarus at the Edge of Time, Sound and Beauty, and The Voyage – as well as Howard Shore’s The Fly, Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), and Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 World Premiere of the Year). Hwang penned the feature films Golden Gate, M. Butterfly, and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. His current projects include writing The Forgotten Arm with singer/songwriter Aimee Mann and Paul Bryant, based on her album, for the Public Theatre, Bob’s Gang for Dreamworks Animation, as well as the movie adaptation of Chinglish, to be directed by Justin Lin (Fast and Furious). He sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by appointment of President Clinton. In 2012, Hwang received the William Inge Award for Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre, the Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award, as well as the Steinberg Award for playwriting, the largest monetary prize in the American theater.

Jim Houghton, Lia Chang and David Henry Hwang.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. She is a Signature Theatre alumni who was in the cast of Sam Shepard’s Chicago, during his Signature 1996-1997 Playwright-in-Residence Season.

Yuekun Wu and Ruy Iskandar. Photo by Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang Articles:
Signature Theatre extends David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad starring Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu through March 24, 2013
Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu Set for Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad, February 5 – March 17, 2013
Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge Star in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at South Coast Repertory, January 25 – February 24, 2013
Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child; Extended Run Ends December 16, 2012
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 16, 2012
Greg Watanabe, Julyana Soelistyo and Jennifer Lim Lead the Cast of Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, October 23-December 2, 2012
David Henry Hwang to Receive the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards on October 29, 2012
Berkeley Rep’s Production Photos of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, Starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, Extends through October 21, 2012
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Click here for other articles on David Henry Hwang.

John Earl Jelks and Lia Chang. Photo by Gregory Costanzo

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe Celebrate New CD, Convergence with Concerts in Washington D.C. on February 27 and in New York on March 5, 2013
AALDEF Honors Congressman John Lewis, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Simone Wu with 2013 Justice in Action Awards
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
Ron Domingo, Francis Jue and Jon Norman Schneider Join the Cast of the World Premiere of Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre, February 28 – April 13, 2013
Kumu Kahua Theatre Presents World Premiere of Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies, January 24-February 24, 2013
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Signature Theatre’s World Premiere of Sam Shepard’s Heartless Starring Lois Smith, Gary Cole, Jenny Bacon, Betty Gilpin, and Julianne Nicholson Extends through September 30, 2012
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lucia Hwong-Gordon, David Henry Hwang and Lia Chang. Photo by Vic Huey

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Signature Theatre extends David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad starring Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu through March 24, 2013

Signature Theatre’s (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) revival of THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD written by Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and directed by May Adrales, currently in previews since February 5 in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street in New York, and originally scheduled to run through through March 17, 2013, has been extended until March 24, 2013. The opening night performance is at 7pm on February 25, 2013. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. Purchase Tickets
broadway.com: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and the RailroadExtends Off-Broadway Run

David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

The cast features Ruy Iskandar (The Public Theater’s Measure for Measure and Classic Stage Company’s Purimcelo) as Ma and Yuekun Wu (Theater for the New City’s Love in Tears and Laughter & Luo Shen: Legend of the Luo River) as Lone.

On a California mountaintop in 1867 near the Transcontinental Railroad, two Chinese workers struggle through poverty and hunger to reconnect with the traditions of their homeland. THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD premiered as part of a commission by the New Federal Theatre in 1981, and had its professional debut on July 16, 1981 Off-Broadway at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. It was directed by John Lone, with Lone and Tzi Ma in the cast. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for a 1982 Drama Desk Award. THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD follows the twice-extended GOLDEN CHILD as the second production in the Residency One: David Henry Hwang Series.

The design team includes Mimi Lien (Scenic Design), Jennifer Moeller (Costume Design), Jiyoun Chang (Lighting Design), Broken Chord Collective (Sound Design), Huang Ruo (Music), Qian Yi (Chinese Opera Consultant), Leah Loukas (Wig Design) and Grace Zandarski (Vocal Coach). Casting by TELSEY + COMPANY, William Cantler CSA. Cole P. Bonenberger is Production Stage Manager.

