Chay Yew Directs A.C.T.’s World Premiere of Stuck Elevator, April 4-28, 2013

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is presenting the world premiere of Stuck Elevator at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco), April 4–28, 2013. Press night is Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Tickets (starting at $20) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

Stuck Elevator is a visionary musical work based on the true story of Guāng (光), a Chinese deliveryman who was trapped in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours. Sounding the alarm will open the doors to freedom, but calling for help also means calling for attention—with dire consequences for this undocumented immigrant. Suspended between the upward mobility of the American dream and the downward plunge into an empty abyss, Guāng delves into memories of his past and into nightmares of present predicament, all within the confines of a 4′ by 6′ by 8′ metal box.

Chay Yew. Photo by Lia Chang

Inventively staged by internationally acclaimed artist Chay Yew—and introducing the prodigious work of composer Byron Au Yong and librettist Aaron Jafferis—Stuck Elevator unleashes an evocative collision of stories, sounds, instruments, and ideas.

Featuring a hybrid of musical theater, opera, and solo performance, Stuck Elevator will feature Julius Ahn (Madame Butterfly at Nashville Opera; Turandot at Seattle Opera) in the tour-de-force role of Guāng. He is joined by an extraordinary ensemble of performers—all of whom play multiple roles—including Raymond J. Lee (Anything Goes and Mamma Mia! on Broadway) as Wáng Yuè (王越), Guāng’s 8-year-old son; Marie-France Arcilla (Working at Off-Broadways’ 59E59 Theaters; Sondheim on Sondheim at the Cleveland Playhouse) as Míng (明), Guāng’s wife; Joel Perez (In the Heights , 1st national tour; Fun Home at the Public Theater) as Marco, the wisecracking Mexican deliveryman; and Joseph Anthony Foronda (Pacific Overtures and Miss Saigon on Broadway) as Zhōng Yi (忠佚), Guāng’s brother-in-law.

Says A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff: “I discovered this remarkable piece at the Sundance Playwrights Lab, where it leapt to the fore because of its astonishing originality. Who would have thought you could turn the true story of a frightened Chinese deliveryman stuck in an elevator into a hilarious and heartbreaking musical about hunger, immigration, family, dreams, and duck sauce? This richly imagined piece of musical theater is a wonderful tribute to San Francisco’s vibrant Chinese culture and a thrilling example of a commitment to new work that defies the boundaries and uses all the tools of theater to create something entirely new.”

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events—many of which are presented free of charge—in association with Stuck Elevator that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater:

Audience Prologue: Tue., April 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Before the curtain goes up, get behind the artistic process at this fascinating preshow discussion with the director and artistic staff.

Theater on the Couch: Fri., April 12, following the 8 p.m. performance
Led by Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.

Audience Exchanges: Tue., Apr. 16, at 7 p.m. | Sun., Apr. 21, at 2 p.m. | Wed., Apr. 24, at 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.

OUT with A.C.T.: Wed., April 17, following the 8 p.m. performance
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for information about how to subscribe to OUT nights (and other InterACT events) throughout the season.

Wine Series: Tue., April 23, at 7 p.m.
Before the show, raise a glass at this wine tasting event featuring leading sommeliers from the Bay Area’s hottest local wineries.

PlayTime: Saturday, April 27, at 12:30 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with theater with the artists who make it happen at this interactive workshop.

The creative team for Stuck Elevator includes scenic designer Daniel Ostling (Endgame and Play and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.; Clybourne Park on Broadway), costume designer Myung Hee Cho (Lackawanna Blues at A.C.T.; Emotional Creature at Berkeley Rep); lighting designer Alexander V. Nichols(Endgame and Play at A.C.T.; Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway and Wishful Drinking on Broadway); video designer Maya Ciarrochi (Sweet Bird of Youth at The Goodman Theatre; Arthur Miller’s All My Sons at the Huntington Theater Company); and sound designer Mikhail Fiksel (Black n Blue Boys at Berkeley Rep; In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at St. Louis Repertory).

