Lia Chang Photos: Working Theater’s World Premiere of Ed Cardona, Jr.’s La Ruta through May 12, 2013

Ed Cardona, Jr.’s La Ruta is being performed in a truck. Photo by Lia Chang

Working Theater, the 28-year-old Off-Broadway company, in collaboration with Magnum Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the Magnum Photos legacy and supporting photography around social justice issues, have joined forces to present Ed Cardona, Jr.’s LA RUTA, a world premiere immigration-themed play that is being staged inside the trailer and cab of an actual 48’ truck.

Brian D Coats and Sheila Tapia in La Ruta. Photo by Lia Chang

An accompanying photographic installation about the immigrant experience will also be presented. This unique collaboration will shed a deeper light on one of today’s hot-button issues – immigration reform. La Ruta, which began previews on April 10, 2013, will continue through May 12, 2013. Helmed by Tamilla Woodard, the play is being performed in various communities throughout New York City in order to directly realize Working Theater’s mission to bring theater to working people.

The Magnum Foundation exhibition. Photo by Lia Chang

LA RUTA, an immersive theatrical experience, follows the crossing of several undocumented immigrants into the U.S. to make a better life for themselves and their family. Audiences experience the journey alongside the characters, surrounded by the harsh reality of their environment and the poignant narrative unfolding within.

Annie Henk, Zoë Sophia Garcia, Gerardo Rodriguez and Bobby Plasencia. Photo by Lia Chang

Magnum Foundation has organized a photo-based installation–featuring both award-winning Magnum photographers and emerging documentary photographers–outside of the truck that will focus audiences on the experiences of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. Images from the renowned Magnum Photos archive will also be projected within the performance to illuminate the interior worlds of the characters.

Gerardo Rodriguez and Zoë Sophia Garcia. Photo by Lia Chang

“Through LA RUTA, we, at Working Theater, in partnership with Magnum Foundation, hope to raise awareness about the plight of undocumented immigrants,” said Working Theater’s Producing Artistic Director Mark Plesent. “Our goal is to challenge our diverse communities to consider the experience of this large, yet too often misrepresented immigrant constituency.” The cast features Brian D. Coats (MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, Public Theater), Zoë Sophia Garcia (THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, Actors Theatre of Louisville), Annie Henk (THE PLAY ABOUT DAD, 59E59), Sheila Tapia (CQ/CX, Atlantic Theater Company), Bobby Plasencia (VESUVIUS, South Coast Repertory), Gerardo Rodriguez and Jacob Alden Roa.

Annie Henk, Bobby Plasencia, Gerardo Rodriguez and Zoë Sophia Garcia. Photo by Lia Chang

The production team includes Raul Abrego (scenic design), Emily DeAngelis (costume design), Lucrecia Briceño (lighting design), Dave Tennent, IMA & Kate Freer, IMA (projection design), Sam Kusnetz (sound design), and Production Core (Production Supervision)The production stage manager is Michael Aaron Jones and the assistant stage manager is Sarah Levine.

Zoë Sophia Garcia. Photo by Lia Chang

Community partner venues include, the Bronx United Federation of Teachers (Bronx), St. John the Divine (Manhattan), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Queens) and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island).

Annie Henk, Zoë Sophia Garcia, Shelia Tapia, Gerardo Rodriguez and Bobby Plasencia. Photo by Lia Chang

The performance schedule is April 10th through May 12th, Wednesday through Saturday at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Additional performances in Manhattan on Tuesdays at 6:30 and 8:30.

Annie Henk, Zoë Sophia Garcia and Gerardo Rodriguez. Photo by Lia Chang

Tickets are $25 (General Admission) and $23 (Students/Seniors/Union Members) and may be purchased in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 800-838-3006. For group rates, contact info@theworkingtheater.org. Due to mature content, patrons under the age of 13 will not be admitted. Latecomers will not be admitted. The running time is 70 minutes without intermission.

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WORKING THEATER (Producer). Now in its 28th season, Working Theater is New York’s only professional Off-Broadway theatre company dedicated to producing plays for and about the working men and women of New York. Past productions include Lisa Ramirez’s play about nannies, EXIT CUCKOO directed by Colman Domingo; Roberto Aguirre Sacasa’s KING OF SHADOWS; PORT AUTHORITY THROW DOWN; HOLD PLEASE; ABUNDANCE; RECONSTRUCTION; Israel Horovitz’s HENRY LUMPER, Rob Ackerman’s TABLE TOP; Stefanie Zadravec’s HONEY BROWN EYES and many others. For more information, visit www.theworkingtheater.org.