David Henry Hwang was awarded the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award which comes with a $200,000 prize. Hwang’s plays include Bondage, Chinglish (2012 Drama Desk Award nomination), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), FOB (1981 Obie Award), Golden Child (1997 Obie Award, 1998 Tony Award nomination), M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize finalist), and Yellow Face (2008 Obie Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist). He also wrote the libretti for three Broadway musicals: Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Disney’s Tarzan, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination). In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Icarus at the Edge of Time, Sound and Beauty, and The Voyage – as well as Howard Shore’s The Fly, Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), and Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 World Premiere of the Year). Hwang penned the feature films Golden Gate, M. Butterfly, and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. He sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by appointment of President Clinton.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

Articles by Lia Chang:
Ruy Iskandar and Yuekun Wu Set for Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad, February 5 – March 17, 2013
Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge Star in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at South Coast Repertory, January 25 – February 24, 2013
Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child; Extended Run Ends December 16, 2012
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 16, 2012
Greg Watanabe, Julyana Soelistyo and Jennifer Lim Lead the Cast of Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, October 23-December 2, 2012
David Henry Hwang to Receive the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards on October 29, 2012
Berkeley Rep’s Production Photos of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, Starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, Extends through October 21, 2012
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Click here for other articles on David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
AALDEF Honors Congressman John Lewis, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Simone Wu with 2013 Justice in Action Awards
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
Ron Domingo, Francis Jue and Jon Norman Schneider Join the Cast of the World Premiere of Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre, February 28 – April 13, 2013
Kumu Kahua Theatre Presents World Premiere of Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies, January 24-February 24, 2013
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Signature Theatre’s World Premiere of Sam Shepard’s Heartless Starring Lois Smith, Gary Cole, Jenny Bacon, Betty Gilpin, and Julianne Nicholson Extends through September 30, 2012
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child; Extended Run Ends December 16, 2012

The cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child at their opening night curtain call in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Signature Theatre’s revival of Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, directed by Leigh Silverman, currently playing in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York, ends its extended run on Sunday, December 16, 2012.

Director Leigh Silverman and David Henry Hwang after the opening night performance of Golden Child at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Inspired by his own family history, David Henry Hwang’s 1997 Obie Award-winning and 1998 Tony nominated Golden Child explores the often-painful process through which change comes to people and cultures.

Golden Child, the first show in Signature Theatre’s Residency One: David Henry Hwang Series began previews on October 23 and opened on November 13. This production will be followed by a new production of his play The Dance and the Railroad, directed by May Adrales, and the new play KUNG FU, directed by Leigh Silverman.

Golden Child opening night with Matthew Maher, director Leigh Silverman, Julyana Soelistyo, playwright David Henry Hwang, Lesley Hu, Greg Watanabe, Annie Q. and Jennifer Lim at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Julyana Soelistyo after the opening night performance of Golden Child at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Greg Watanabe (MyNetworkTV’s “Watch Over Me,” The Ballad of Yachiyo, Extraordinary Chambers) leads the cast as Eng Tieng Bin, a Chinese businessman, who after three years working abroad, returns home and sets off a dangerous power struggle in his polygamous Chinese household. Julyana Soelistyo, who received a Tony award nomination for her magical turn as Eng Ahn and the daughter in the original Broadway cast of Golden Child, plays first wife Eng Siu-Young, Jennifer Lim of Broadway’s Chinglish plays second wife Eng Luan, and Lesley Hu makes her off-Broadway debut as third wife Eng Eling. Also featured in the cast are Annie Q (”Are We There Yet?”) as Eng Ahn / daughter, Matthew Maher (CSC’s The School for Lies) as Reverend Baines, Tina Chilip (Leviathan Lab’s Twelfth Night) as Servant / Ghost, Nadia Gan (Mirror Rep’s The Shanghai Gesture) as Servant / Ghost.

