Three Year Swim Club, Encounter, TEA, Christmas in Hanoi and Chess set for East West Players 47th Anniversary Season

East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, kicks off its 47th Anniversary Season with the return of Lee Tonouchi’s Three Year Swim Club, a Los Angeles Times Critic’s Choice and LA Weekly Pick, back by popular demand.

Set on the island of Maui in the 1930′s, Three Year Swim Club becomes transcendent as the art of hula becomes the metaphor for competitive swimming. Inspired by the true life story of Soichi Sakamoto, who trained the youth of Maui to swim in the plantation irrigation ditches on their path to becoming Olympic champions. Directed and choreographed by Keo Woolford. Three Year Swim Club has performances, July 27-August 19, 2012, at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the UnionCenter for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St. in Los Angeles, CA. For tickets and more information, check out the www.EastWestPlayers.org website or call 213-625-7000.

This season, themed Spirited Away, includes the multidisciplinary Encounter by S.M. Raju and Aparna Sindhoor, the newly-reimagined TEA by Velina Hasu Houston, the world premiere of Christmas in Hanoi by Eddie Borey, and the Broadway musical CHESS, music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Ulvaeus & lyrics by Tim Rice.

“As East West Players enters its 47th season, we celebrate and explore the notion of spirit,” says Tim Dang, EWP’s Producing Artistic Director. “From ghosts to human perseverance, these stories delve into the essence of spirit within the human mind and body – as our emotions conjure the multiple definitions of the word spirit.”

September 6-October 7, 2012
Encounter explores different confrontations – with the Divine, the Self, Bob Marley, Love, and the Military. In association with Navarasa Dance Theater in Massachusetts, Encounter mesmerized audiences during the National Asian American Theater Festival. It is now brought in its full version, continuing to expand EWP’s boundaries to include South Asian voices and multi-disciplinary forms such as Indian dance. By S.M. Raju and Aparna Sindhoor; Music by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally; Directed & Choreographed by Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda; Inspired by a short story by Mahasweta Devi.

Velina Hasu Houston Photo credit: Pacific Rim Press

November 8-December 9, 2012
TEA is the critically acclaimed play about Japanese war brides from World War II now living in Kansas gathering for a farewell tea ceremony for one of their members who has mysteriously passed away. In honor of the play’s 25th Anniversary, EWP dares to present something different as Houston pens lyrics and adds original music to this classic play. By Velina Hasu Houston; Book and Lyrics by Velina Hasu Houston; Music by Nathan Wang; Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera.

February 7-March 10, 2013
Christmas in Hanoi is about a mixed-race family who returns to Vietnam for the first time since the war. One year after the death of their strong-willed mother, siblings Winnie and Lou travel with their Irish Catholic father and Vietnamese grandfather to re-connect with their roots. Whether they embrace that past or reject it, they are haunted by their own family’s ghosts and by the phantoms of Vietnam’s long history. Winner of the EWP Face of the Future Playwriting Competition. By Eddie Borey and directed by Jeff Liu.

May 9-June 9, 2013
CHESS: From the lyricist of Jesus Christ Superstar and the composers of Mamma Mia!, the story involves a romantic triangle between two top chess players – an American and a Russian – and the woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. All of this takes place within the context of the Cold War, as both countries vie for international chess victories for propaganda purposes. Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Directed by Tim Dang; Musical Direction by Marc Macalintal. Generous support for this production is provided by the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players.

Additional funding is provided by Bank of America, the California Community Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Shubert
Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission and the City of Los Angeles
Department of Cultural Affairs.

All performances will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the UnionCenter for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Season
Subscriptions are available with General Subscriptions starting at $135. Wednesday, Thursday, Student, and Senior Subscriptions are discounted to $120. Preview Subscriptions are $89. Opening Night subscriptions include pre-show cocktails and a post-show reception and are $210. Season Subscription purchases and additional
information can be found at www.EastWestPlayers.org or by calling 213-625-7000. All plays and dates subject to change.