MAGNUM FOUNDATION (Collaborator) The Magnum Foundation champions in-depth, independent documentary photography that fosters empathy, engagement, and positive social change. The Magnum Foundation supports, trains, and mentors the next generation of photographers and seeks to increase the exposure of both historical and contemporary documentary photography in the digital age. An independent public charity, the Magnum Foundation carries forward the core values held dear by Magnum photographers and sustains the practice of high-quality documentary photography. For more information, visit http://magnumfoundation.org/.

Ed Cardona, Jr. Photo by Lia Chang

ED CARDONA, JR. (Playwright). Ed’s play AMERICAN JORNALERO received its world premiere at INTAR Theatre in the spring of 2012; the play was also selected as a finalist by the 2011 Metlife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition. Ed is also currently a member of Theater 167’s theatrical ensemble which is developing its next project JH3am, a collaborative work based on Jackson Heights, Queens, N.Y.C. after 3:00 am. An Artistic Associate for the Working Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season, he adapted PABLO’S CHRISTMAS (commissioned and published by Dramatic Publishing, 2009) from the children’s book by Hugo C. Martin. Ed has also been a resident playwright with the Hispanic Playwrights-in-Residence Lab at INTAR Theatre, The Professional Playwrights Unit at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre and the Hall Farm Center for the Arts & Education in Townsend, VT. He is a founding member of NY Madness. Ed received his M.F.A. in playwriting from Columbia University where he received the John Golden Award for his thesis play, PICK UP POTS! Multimedia: Photos of Ed Cardona, Jr.’s American Jornalero at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre

TAMILLA WOODARD (Director) is a director, actor and adapter residing in New York City. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, an alumnus of The Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and a founding member of The Internationalists, a collective of directors from around the world creating an interactive global theatrical community. Most recent work includes co-creator of the site specific performance HOTEL PROJECT, that had its American premiere at Washington Jefferson Hotel and the Summit Grand Hotel in January 2012; VALIANT by Lanna Joffrey (InterAct Theatre); NIGHTLANDS by Sylvan Oswald (New Georges) and the development and direction of Saviana Stanescu’s POLANSKI POLANSKI (starring Grant Neale and produced by Nomad Theatricals at PS122/ SoloNOVA festival in New York City, Teatrul Odeon in Bucharest, The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, TIFF International Festival in Cluj and HERE in NYC). New Dramatists honored her with The Charles Bowden Award and the League of Professional Theatre Women with the Josephine Abady Award. She serves as an adjunct professor teaching solo performance at City College’s Center for Worker Education. More about Tamilla at www.Tamilla.com

REMAINING DATES & LOCATIONS FOR LA RUTA
Tuesday, April 16 thru Sunday, April 28 The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025 For tickets: http://larutamanhattan.bpt.me
Wednesday, May 1 thru Sunday, May 5 IBEW Local 3 Headquarters 158-11 Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Avenue, Flushing, NY 11365 For tickets: http://larutaqueens.bpt.me
Wednesday, May 8 thru Sunday, May 12 Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301 For tickets: http://larutastatenisland.bpt.me

Articles on La Ruta:
Villagevoice.com: La Ruta: Rough Crossing
Nydailynews.com: ‘Semi’ tough drama: Immigration play staged inside a truck
Nbclatino.com: La Ruta
This Week in NY: la Ruta
Huffington Post: ‘La Ruta’ From Working Theater Immerses Audiences In The Border Crossing Experience

Other articles on Working Theater:
Working Theater in Collaboration with Magnum Foundation Present World Premiere of Ed Cardona, Jr.’s La Ruta, April 10 – May 12, 2013
Working Theater presents The Best of TheaterWorks!: Stories from the 99%, at The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex
Working Theater presents The Poetry of Philip Levine with Jeffrey Eugenides, André De Shields, Gene Gillette and Lisa Ramirez on May 7
Photos: Working Theater’s Production of Rob Ackerman’s CALL ME WALDO at Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex
Papermag.com: An Emerson-Loving Electrician Takes the Stage in Call Me Waldo
1199SEIU President George Gresham to receive Labor Leadership Award at 2011 Working Theater Annual Awards Ceremony
André De Shields & Alison Fraser Star in Reading of Michael Aman’s The Unbleached American at Theater Row on 5/9
Working Theater Presents Staged Reading of Chay Yew’s Visible Cities at The Studio Theatre on Theatre Row
Photos:The Working Theater’s Off-Broadway production of HONEY BROWN EYES by Stefanie Zadravec at The Clurman
Lia Chang Photo Slideshows of Productions in the Working Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season
Multimedia: Photos of Ed Cardona, Jr.’s American Jornalero at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre
Photos of André De Shields in Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance
Achieving the American Dream, Professional Charmer Andre De Shields Sees Theater is a Way to Life
André De Shields Celebrates Black History Month Starring in The Working Theater’s Production of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory at The Abingdon in February 2010
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.