A.C.T.’s production of Stuck Elevator is sponsored by BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Stuck Elevator is made possible by executive producers Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; producers Richard Davis and Bill Lowell; Don and Judy McCubbin; David and Carla Riemer and Nola Yee; and associate producer Martha Hertelendy. A.C.T. would like to acknowledge its 2012–13 company sponsors The Bernard Osher Foundation; Ms. Joan Danforth; Ray and Dagmar Dolby; Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin;Marcia and John Goldman; James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen; Koret Foundation; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock;Patti and Rusty Rueff; Ms. Kathleen Scutchfield; Mary and Steven Swig; Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller; and Jeff and Laurie Ubben.

BIOGRAPHIES
BYRON AU YONG (Composer) combines folk and avant-garde music to create theatrical works that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer calls “a beguiling hybrid of cultures.” His works have been performed in theaters, museums, and site-specific locations that include the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, the Tokyo Art Museum, and the Seattle Aquarium. Projects include Farewell: A Fantastical Contemplation on America’s Relationship with China (Spectrum Dance Theatre/Seattle Theatre Group), Yiju 移居: Songs of Dislocation (an audio night-garden developed at the Jack Straw New Media Gallery), and Tzu Lho: Simmering Songs (The Esoterics, Stanford Chorale). International events include Salt Lips Touching (premiered outside a Confucian Temple at the Jeonju Sanjo Festival), and Forbidden Circles (Fukuoka Gendai Hogaku Festival, International House of Japan). Learn more at his website: www.hearbyron.com.

AARON JAFFERIS (Librettist) is a hip-hop poet and playwright whose works include Kingdom (Old Globe, ReVision Theatre; Richard Rodgers Award; Best Musical and Best Book of 2008–09 (Newark Star-Ledger); Most Promising New Musical (2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival); Shakespeare: The Remix (TheatreWorks/Palo Alto, St. Louis Black Rep, Capital Rep, Zachary Scott Theatre, International Festival of Arts & Ideas); and No Lie (Nuyorican Poets Café, H.E.R.E., Passage Theatre). He has performed his poetry at Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center and the National Poetry Slam Championships, where he is a former Open Rap Slam champion. His poetry has been performed by the Urban Bush Women and published in The Nation. For the last decade he has taught playwriting, poetry, and hip-hop theater in urban high schools, middle schools, and detention centers in his hometown of New Haven, CT. Learn more at his website: www.aaronjafferis.com.

CHAY YEW (Director) has directed world premieres by José Rivera, Naomi Iizuka, Kia Corthron, Julia Cho, David Adjmi, Rha Goddess, Universes, Alec Mapa, and Brian Freeman. He is a recipient of the OBIE Award and DramaLogue Award for Direction. Directing credits include Brainpeople (A.C.T.); Durango (Public Theater and Long Wharf); The Architecture of Loss (New York Theatre Workshop); Cool Dip in the Barren Sahara Crick (Playwrights Horizons); Low (Public Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse, Pillsbury Theatre); Citizen 13559: The Diary of Ben Uchida (Kennedy Center); Universes’ Ameriville (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Public Theater, Round House Theatre, Southern Repertory Theatre and Curious Theatre); Our Town (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Boleros for the Disenchanted (Huntington Theatre); and Antebellum (Woolly Mammoth Theatre).

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Party 3.0, Scenes from Version 3.0, A New Anthology of Asian American Plays, Edited by Chay Yew at Zacek McVay Theater
Version 3.0, a major new collection of contemporary Asian American plays edited by Chay Yew
Victory Gardens appoints renowned director and playwright Chay Yew as its new Artistic Director
Chay Yew’s Visible Cities at The Studio Theatre on Theatre Row
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
Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre Extends through April 28, 2013
NAATCO Presents A Dream Play at Here, March 22 – April 13, 2013
Signature Theatre’s 2013-14 Season Features New Works by Albee, Hwang, Enos, Taylor, Wilson, Clarke and Jacobs-Jenkins
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
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.