Other Articles by Lia Chang
West Coast Premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Berkeley Rep stars Michelle Krusiec and Alex Moggridge, August 24-October 7, 2012
Velina Hasu Houston’s Calligraphy Set for World Premiere at LATC
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
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
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be feted at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda and Jeanne Sakata set for Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies at 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 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
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines to star in An Enemy of the People at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre during Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2012-2013 Season
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
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

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

Randy Reyes, Sheena Janson, Sara Ochs, Katie Bradley, Eric Sharp, Suzie Juul, Alex Galick and Maxwell Thao are set for Mu Performing Arts’ production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, directed by Rick Shiomi, which runs at the Park Square Theatre, 20 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, MN, from July 17 – August 5, 2012. Opening night is Friday, July 20, 2012. Single tickets start at $25 (adults) / $10 (students and children under 18) and are now on sale through the Park Square Theatre box office at 651-291-7005 or by visiting www.muperformingarts.org.

Mu Performing Arts’ Into the Woods, directed by Rick Shiomi. Photo by Michal Daniel

Into the Woods, a multiple Tony Award winning modern classic with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, takes familiar fairy tales and turns them on their heads. Sondheim’s memorable score includes crowd-pleasing musical numbers such as “Agony,” “Giants in the Sky,” and “No One is Alone.”

Randy Reyes, who has appeared in Mu Performing Arts’ productions of Little Shop of Horrors, Flower Drum Song, Yellowface, The Romance of Magno Rubio; at the Guthrie Theater in M. Butterfly, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Government Inspector); and in Il Campiello, As You Like It with Ten Thousand Things, leads the cast of Into the Woods as the Baker. Sheena Janson (Theatre Latte Da’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), whose sultry voice brought new life to Audrey II in Mu’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, plays the Baker’s Wife.

Also featured in the cast are Sara Ochs (Little Shop of Horrors, Flower Drum Song, Four Destinies) as Cinderella; Katie Bradley (CTC’s Mulan, Jr, Little Shop of Horrors, Four Destinies) as the Witch; Suzie Juul (Park Square’s Ragtime) as Little Red Riding Hood; Alex Galick (Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them), as Prince Charming; Maxwell Thao (Stages Theatre Co.’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) as Jack. Eric Sharp, who has appeared in numerous Mu productions and in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Odyssey and Oliver Twist at Park Square Theatre returns to play the Wolf and Rapunzel’s Prince.

Jeannie Lander, Tom Thao, Lara Trujillo, Meghan Kreidler, Danice Cabanela, Alice McGlave, Tom Lee, Jennifer Kelley, Natalie Chung, Michael Sung Ho, Kim Egan, and Brianna Heu round out the twelve member ensemble, many of whom are making their Mu Performing Arts debut.

Rick Shiomi Photo by Lia Chang

Mu concludes its landmark 20th Anniversary Season, by diving further into its musical theater initiative. Into the Woods marks the Midwest’s first production of the show by a nationally recognized Asian American theater company. Director Rick Shiomi explains how the popular musical will been re-imagined from an Asian American perspective:

“Ever after… like you’ve never seen it before. We are transporting the musical from the woods of Europe to the forests of Asia. Imagine Jack and his mother in Hmong attire, Little Red in a Cambodian skirt, Cinderella in a Filipino gown and the Baker and his wife in Korean hanboks. It will be a striking variation on the original and yet, since the stories are so universal (many of these fairy tales have Asian equivalents) they will feel as funny and real, sad and sweet, beautiful and moving as ever, but in a totally different context.”
~ Rick Shiomi, Director

The artistic team includes Denise Prosek (Music Director). Maria Kelly (Choreographer), Jennifer Weir (Assistant Director),Gunther Gullickson (Scenic Designer), Karin Olson, Lighting Designer, Tom Sandelands (Sound designer), Paula Lee (Costume Designer), Sarah Salisbury (Props Designer) and Lisa Smith (Stage Manager).