Christine Toy Johnson and Raul Aranas Lead the Cast of the National Asian Artists Project’s (NAAP) Benefit Presentation of Hello Dolly!, at The Pershing Square Signature Center on April 29 and May 6

The National Asian Artists Project (NAAP) is presenting a Rediscover Series production of Hello Dolly!, by Jerry Herman (music/lyrics) and Michael Stewart (book), starring Christine Toy Johnson as Dolly Gallagher Levi and Raul Aranas as Horace Vandergelder, at The Pershing Square Signature Center on April 29th and May 6th at 7:30pm. Proceeds from the two performances will benefit The National Asian Artists Project (NAAP). Tickets range from $25-$150. click here to purchase tickets.

Christine Toy Johnson as Dolly Levi in NAAP’s production of Hello Dolly! Photo by Bruce Alan Johnson

This fully-staged fully-costumed presentation is directed by Lee Roy Reams, director of Carol Channing’s last Broadway revival in 1995, when it was last seen in New York.

Raul Aranas

Based on Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker, the show takes place at turn of the 20th century New York City, where Dolly Levi (Christine Toy Johnson), professional matchmaker, sets her sights on bringing together numerous people looking for their matches, including herself. The Hello Dolly! cast features Jaygee Macapugay (Irene Malloy), Karl Josef Co (Cornelius Hackl), Alex Chester (Minnie Fay), Sam Tanabe (Barnaby Tucker), Rebecca Lee Lerman (Ermengarde), Austin Ku (Ambrose Kemper), Carla Ogden (Ernestina Money) and David Shih (Rudolphy Reisenweber). Andrew Cristi, Robyn DeGuzman, Daniel J. Edwards, Katie Lee Hill, Aaron Komo, JP Moraga, Gillian Munsayac, Rommel Pierre O’Choa, Anna-Lee Wright and Jessica Wu round out the ensemble.

Special thanks to Michael Cassara Casting.

This evening is a benefit fundraiser for National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), whose mission is to bridge the work of professional theatre artists of Asian descent with the many communities they can serve, from minority communities and primary schools to seasoned arts patrons, as well as providing opportunities for professional theatre artists to grow. Founded by theatre artists Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Nina Zoie Lam, NAAP strives to be a leader in this often unheard community. National Asian Artists Project: www.NAAProject.org

If you would like to donate to the NAAP kickstarter fund for Hello Dolly!, click here.

NAAP is a federal 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Your donation may be all or partially tax deductible.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Playing Lady Thiang in the Harbor Lights’ Production of The King and I is a dream come true for Christine Toy Johnson
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
DTC’s Production Photos of Giant featuring Aaron Lazar, Kate Baldwin,P.J. Griffith, Dee Hoty, Raul Aranas & Katie Thompson
Aaron Lazar, Kate Baldwin, P.J. Griffith, Raul Aranas Set for the Dallas Theater Center/Public Theater Co-Production of Giant at the Wyly Theatre, 1/18-2/19/12
Theater of the Stars Presents The King and I Starring Ronobir Lahiri, Victoria Mallory, Raul Aranas, Ali Ewoldt, Josh Dela Cruz, Jee Hyun Lim and Raphael Aranas, Helmed by Baayork Lee on Tour through September 11, 2012
Photos: Tina Chilip, Jojo Gonzalez, Dave Shih and More in NAATCO’s A Dream Play
Two-Time Grammy Nominated Hiroshima Kicks off 2013 Spring Tour at The Laguna Playhouse, with Special Guest Taiko Master Kenny Endo on April 15, 2013
Mu Performing Arts Honors Rick Shiomi at Mu Gala 2013 on April 27, 2013; Randy Reyes to Succeed Shiomi as Artistic Director
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
Jose Llana, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, Kelvin Moon Loh and More Set for World Premiere of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love at The Public, April 2 – May 19, 2013
Keith David, January LaVoy, John Douglas Thompson, Glynn Turman, Lillias White and More Set for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the CTG/Mark Taper Forum, April 24 – June 9, 2013
Multimedia: Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Chuck Cooper, Austin Pendleton, Nicholas L. Ashe, Kyle Beltran, Grantham Coleman, Jeremy Pope, and Wallace Smith Set for MTC’s World Premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy, June 18- July 21, 2013
Albee, Hwang, Enos, Taylor, Wilson, Clarke and Jacobs-Jenkins Set for Signature Theatre’s 2013-14 Season
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
Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night at Signature Theatre
Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child
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.

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

Chris Tashima Stars in Lil Tokyo Reporter, Set to Screen at Film Festivals in Eugene, Or., Sacramento, and LA

Lil Tokyo Reporter, starring Academy award winner Chris Tashima (Visas and Virtue, Day of Independence, Model Minority), Keiko Agena (“Gilmore Girls”) and Eijiro Ozaki (Letters From Iwo Jima), is screening at the 8th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon Bijou Arts Cinemas, 492 E 13th Ave., Eugene, OR, on Saturday, April 27th at 5pm; the 9th Annual Sacramento International Film Festival at the Delta King Hotel, 1000 Front St., Sacramento, CA, on Sunday, April 28th at 2:30pm; and the 29th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival CGV Cinemas, Theatre 2, 621 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, May 12th at 3pm.