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

Historic Gathering of Civil Rights Heroes at Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration in San Francisco on January 27, 2013

The Korematsu Institute is celebrating Fred Korematsu Day 2013 at the Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration at the Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco, CA, on Sunday, January 27, 2013. This will be a historic gathering of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights heroes and the descendants of heroes who have passed on. The event also features celebrity emcee Danny Glover, as well as a special performance by American Idol star Jasmine Trias.

Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration Honorees:
Fred Korematsu: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Karen Korematsu will represent her father at the event.
Grace Lee Boggs: Chinese American grassroots activist for pan-ethnic social justice movements. Unfortunately, Ms. Boggs is unable to attend the event.
Mitsuye Endo: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Wayne Tsutsumi and Wendy Weiner will represent their mother at the event.
Filipino World War II Veterans: Filipino soldiers who fought for the US against Japanese forces during WWII but were later denied US military benefits. Veteran Alberto Saldajeno will represent this honoree group at the event.
Gordon Hirabayashi: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Jay Hirabayashi will represent his father at the event.
Internment Dissenters: “No Nos,” draft resisters, and renunciants who challenged the WWII incarceration and mistreatment of Japanese Americans. “No-No” Hiroshi Kashiwagi will represent this honoree group at the event.
Larry Itliong: Filipino American organizer and coalition builder in California’s farm labor movement. Johnny Itliong will represent his father at the event.
Japanese American World War II Veterans: Soldiers who fought bravely in segregated WWII military units in the face of racism at home. Veteran Asa Hanamoto will represent this honoree group at the event.
Yuri Kochiyama: Japanese American grassroots activist for pan-ethnic social justice movements. Audee Kochiyama Holman will represent her mother at the event.
Queen Lili’uokalani: Last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii and advocate for Hawaiian sovereignty. Unfortunately, relatives of the Queen are unable to attend the event.
Dollar Store Strikers: Women labor activists who launched one of the longest-running strikes in San Francisco’s Chinatown’s history. Mervyn Lee, son of striker Sue Koh Lee, will represent this honoree group at the event.
Mamie Tape: Chinese American child plaintiff in landmark case reinforcing equal access to education. Alisa Kim will represent her aunt at the event.
Bhagat Singh Thind: Sikh American plaintiff in US Supreme Court case examining race-based citizenship. David Bhagat Thind will represent his father at the event.
Philip Vera Cruz: Filipino American founding member of the United Farm Workers and defender of workers’ rights. Fernando Gapasin will represent his uncle at the event.
Wong Kim Ark: Chinese American plaintiff in US Supreme Court case affirming birthright citizenship. Unfortunately, the Wong family has not confirmed if they plan to attend the event.
Min Yasui: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Serena Hawkins-Schletzbaum and Chani Hawkins-Walker will represent their grandfather at the event.

When: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 1:00pm VIP reception with honorees, 2:30-4:30pm program
Where: Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102

Tickets: Available for purchase at
http://bit.ly/kdayheroestix

$100 VIP reception with honorees + program admission
$25 program general admission
$10 senior (65+)/student/youth (under 18) admission
If you are a Filipino WWII veteran, Japanese American WWII veteran, Internment Dissenter, or Dollar Store Striker wishing to attend, please call us to request complimentary tickets.
More info: Call 415-848-7737
Web site: www.FredKorematsuDayHeroes.org

ABOUT FRED KOREMATSU DAY
Fred Korematsu Day is the first day in US history named after an Asian American. In 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB1775, creating “Fred Korematsu Day” as a permanent day of special significance, when schools around the state are encouraged to teach Mr. Korematsu’s story and protect the civil liberties of all people. Fred Korematsu Day is celebrated every January 30, on Mr. Korematsu’s birthday. In May 2012, the governor of Hawaii declared January 30, 2013 as Fred Korematsu Day in Hawaii. There are multiple events planned in Honolulu on January 30, 2013, including an appearance by Governor Abercrombie. On January 18, 2013, Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared January 30, 2013 as Fred Korematsu Day in Utah, the state where Mr. Korematsu was interned during World War II. This Fred Korematsu Day 2013 season, there are some 25 events taking place in 10 states in January and February.