Into the Woods begins preview performances on July 17, opens on July 20 and continues through August 5 at Park Square Theatre (20 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, MN 55102). Single tickets start at $25 (adults) / $10 (students and children under 18) and are now on sale through the Park Square Theatre box office at 651-291-7005 or by visiting www.muperformingarts.org

Click here for more photos of the production by Michal Daniel.
citypages.com Into the Woods at Mu Performing Arts Shows Dark Side of Fairy Tales
startribune.com: Mu Performing Arts ventures ‘Into the Woods’
pioneerpress.com: Mu’s Take on ‘Into the Woods’ lively, fresh and full of highlights
howwastheshow.com: Into the Woods by Mu Performing Arts’ at Park Square Theatre
startribune.com: Going all in for ‘Woods’
Mu Performing Arts
blogs.citypages.com: Mu Performing Arts goes ‘Into the Woods’
Mu was first founded in 1992 as Theater Mu, a theater company dedicated to bringing Asian American voices to the stage in the Twin Cities at a time when Asian American theater did not exist in the area and the Asian American community was rarely recognized. After forming Mu Daiko, a taiko drumming ensemble, the company rebranded itself as Mu Performing Arts, reflecting their broad artistic base of theater, taiko, and artist development. Mu Performing Arts remains Minnesota’s only pan-Asian performing arts organization, and has grown into the second largest Asian American performing arts company in the United States. In 2011, Mu Performing Arts published a new anthology of plays through Temple University Press, Asian American Plays for a New Generation. Six of the seven plays included were commissioned and/or produced by Mu. Each season, Mu produces three mainstage plays and one mainstage taiko concert, along with numerous artist development programs and other special events. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary mainstage season, Mu Performing Arts continued its string of ‘Best of’ top end of year picks by The Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press, with last year’s musical offering Little Shop of Horrors. In the last three seasons, seven out of nine productions have been listed on end of year lists. www.muperformingarts.org.

Other articles on Mu Performing Arts:
Randy Reyes Embraces his Passion for Storytelling as an Actor, Director and Theater Educator
Randy Reyes directs Mu Performing Arts’ production of EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM by A. Rey Pamatmat at Mixed Blood Theatre, March 13-April 1, 2012
Mu Performing Arts’ Little Shop of Horrors on 2 ‘Best of’ Lists; Women in Arts Panel on 1/29, in Conjunction with Mu Daiko’s 15th Anniversary Concert and Tour
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: Opening Night of Mu Performing Arts’ Katie Hae Leo’s Four Destinies
Photos: Backstage at Mu Performing Arts’ Four Destinies by Katie Hae Leo
Mu Performing Arts 2011-2012 20th Anniversary Season: Four Destinies, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, Into the Woods, & Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert
Up Close and Personal with Rick Shiomi, Award-winning Playwright & Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts
Photos: On the town with Rick Shiomi, Co-Editor of “Asian American Plays for a New Generation”, in D.C. & NY
Temple Press: Rick Shiomi recounts his tour for “Asian American Plays for a New Generation”
Mu Blog: Rick Shiomi’s Book Tour Logbook
knightarts.org: Reading on the road inside the book tour
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Lia Chang Theater Portfolio at Library of Congress Features Photos of Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas, Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East Starring BD Wong, David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, and Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s Bakwas Bumbug! on View Through August 2
Photos: Rick Shiomi Checks out Performing Arts Playwrights Series in the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection of Library of Congress; Attends “Asian American Plays for a New Generation” Book Signing in NY on 7/29 “Asian American Plays for a New Generation”, A New Anthology of Asian American Plays Is Subject of Book Talk
Click here for more articles on Rick Shiomi.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
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
Tony Award-winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be feted at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda and Jeanne Sakata set for Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies at 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 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: 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
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
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 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

On Monday, May 7, 2012 at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York, Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang celebrated the release of his newly published play from TCG Books, Chinglish, which received its Broadway premiere in Fall 2011 and was named “Best American Play of 2011” by TIME magazine, and as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year by Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC.

David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

The critically acclaimed Chinglish is set for the silver screen, and a tour which kicks off in the Fall at Berkeley Rep. Fast and Furious helmer Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Finishing the Game), recently acquired the film rights to Chinglish and is set to begin shooting in 2013, with a screenplay by Hwang.
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish

WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

The play has been nominated for 3 Drama Desk Awards including – Outstanding Play for Hwang, Outstanding Actress in a Play for Jennifer Lim and Outstanding Set Design for David Korins. Chinglish opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in the summer of 2011, winning two Jeff Awards – for Hwang (New Work-Play) and scenic designer David Korins (Scenic Design-Large), before moving to Broadway.