Golden Child castmembers Lesley Hu, Greg Watanabe, Julyana Soelistyo, Annie Q. and Jennifer Lim after their opening night performance at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Founding artistic director James Houghton and playwright David Henry Hwang celebrate after the opening night performance of Golden Child at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

This year, David Henry Hwang was awarded the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award which comes with a $200,000 prize. Hwang’s plays include Bondage, Chinglish (2012 Drama Desk Award nomination), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), FOB (1981 Obie Award), Golden Child (1997 Obie Award, 1998 Tony Award nomination), M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize finalist), and Yellow Face (2008 Obie Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist). He also wrote the libretti for three Broadway musicals: Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Disney’s Tarzan, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination). In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass – 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Icarus at the Edge of Time, Sound and Beauty, and The Voyage – as well as Howard Shore’s The Fly, Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), and Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 World Premiere of the Year). Hwang penned the feature films Golden Gate, M. Butterfly, and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. He sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by appointment of President Clinton.

Tickets are $75 during the extension week.To purchase tickets for all Signature Productions, call the Signature Theatre Box Office (212-244-7529) or visit signaturetheatre.org.

Golden Child playwright David Henry Hwang with his sister Grace Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang

Lois Smith. Photo by Lia Chang

Founding artistic director James Houghton and playwright Edward Albee. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong. Photo by Lia Chang

Bill Heck and his wife Maggie Lacey. Photo by Lia Chang

Playwright Will Eno (Title and Deed) and Tony-nominated actress Maria Dizzia. Photo by Lia Chang

Actress Rebecca Henderson and playwright Annie Baker. Photo by Lia Chang

Colman Domingo. Photo by Lia Chang

Greg Watanabe. Photo by Lia Chang

Greg Watanabe. Photo by Lia Chang

The Piano Lesson leading man Brandon Dirden and his wife Crystal Dickinson (Photo by Lia Chang

Julyana Soelistyo. Photo by Lia Chang

Julyana Soelistyo. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim. Photo by Lia Chang

Tina Chilip. Photo by Lia Chang

Annie Q. Photo by Lia Chang

Emotional Creature’s Olivia Oguma and Paolo Montalban. Photo by Lia Chang

Gary Wilmes and Ari Fliakos. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Will Cantler. Photo by Lia Chang

Paolo Montalban and Greg Watanabe. Photo by Lia Chang

Kathryn Layng and her husband playwright David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia chang

Grace Hwang, Kathryn Layng, David Henry Hwang and guests. Photo by Lia Chang

The Piano Lesson leading man Brandon Dirden, Golden Child playwright David Henry Hwang and Crystal Dickinson Photo by Lia Chang

The Piano Lesson leading man Brandon Dirden, Signature’s founding artistic director James Houghton and Crystal Dickinson (Photo by Lia Chang)

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes. Photo by Lia Chang

Golden Child star Greg Watanabe and playwright David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

James A. Williams. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia Chang, playwright David Henry Hwang and his wife Kathryn Layng at the opening night party for Signature’s revival of Golden Child at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on November 13, 2012. Photo by Grace Hwang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

Articles by Lia Chang:
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 16, 2012
Greg Watanabe, Julyana Soelistyo and Jennifer Lim Lead the Cast of Signature Theatre’s Production of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, October 23-December 2, 2012
David Henry Hwang to Receive the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards on October 29, 2012
Berkeley Rep’s Production Photos of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, Starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, Extends through October 21, 2012
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Click here for other articles on David Henry Hwang.
Photos: Opening Night with Hold These Truths’ Playwright Jeanne Sakata and Star Joel de la Fuente, a Revelation as Gordon Hirabayashi; Performances Extended through November 25, 2012
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Playing Lady Thiang in the Harbor Lights’ Production of The King and I is a dream come true for Christine Toy Johnson
Photos: Q & A with Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, The King in Harbor Lights’ Production of The King and I
Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Mu Performing Arts’ Artistic Director Rick Shiomi takes home Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement
Signature Theatre’s World Premiere of Sam Shepard’s Heartless Starring Lois Smith, Gary Cole, Jenny Bacon, Betty Gilpin, and Julianne Nicholson Extends through September 30, 2012
Raul Aranas, Kate Baldwin, Brian d’Arcy James, P.J. Griffith, Bobby Steggert and Michele Pawk Set for New York Premiere of GIANT at The Public Theater, October 26-December 2, 2012
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com