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education is dedicated to advancing pan-ethnic civil and human rights through education. Founded in the name of the late civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, the Korematsu Institute develops and distributes FREE curriculum to teachers around the country. Teachers can sign up for kits at
http://bit.ly/korematsucurriculum
. The Institute organizes community and school events nationwide to commemorate Fred Korematsu Day. For more information, visit www.KorematsuInstitute.org.

Sean Dugan Set for West Coast Premiere of George C. Wolfe’s Tony Award-Winning Production of The Normal Heart at A.C.T., September 13 – October 7, 2012

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is presenting the West Coast premiere of The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer’s landmark play focusing on the early years of the AIDS crisis in New York City in the 1980s, September 13 – October 7, 2012.

George Wolfe, Tonya Pinkins and S. Epatha Merkerson at 54 Below in New York on August 27, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Directed by five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller as a tight-knit group of friends refuse to let doctors, politicians, and the press bury the truth about an epidemic ravaging the gay community behind a wall of silence. The Normal Heart has performances at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, September 19, at 8 p.m. The Normal Heart is presented in association with Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C., by special arrangement with Daryl Roth.

Sean Dugan

The Normal Heart will feature original Broadway cast member Patrick Breen in the role of Ned Weeks, the fiery writer and activist at the center of the play. He is joined by noted film and television actress (and fellow original Broadway cast member) Jordan Baker as Dr. Emma Brookner, a passionate physician determined to stop the spread of the mysterious disease. The production also features Tom Berklund (Broadway’s The Addams Family) as Craig Donner/Grady, Matt McGrath (Broadway’s Cabaret, A.C.T.’s The Black Rider) as Felix Turner, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse (Broadway’s Kiss Me, Kate, A Chorus Line, and The Light in the Piazza) as Mickey Marcus, Sean Dugan (NBC’s “Smash”) as Tommy Boatwright, Jon Levenson (Broadway’s The Normal Heart) as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell (Broadway’s A Free Man of Color) as Bruce Niles, and Bruce Altman (HBO’s “Game Change”) as Ben Weeks.

Fueled by love, anger, hope, and pride, The Normal Heart centers around a circle of friends struggling to contain the mysterious disease ravaging New York’s gay community. First produced in 1985 by Joseph Papp at New York’s Public Theater, the show immediately became a critical sensation and a seminal moment in theater history. Kramer’s unapologetic tackling of the AIDS epidemic, gay marriage, and our national healthcare system casts theatrical light on issues that are as present in today’s national discourse as they were when the play first premiered a quarter of a century ago.

Wolfe’s 2011 Broadway staging received universal acclaim and was the recipient of three Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, and the Outer Circle Critics Circle Award, all naming it Best Revival of a Play. The show was also awarded the Special Citation from the New York Drama Critics Circle.

Mo Rocca (left), Rachel Dratch in Tail! Spin!. Photo by Thom Kaine

Dugan just completed a sold-out run of the wildly popular political comedy TAIL! SPIN! opposite Rachel Dratch and Mo Rocca at the Kraine Theater, as part of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. He last appeared on Broadway in Next Fall, for which he received a Drama Desk Nomination. His Off-Broadway credits include The Illusion, Next Fall, The English Channel, Perfect Harmony, BFF, Nerds, Valhalla, Corpus Christi, Flesh & Blood, Shakespeare’s R & J. He has worked regionally at Two River Theater Company, Roundhouse Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, The Old Globe, American Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Festival, Theatre J. Film/TV: On The Slope, Gigantic, Trust the Man, Company Man, Overnight Sensation, “Smash,” “I Just Want My Pants Back,” “Eden,” “The Good Wife,” “Fringe,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Beat,” “Oz.”