Chris Tashima as Sei Fujii in Lil Tokyo Reporter. Photo courtesy of Lil Tokyo Reporter

Tashima portrays the title character in Lil Tokyo Reporter, a narrative short film based on the true life struggles of Sei Fujii, immigrant pioneer, leader, and publisher.

Jeffrey Gee Chin directed Lil Tokyo Reporter, with a screenplay written by Guinevere Turner (American Psycho), based on the research of executive producer Fumiko Carole Fujita and the Little Tokyo Historical Society.

Chris Tashima as Sei Fujii in Lil Tokyo Reporter. Photo courtesy of Lil Tokyo Reporter

Filmed in downtown Los Angeles, Lil Tokyo Reporter is a narrative short film inspired by the life and major community contributions of historic newspaper publisher, Sei Fujii. The story takes place in 1935 Little Tokyo, where Fujii confronts the corruption that threatens the livelihood of his community.

“The purpose of this film is to help open minds to the early historical contributions of Asian American pioneers,” said the film’s director, Jeffrey Gee Chin.

Although Sei Fujii was one of the most pinnacle civil rights leaders in the early 20th century, Lil Tokyo Reporter highlights his journey away from his political contributions, and delves into his interpersonal journey to defend and promote his deteriorating community during the Great Depression.

Chin and Executive Producer Fumiko Carole Fujita have created this moving tribute to the remarkable life achievements of Sei Fujii who came from Japan in 1903 and graduated from USC Law School in 1911, but could not become a lawyer because he was not allowed to become a citizen. He teamed with classmate and civil rights attorney J. Marion Wright to assist the Japanese community on racially discriminatory legal problems and issues for over 40 years. In 1931, Fujii began publishing The Kashu Mainichi (California Daily News), a Japanese/English bilingual newspaper, founded to inform, unite and celebrate the Japanese American community.

8th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon
The 8th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, held at Bijou Arts Cinemas, 492 E 13th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401. Lil Tokyo Reporter’s film festival premiere will be on Sat, April 27, 5pm. www.disorientfilm.org

9th Annual The Sacramento International Film Festival
The 9th Annual Sacramento International Film Festival at the Delta King Hotel in Old Sacramento, 1000 Front St., Sacramento, CA 95814, will have a double feature of Chris Tashima, who will be on hand to represent Lil Tokyo Reporter, which screens on Sunday, April 28, 2:30pm; and followed by Lily Mariye’s multiple award-winning Model Minority. www.sacramentofilmfestival.com

Lily Mariye’s Model Minority (photo courtesy of Nice Girl Films)

The film stars Nichole Bloom as Kayla, an underprivileged Japanese American girl with a drug addict mom (Jessica Tuck) and an alcoholic dad (Tashima), who endangers her promising future as an artist when she becomes involved with a drug dealer (Delon De Metz). Laura Innes, Helen Slater, Takayo Fisher, Courtney Mun and Marc Anthony Samuel are also featured, along with music by three-time Grammy nominee, saxophonist Boney James.

29th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
The 29th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival at the Directors Guild of America, CGV Cinemas, and The Art Theatre of Long Beach. The film festival, produced by Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, continues to be the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and is the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian American and Asian international cinema. Lil Tokyo Reporter screening is on Sun, May 12, 3pm, CGV Cinemas, Theatre 2, 621 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005; includes Q&A session with actors and filmmakers. www.asianfilmfestla.org/2013/

Lil Tokyo Reporter was produced by Mayon Denton and Michael Iinuma in association with Visual Communications and the Little Tokyo Historical Society. The team was also sponsored by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program and the Terasaki Foundation.

Chris Tashima (Photo by Lia Chang)

About Chris Tashima:
Academy award winning director and actor Chris Tashima can currently be seen in Jeffrey Gee Chin’s narrative short Lil Tokyo Reporter as Sei Fujii, an immigrant pioneer, leader and publisher and in Lily Mariye’s impressive debut feature Model Minority, in which he gives a rich multi-layered performance as the Sansei alcoholic father.

He has appeared in several noted independent features including Rea Tajiri’s Strawberry Fields, starring Suzy Nakamura, and Sherwood X. Hu’s Lani Loa -The Passage (from executive producers Francis Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang), as well as Hu’s ensemble drama, On the Roof.

Tashima received an Academy Award® for the dramatic short film, Visas and Virtue, which he directed, co-wrote and starred as Holocaust rescuer Chiune Sugihara. For television, he directed, co-wrote and acted in the PBS Special, Day of Independence, receiving an EMMY® nomination. Visas and Virtue and Day of Independence is available on DVD and can be found here.