The Normal Heart reunites members of the Broadway revival’s design team, including scenic designer David Rockwell, costume designer Martin Pakledinaz, lighting designer David Weiner, sound designer and original music composer David Van Tieghem, and projection designer Batwin & Robin. Joining the team is restaging director Leah C. Gardiner.

Tickets for the limited engagement of The Normal Heart are now available online at www.act-sf.org and by phone at 415.749.2228. Subscribers to A.C.T.’s 2012–13 season will receive priority seating to this highly anticipated production. To order a subscription, visit www.act-sf.org/subscribe or call 415.749.2250.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: Laila Robins, Sean Dugan, C.J. Wilson, Peter Francis James, Bill Irwin and Tricia Paoluccio at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
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
LA Premiere of $upercapitalist on August 31st with Derek Ting, Kathy Uyen, Rachel Tan, Paul Sheehan and Joyce Yung at LAEMMLE Noho 7; Photos of NY Premiere
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
West Coast Premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Berkeley Rep stars Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, August 24-October 7, 2012
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
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2012-2013 Season: Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines to star in An Enemy of the People at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
George Takei, Lea Salonga, Telly Leung and Paolo Montalban star in the World Premiere of Allegiance – A New American Musical at The Old Globe, September 7 – October 21, 2012
World Premiere Screening of Lil Tokyo Reporter Starring Chris Tashima at Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, September 14-16, 2012
10 minutes with Sullivan & Son’s Jodi Long, Award Winning Actor and Filmmaker
Illeana Douglas, Kimberly-Rose Wolter and Michael Kang Set for 4 Wedding Planners Screening in Screen Actors Guild Foundation Conversations Series in NY
David Henry Hwang to Receive the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the 5th Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards on October 29, 2012
Multimedia: Screen Actors Guild Foundation’s Conversations with Derek Ting, Linus Roache and Michael Park of $upercapitalist
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
C.J. Wilson navigates armor and swordplay in Signature Theatre Company’s World Premiere of Kenneth Lonergan’s Medieval Play
Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, starring Colman Domingo & Scott Shepherd in The Alice Griffith Jewel Box at The Pershing Square Signature Center through March 11, 2012
Three Year Swim Club, Encounter, TEA, Christmas in Hanoi and Chess set for East West Players 47th Anniversary Season
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
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.
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

AAIFF’12: Richard Wong & H.P. Mendoza’s Yes, We’re Open, starring Lynn Chen, Parry Shen, Sheetal Sheth, & Kerry McCrohan, screens at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas on August 4, 2012

Richard Wong and writer H.P. Mendoza, the award-winning team that brought you the infectious, quirky coming-of-age tale Colma: The Musical, return to the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF’12) with their fourth collaboration, Yes, We’re Open, a raunchy sex comedy starring Lynn Chen (Saving Face), Parry Shen (Better Luck Tomorrow), Sheetal Sheth (Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World) and Kerry McCrohan, which screens at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, 260 W. 23rd St, in New York, on August 4, 2012 at 7pm. Click here for tickets.

Sheetal Sheth, Parry Shen, Lynn Chen and Kerry McCrohan in Richard Wong and H.P. Mendoza’s Yes, We’re Open

Set in the San Francisco Bay Area, Yes, We’re Open follows Luke (Parry Shen) and Sylvia (Lynn Chen) who think of themselves as a modern couple – always in the know and open to new experiences. Enter Elena (Sheetal Sheth) and Ronald (Kerry McCrohan)a provocative polyamorous couple that challenge Luke and Sylvia’s status in their circle of friends and with each other. With temptation right around the corner, Luke and Sylvia must figure out where they really stand on love, sex, and honesty. Yes, We’re Open takes an intimate look at the unconventional world of San Francisco relationships, where promiscuity and fidelity aren’t always mutually exclusive.

The film also features Tasi Alabastro, Dave Boyle (Surrogate Valentine), H.P. Mendoza (Fruit Fly: The Musical), and Theresa Navarro (Option 3).

Yes, We’re Open was directed by Richard Wong, written by H.P. Mendoza, and produced by Theresa Navarro and Richard Wong. The film premieres the work of first time director of photography Seng Chen and features the skills of Hong Kong Studio-reared production and costume designer Wing Shan “Irene” Chan. Yes, We’re Open was scored by Digital Crafts Night, including the catchy theme song, “All of Our Friends Are Getting Married,” written by H.P. Mendoza and performed by film stars Lynn Chen and Parry Shen.

Richard Wong, H.P. Mendoza, Kerry McCrohan, and Theresa Christine Navarro will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

Director Richard Wong (Photo by Lia Chang)

Richard Wong (Director) is a Spirit Award nominated director and cinematographer who has worked on independent films such as Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower and The Screet Fan, The Princess of Nebraska, Fruit Fly, and Colma: The Musical. Colma: The Musical was also Wong’s breakout full length motion picture directorial debut, and it earned him a nomination from the Gotham Awards for the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You Award, a nomination from the Spirit Awards for the Someone to Watch Award, and a special citation from San Francisco Film Critics Circle.

H.P. Mendoza

H. P. Mendoza is a Filipino American writer-director, and singer-songwriter based in San Francisco best known as the screenwriter and composer for the film Colma: The Musical, directed by Richard Wong. In 2006, he was listed as one of the Top 15 Creative Talents of 2006 by UCLA Asia Pacific Arts. His directorial debut, Fruit Fly, premiered on March 15, 2009 at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and is the winner of their Best Narrative Feature Audience Award. I Am a Ghost is his second feature film.

About Asian CineVision & AAIFF
The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) is produced by Asian CineVision (ACV), a nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. AAIFF is the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind and a leading showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American film and video.

For more information on the 35th Annual Asian American International Film Festival, please visit
http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/
.

Other Articles by Lia Chang
AAIFF 09 Closing Night Awards and H.P. Mendoza’s Fruit Fly
Colma: The Musical Rocks
Richard Wong’s Colma: The Musical opens in SF and NYC
AAIFF’12: Knots, written by and starring Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Illeana Douglas, Sung Kang, Mia Riverton, Janel Parrish and Cathy Foy, and directed by Michael Kang, screens at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas on August 5, 2012
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
$UPERCAPITALIST starring Derek Ting, Linus Roache, Kenneth Tsang, Richard Ng and Kathy Uyen is the AAIFF’12 Centerpiece Presentation on July 28, 2012; opens in U.S.Theaters in August
Daniel Hsia’s Shanghai Calling, Simon Yin’s Supercapitalist & Michael Kang’s Knots to Screen at 35th annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York, which runs July 25 – August 5, 2012
35th Asian American International Film Festival Line-up in New York
Janet Yang to receive 2012 Asian American Media Award at AAIFF’12 Opening Night Presentation of Shanghai Calling on July 25, 2012
Click here for more articles on Film.
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Catch Grammy-winning Drummer Will Calhoun in August at The Iridium, Jazzmobile Summerfest 2012, The Blue Note, Hudson Valley Jazz Festival, and WimBash
Berkeley Rep Takes First Show to Asia- David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish starring Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, set for Hong Kong Arts Festival, March 1-6, 2013
West Coast Premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Berkeley Rep stars Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, August 24-October 7, 2012
NYMF: Prison Dancer starring Jose Llana, Jeigh Madjus, Marc delaCruz, Catherine Ricafort, Moses Villarama, Cosmo Clemens, Enrico Rodriguez, Albert Guerzon, Andrew Eisenman and Nathan Ramos at Theatre at St. Clement’s, July 20-28, 2012
Three Year Swim Club, Encounter, TEA, Christmas in Hanoi and Chess set for East West Players 47th Anniversary Season
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
Rick Shiomi helms Mu Performing Arts’ Asian American Cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, July 17-August 5, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
Photos: In Rehearsal with BD Wong at Dixon Place for Live Concert Recording of Herringbone
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 the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 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: The SFIAAFF30 Kicks Off with World Premiere of White Frog Featuring Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum, Jr., Joan Chen, Kelly Hu and BD Wong, at the Castro Theater on March 8