Directorial stage credits include world premiere’s of Dan Kwong’s Be Like Water at EWP, and Nihonmachi: The Place to Be, a musical tribute to the history of Japantowns, produced by the Grateful Crane Ensemble.

Below are excerpts of a chat I had with Chris, last year in New York at the Asian American International Film Festival.

Chris gives the 411 on Jeffrey Gee Chin’s Lil Tokyo Reporter
Jeffrey Gee Chin directed Lil Tokyo Reporter, with a screenplay written by Guinevere Turner (American Psycho), based on the research of executive producer Fumiko Carole Fujita and the Little Tokyo Historical Society. In addition to Tashima, Lil Tokyo Reporter stars Eijiro Ozaki, Ikuma Ando, Keiko Agena, and Sewell Whitney.

Chris Tashima as Sei Fujii in Lil Tokyo Reporter. Photo courtesy of Lil Tokyo Reporter

Chris: Lil Tokyo Reporter is a wonderful narrative short film that I’m really excited to be a part of. It’s right now in post-production. We filmed it over a week last year. Now it’s getting the score and visual effects.

It’s about a real life Issei pioneer named Sei Fujii. He was very active in the Japanese American community in the 20’s and 30’s, all the way up to the 50’s. I knew nothing of him, in fact, I had not heard of him until the filmmaker Jeffrey Gee Chin, came to me and said, ‘I’m making this film that I want you to be in.’ It’s amazing how many stories we don’t know about. But a person of this significance.

The reason he was discovered by the filmmaker, was because the Little Tokyo Historical Society did a story on the Japanese Hospital, which I believe was founded in 1929 for the local Japanese community to get medical needs fulfilled because of either language differences, cultural differences, dietary, all these needs that they weren’t getting from regular hospitals. Sei Fujii was part of the original founders of the Japanese Hospital. Pretty much everybody in Southern California has family that was there at some point. It’s in East L.A. which had a large Japanese American community. Sei Fujii founded the Kashu Mainichi, which was the bilingual California Japanese Daily News, now no longer around, but it was a fairly large publication in California, as a means of bringing the community together, helping them, keeping them informed. He also was the individual who sued the state of California in 1952, to overturn the Alien Land Law which prohibited the Issei, or Japanese immigrants who could not become citizens, from owning land. And he won. And that opened the door to eventually winning citizenship for Japanese immigrants. There’s all these things that he did in between. To learn all of this, and to learn that there was this one man who had done so much and that I had never heard of him, was again, a great need to tell the story.

Although Sei Fujii was one of the most pinnacle civil rights leaders in the early 20th century, Lil Tokyo Reporter highlights his journey away from his political contributions, and delves into his interpersonal journey to defend and promote his deteriorating community during the Great Depression. Fujii vowed to protect his people, defending them in legal cases with Attorney Wright. During the Great Depression, the community united at their first annual pageant parade while Fujii promoted their accomplishments through his new radio program and newspaper.

Chris: So Jeffrey came to me. I had met him several times at different film festivals. He said, ‘Well I have this story that I wrote and I want you to be in it. I immediately said yes. I’ve been consulting with him a lot. It’s his first large narrative work. It’s very ambitious. It’s going to be about half an hour. It’s a period piece, set in 1935 in Little Tokyo, so to recreate that era. To tell a very good dramatic story even though it has got all of this history in it, you still want to do a good story. It’s basically about Fujii in the mid 30’s as a newspaper editor, confronting those challenges about, ‘Do you write about negative things about your own community. If you think in the long run it will help. But if it makes your community look bad or makes individuals look bad. In fact, somebody tried to assassinate Sei Fujii. He was discovered lying in the street with a gun shot wound and was sent to a Japanese hospital. Of course, he didn’t die. But that’s how controversial he was. These kind of things happened back in the 30’s.

Director Jeffrey Gee Chin with his cast on the set of Lil Tokyo Reporter. Photo by Reece Carter

In the narrative that we’re telling, he discovers a gambling den in Little Tokyo and how it is sort of swindling the farmers that are coming to town to drink and gamble. Taking their money, a little bit of extortion, the dark seeder side of Little Tokyo that people didn’t talk about. We met a lot of Nisei, that knew Issei, like their dads who used to go to this gambling joints. And none of them would talk about it. That’s what the film is about.

About The Little Tokyo Historical Society
The Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) focuses on researching and discovering the historical resources, stories, and connections of sites, buildings, and events related to Little Tokyo as an ethnic heritage neighborhood. LTHS is committed to documenting and verifying history of locales, sites, and buildings, as well as preserving and sharing the history and personal stories of Little Tokyo and its residents.

LTHS was formed in 2006 by members of the Little Tokyo community to commemorate the Nikkei history and heritage through various means such as: archival collections, photos, exhibits, lectures and workshops, and gallery. Although other organizations documenting Japanese American history exist, LTHS narrows its focus by concentrating on the history of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, rather than the larger scope of Japanese Americans nationwide.

LTHS operates as a volunteer organization, comprised of members from the Little Tokyo community including nonprofit employees, business owners, and residents.

Other Articles by Lia Chang
World Premiere Screening of Lil Tokyo Reporter Starring Chris Tashima at Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, September 14-16, 2012
Video: Academy Award Winner Chris Tashima Talks About His Roles in Lily Mariye’s Model Minority and Lil Tokyo Reporter
Meet Lil Tokyo Reporter’s Star Chris Tashima and Director Jeffrey Gee Chin at the Little Tokyo Historical Society’s Booth at the 72nd Annual LA Nisei Week Japanese Festival on August 18, 2012
Lily Mariye’s Model Minority, Jayshree Janu Kharpade’s Fire in Our Hearts, Eliaichi Kimaro’s A Lot Like You, Vincent Sandoval’s Señorita, and Liang Cheng’s My Spiritual Medicine among AAIFF’12 Award Winners
AAIFF’12: Lily Mariye’s Model Minority, starring Jessica Tuck, Nichole Bloom, Chris Tashima, Helen Slater, Laura Innes and Takayo Fisher, screens at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas on August 4, 2012
35th Asian American International Film Festival Line-up in New York
Two-Time Grammy Nominated Hiroshima Kicks off 2013 Spring Tour at The Laguna Playhouse, with Special Guest Taiko Master Kenny Endo on April 15, 2013
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.
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
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

Hanami, Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Cherry Blossom Season, Begins

The Garden’s horticulture staff has observed the first flush of blossoms on the early-blooming Prunus sargentii ‘Fudan-zakura’—indicating Hanami has begun at Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Hanami, the Japanese cultural tradition of enjoying the cherry blossom season from first buds to lush flowers to multitudes of falling petals blanketing the ground, is one of the most extraordinary times of year at the Garden. More than 200 flowering cherry trees encompassing over twenty cultivars—the nation’s most diverse collection—provide a spectacular seasonal show that continuously unfolds over three to five weeks, depending on seasonal weather.

Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Lia Chang

As Hanami progresses, the cherry display is tracked on BBG’s web-based CherryWatch feature, which maps the main part of the collection and provides a daily blooming status for each tree as well as photos of and detailed information about each cultivar. This year, the Garden encourages visitors to share their own cherry blossom images—amateur or professional—on social media including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #bbgcherries. Photographers can also post images in BBG’s visitor photo pool on Flickr.

During Hanami, the Garden offers special programs including:
Free tours (April 3–24 on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m.) focusing on BBG’s Japanese plant collections and specialty gardens, including cherry trees, the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum, and the Tree Peony Collection.

Hanami culminates in the Garden’s legendary weekend festival Sakura Matsuri—popularly considered New York’s rite of spring. A celebration of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, Sakura Matsuri (April 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) features over 60 performances, demonstrations, and exhibits—many of which are specially commissioned for this dynamic festival—and attracts one of the largest, most colorful audiences for any cultural event in the city.

For more information about Hanami, Sakura Matsuri, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s cherry blossoms, please visit bbg.org/discover/cherries.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Celebrates Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Season, Sunday, April 1–Sunday, April 29, 2012
Photos: Fall Foliage at Devil’s Lake State Park
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 30th Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival: April 30 and May 1, 2011
Photos: Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington in San Marino
Lunch at The Modern, A Stroll Through The Conservatory Garden in Central Park
Cherry Blossoms, Magnolias, Tulips and Narcissus at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Spring in New York is a Veritable Color Riot
Photos: Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
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Lia Chang

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

James Wallert, Peter Jay Fernandez, Melissa Friedman, Godfrey L. Simmons and More Set for Epic Theatre’s RICHARD III: Born with Teeth at the Pershing Square Signature Center, April 16 – May 4, 2013

James Wallert, Peter Jay Fernandez, Melissa Friedman, Devin E. Haqq, Rhett Henckel, Lanna Joffrey, Michael Kirby, James Joseph O’Neil, Carra Patterson and Godfrey L. Simmons are featured in the cast of the Award-Winning Epic Theatre Ensemble’s production of William Shakespeare’s RICHARD III: Born With Teeth, part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

James Wallert and Peter Jay Fernandez in Epic Theatre Ensemble’s Richard III: Born with Teeth at the Pershing Square Signature Center, April 16 – May 4, 2013.

The production, directed by Ron Russell, begins previews Off-Broadway on Tuesday, April 16th and opens Sunday April 21st at 7:30 PM at the Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street). The play will run through May 4th. Epic Theatre Ensemble’s tickets are $25 for this production. Student Rush is also available. For tickets, please visit www.Ticketcentral.com or call (212) 270-4200. For more information, visit www.epictheatreensemble.org/R3.