The SFIAAFF30 kicks off with the world premiere of WHITE FROG, directed by Quentin Lee (The People I’ve Slept With, SFIAAFF ’10; Ethan Mao, SFIAAFF ‘04), on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 7pm at the Castro Theater, 429 Castro St (at Market near 17th St) in San Francisco.
WHITE FROG features Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga), Harry Shum, Jr. (“Glee”), Kelly Hu (Scorpion King), BD Wong (“Awake,” “Law and Order: SVU”), and Joan Chen (The Last Emperor, Lust, Caution, Mao’s Last Dancer).

White Frog Executive Producer David Henry Hwang and Producer/Co-Screenwriter Ellie Wen in New York after a performance of Chinglish on January 28, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Written by the mother/daughter screenwriting team Ellie and Fabienne Wen, and executive produced by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), WHITE FROG tells the story of high-school freshman, Nick (Booboo Stewart), a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome, who is often neglected and misunderstood by his seemingly perfect family. When tragedy suddenly strikes, Nick is forced out of his comfort zone, and into finding the strength he needs to survive. WHITE FROG is a universal story about the power of family, friendship, and love.

BD Wong Photo by Lia Chang

The red carpet will be rolled out for actors Harry Shum Jr., Joan Chen, B.D. Wong; director Quentin Lee; producer and co-screenwriter Ellie Wen; producer Chris Lee; and executive producer David Henry Hwang, who will be at the screening and at the star-studded Opening Night Gala Reception at the Asian Art Museum. Delicious treats will be served up by some of the Bay Area’s most popular restaurants, including Bushi-Tei, Chotto, Dosa, Serpentine, and Yoshi’s.

WHITE FROG
SFIAAFF 30 Opening Night Gala & World Premiere
Tuursday, March 8, 2012
7PM Film Screening @ Castro Theater
429 Castro St (at Market near 17th St), San Francisco
9:30pm Opening Night Reception at Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street (at Fulton), San Francisco
Screening + Gala Non-Member Price: $60
Screening + Gala CAAM Member Price: $50 CAAM Members
Film only: $35
Gala only: $30

Booboo Stewart and Harry Shum, Jr. in the Quentin Lee helmed White Frog, by Ellie and Fabienne Wen. Courtesy of White Frog

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

http://whitefrogthemovie.com/


Related articles:
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang Moderates “RepresentAsian: The Changing Face of New York Theater” at Pope Auditorium at Fordham University
Photos & Video: Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish
Click here for more articles on BD Wong, and here for more articles on David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Thom Sesma, Cindy Cheung, Ken Leung, Jennifer Lim, Sab Shimono, James Yaegashi and more set for Shinsai: Theaters for Japan Benefit on March 11 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Media Advisory on Jeremy Lin News Coverage
Gary Wilmes & Scott Shepherd Set for Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ at The Public, March 14-May 6, 2012
Orville Mendoza Joins the Broadway Cast of Peter and the Starcatcher, Previews Begin March 28 at the Brooks Atkinson
Photos: Laila Robins, Sean Dugan, C.J. Wilson, Peter Francis James, Bill Irwin and Tricia Paoluccio at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
Pan Asian Rep’s 35th Anniversary Gala on March 19 honors Daniel Dae Kim and Dr. Patrica E. Taylor; New Season includes Stella Rising, BAUDELAIRE: La Mort
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
Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, starring Colman Domingo & Scott Shepherd in The Alice Griffith Jewel Box at The Pershing Square Signature Center through March 11, 2012
broadwayworld.com: Photo Flash: SPEAK UP CONNIE In Rehearsal
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 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.