In RICHARD III: Born With Teeth, Epic Theatre Ensemble wraps Shakespeare’s words in a contemporary setting where you’ll enter the world along side and through the eyes of Shakespeare’s most charming, funny and seductively evil actors: Richard III, himself.

Ron Russell (Director, Co-founder & Executive Director of Off-Broadway’s Epic Theatre Ensemble). After graduating from Oberlin College in 1992 with a degree in Neuroscience, Theatre, and Political Science, Ron founded the nationally acclaimed Summer Theatre Enrichment Program at El Centro de Servicios Sociales in Lorain, Ohio, working with members of youth gangs, where he first experimented with the role theatre can have in youth development, social and economic intervention strategies, and building civic participation. At the same time, he was working deeply with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT/UP) using theatre as a form of protest across the nation to raise awareness. Ron came to New York as Education Director at Theatre for a New Audience, where he served over 25,000 students during his tenure, and created the Playwriting Program at Project Renewal, an assisted living facility for homeless men. He has directed extensively in NYC including 14 Off-Broadway productions (9 for Epic including an upcoming Macbeth starring Melissa Friedman and Ty Jones), and taught in over 60 school and community sites; Epic’s work has been recognized by two OBIEs (Off-Broadway highest honor) and citations from the Municipal Arts Society, Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, and the Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities.

Peter Jay Fernandez (Hastings) Recent: Luz (La Mama), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (New Haarlem Arts), CQ/CX (Atlantic Theater Co.). Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac, Henry IV, Jelly’s Last Jam, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice. Off Broadway; Macbeth, The Pain and the Itch, Too Much Memory, Widowers Houses, Thunder Knocking on the Door, Phaedra in Delirium, As You Like It, Henry VIII, Spell# 7, Coriolanus, Split Second, Checkmates and more. TV/Film; “House of Cards,” “Deception (TV),” “The Good Wife,” “Blue Bloods,” “Body of Proof,” “Law and Order(s),” “Mama I Want to Sing,” The Adjustment Bureau, Deception (Film), Preaching to the Choir, Funny Valentines and more. Awards: Audelco (2), Helen Hayes (Nom.) BTTA (Nom), Audie Award (narration).

Melissa Friedman (Elizabeth, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Epic Theatre Ensemble) Melissa holds an MFA in Acting from the Old Globe/University of San Diego and a BA in Theatre from Oberlin College. Before co-founding Epic, Melissa worked as a Lead Teaching Artist with many NYC theatres including Roundabout Theatre Company, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Shakespeare Teaches program, and Theatre for a New Audience. As Epic’s Education Director, she co-developed Epic’s Citizen Artist curriculum and acts as a Lead Teaching Artist in Epic’s partner schools and outreach programs. As an actor, she has appeared in many Off-Broadway productions including as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing as well as many Epic productions including Time and the Conways, Habitat, Hannah and Martin opposite David Strathairn, Einstein’s Gift, A Hard Heart with Kathleen Chalfant, and A More Perfect Union. Her numerous regional theatre productions include playing a witch to Victor Garber’s Macbeth and Lady Mortimer in Jack O’Brien’s production of Henry IV with John Goodman. In Epic’s Journeys Series, she performs the roles of Emilia in Othello, The Chorus Leader in Antigone and Clytemnestra in Ipphigenia. Melissa has directed 7 of Epic’s after-school Shakespeare Remix Productions including Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale and Richard III. On behalf of Epic, Melissa received the 2009 Coming Up Taller Award for Shakespeare Remix from First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony. She has published in the Teaching Artist Journal and sat on the Arts-in-Education Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts. Melissa has led Professional Development workshops throughout New York State including at the Empire State Partnership’s Summer Seminar, Common Ground, Face to Face, and NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.

James Wallert (Richard III, Associate Artistic Director of Epic Theatre Ensemble) As an actor with Epic, James has appeared in nine Off-Broadway productions including Othello, Mahida’s Extra Key to Heaven, A Hard Heart, Widowers’ Houses, Einstein’s Gift, Hannah and Martin, Habitat, Little Eyolf, Time & The Conways and ten workshops including the musicals Pop’d and Save El Cid, which he wrote. As an actor and mentor with Shakespeare Remix, he has worked on Macbeth, A Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. Other theatre credits include Othello, Romeo and Juliet and All in the Timing at the Old Globe Theatre, Pride’s Crossing and Three Days of Rain at Northern Stage, Tis Pity She’s A Whore at Here Arts Center, Sparrows at Circle Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing at the Kansas Shakespeare Festival and King Lear at the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival. TV and Film credits include FOX Television’s “Time of Your Life,” “Just the Beat,” and “Tumbling After.” Since Co-Founding Epic Theatre Ensemble in 2001, James has curated and administered Epic’s Forum Series (funded by the New York Council for the Humanities), serving over 15,000 audience members. He is currently the lead teaching artist and site manager at Chelsea Vocational High School, where he oversees Epic’s sequential learning program. MFA- Acting, Old Globe/University of San Diego; BA- Theatre, University of Kansas.

Carra Patterson (Lady Anne) Broadway: Wit (Susie Monahan, MTC). Off Broadway: Luck of the Irish (Lincoln Center 3) Measure for Measure (Public). Regional: In the Red & Brown Water (Alliance), Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (dir. Kenny Leon, True Colors), The Wiz (True Colors), Henry Box Brown (a Tony Kushner musical, dir. Mark Wing-Davey). MFA: NYU Graduate Acting Program.

James Joseph O’Neil (Buckingham) Broadway: Present Laughter with Victor Garber, directed by Nicholas Martin, Roundabout. Off B’wy: The Hired Man (47th St. Theatre), Look Back in Anger (CSC). Regional: American Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Rep, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Huntington Theatre Co., Baltimore Center Stage, Old Globe, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, American Stage Festival, Long Wharf, Pioneer Theatre Co. Film/TV: Deep Powder, Dovid Meyer, The Bourne Legacy, Fair Game, Zodiac, Acts of Worship, “Law & Order,: SVU,;CI,” “24,” “Veronica Mars,” “Third Watch,” “Sex & the City”. BFA Adelphi U, MFA USD/Old Globe.

About the Company: Epic Theatre Ensemble
Epic Theatre Ensemble is an OBIE, Lucille Lortel, and OTTO Award-Winning artist-run company. Founded in 2001 to create theatrical events Off-Broadway and in the New York City Public Schools that inspire vital dialogue about social issues, Epic is best known for their premieres of No Child… by Nilaja Sun, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson, and Hannah and Martin by Kate Fodor, as well as their groundbreaking Shakespeare Remix after-school program that received a 2009 Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House Ceremony this past November.

The design team for RICHARD III: Born With Teeth is comprised of Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams (sets), Cat Tate Starmer (lighting), Margaret E. Weedon (costumes) and Ron Russell (sound).

Every performance of RICHARD III: Born With Teeth will be immediately followed by a post performance forum lead by scholars, authors, and thinkers connected to the content of the show. This series is sponsored by the New York City Council on the Humanities. Speakers already confirmed for the series include journalist and author Jonathan Alter (April 18th “Political Manipulation”), playwright and producer Keith Josef Adkins (April 19th “Diversity in the American Theatre”) and author and profession John McWhorter (April 26th, “The Language of Political Manipulation”). Past participants have included author Chris Hedges, former Senator Bob Kerry, James Shapiro, and other noted Shakespeare scholars.

Other Articles about Peter Jay Fernandez:
Peter Jay Fernandez Set for World Premiere of Catherine Filloux’s LUZ at La MaMa’s First Floor Theatre, September 28-October 14, 2012
Photos: Larry Bryggman, Denise Burse, Peter Jay Fernandez, Tim Hopper, Arliss Howard, Kobi Libii, Mary McCann, Neil Pepe, David Pittu, Steve Rosen, Sheila Tapia, Debra Winger at Atlantic Theatre’s Opening Night of Gabe McKinley’s CQ/CX
Larry Bryggman, Peter Jay Fernandez, Arliss Howard and David Pittu Set for Atlantic Theater Company’s CQ/CX, January 25-March 4, 2012
Denise Burse & Peter Jay Fernandez Featured in INTAR Reading of Andrew Dolan’s The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King
Multimedia: Zooman and The Sign Opening Night Party
Peter Jay Fernandez and Laura Heisler Star in Too Much Memory

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Epic Theatre Ensemble Presents New York Premiere of Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths Starring Joel de la Fuente at the Theatre at the 14th Street Y, October 12-November 18, 2012
Signature Theatre’s Revival of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson Leads 28th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards Nominations
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
Jose Llana, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, Kelvin Moon Loh and More Set for World Premiere of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love at The Public, April 2 – May 19, 2013
Keith David, January LaVoy, John Douglas Thompson, Glynn Turman, Lillias White and More Set for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the CTG/Mark Taper Forum, April 24 – June 9, 2013
Multimedia: Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Chuck Cooper, Austin Pendleton, Nicholas L. Ashe, Kyle Beltran, Grantham Coleman, Jeremy Pope, and Wallace Smith Set for MTC’s World Premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy, June 18- July 21, 2013
Albee, Hwang, Enos, Taylor, Wilson, Clarke and Jacobs-Jenkins Set for Signature Theatre’s 2013-14 Season
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
Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night at Signature Theatre
Photos: Partying with the Cast of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child
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
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
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.

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