Brian d’Arcy James, Leigh Silverman, David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim and Francis Jue at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

This Fall, Hwang succeeds Athol Fugard as Signature Theatre’s Residency One playwright for the 2012-2013 season at the company’s new home, The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between Dyer and 10th Avenues). Residency One is Signature’s core one-year playwright-in-residence program that produces a series of plays from the body of work of one accomplished writer. The Residency One: David Henry Hwang Series will feature revivals of Golden Child, directed by Leigh Silverman;The Dance and the Railroad, directed by May Adrales; and the world premiere of Kung Fu, a play which incorporates dance and music into an exciting new form, in which a young martial artist comes to America from Hong Kong in the 1960′s, with a dream as audacious as his talent: to become the biggest movie star in the world. To do so, he must struggle to overcome the West’s view of China as weak and backwards, and of Asian men as less than truly masculine. Directed by Silverman. David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater interviews David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater interviews David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

WNYC lived streamed the conversation with Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater in New York and Hwang. Click here to view the video.

Leigh Silverman and David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Obie award winning director Leigh Silverman, who directed Chinglish and Yellow Face, helmed the theatrical segment of the program, which featured excerpts of M. Butterfly read by BD Wong and Brian d’Arcy James; of Yellow Face read by Hwang and Francis Jue; and of Chinglish read by Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Lim, who received a Theatre World Award on May 8, for her breakout Broadway debut.

BD Wong and Brian d’Arcy James read a scene from M. Butterfly at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

BD Wong and Brian d’Arcy James read a scene from M. Butterfly at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

BD Wong and Brian d’Arcy James read a scene from M. Butterfly at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Hwang’s plays often explore the Asian American experience and multiculturalism in contemporary society. He is the author of M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Finalist), Golden Child (1996 Obie Award, 1998 Tony Nomination), Yellow Face (2008 Obie Award and Pulitzer Finalist), The Dance and the Railroad, Family Devotions and FOB (1981 Obie Award). His Broadway musicals include the books for Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Nomination), and Disney’s Tarzan. As America’s most-produced living opera librettist, he has written four works with composer Philip Glass, as well as Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, and Bright Sheng’s The Silver River. He penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate, and Possession (co-writer), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with pop star Prince. Hwang attended Stanford University and the Yale School of Drama, and sits on the boards of the Dramatists Guild, the American Theatre Wing, and the Lark Play Development Center. From 1994-2001, he served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

David Henry Hwang as D.H.H. and Francis Jue as H.Y.H. in a scene from Yellow Face
at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang as D.H.H. and Francis Jue as H.Y.H. in a scene from Yellow Face
at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang as D.H.H. and Francis Jue as H.Y.H. in a scene from Yellow Face
at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

On May 11, 2012, Hwang will receive the 2012 China Institute Blue Cloud Award at the China Institute Gala Benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. His recent accolades include the 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award, the 2011 Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award, and the 2011 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for a Master American Dramatist.
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
Photos: David Henry Hwang, John C. Whitehead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Asia Society Awards Dinner in New York

David Henry Hwang watches Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Lim in a scene from Chinglish at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang watches Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Lim in a scene from Chinglish at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang watches Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Lim in a scene from Chinglish at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang watches Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Lim in a scene from Chinglish at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

After the program, Hwang signed copies of Chinglish, Yellow Face, Flower Drum Song, Golden Child, and his anthology of selected plays, Trying to Find Chinatown, for a line of people which stretched the length of WNYC’s The Greene Space studio.

David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater interviews David Henry Hwang at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, BD Wong and Jennifer Lim
at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang and Oskar Eustis at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang and BD Wong at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Chinglish cultural advisors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

Brian D’Arcy James, Leigh Silverman and BD Wong at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

BD Wong at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York on May 7, 2012, courtesy New York Public Radio. © 2012 Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang Articles:
WNYC’s The Greene Space presents “An Evening with David Henry Hwang” featuring Oskar Eustis, Brian d’Arcy James, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim, Francis Jue
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
Photos & Video: Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish
David Henry Hwang, Kathryn Layng and BD Wong at the Asian American Writers Workshop Literary Awards
Nothing is Sacred in David Henry Hwang’s Comedy of Mistaken Racial Identity
Francis Jue, At Home on the Stage
The Making of the Flower Drum Song Cast Album
Flower Drum Song, An American Story
The Literary Legacy of C.Y. Lee
Click here for more articles on David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 2012
Raymond J. Lee and Ali Ewoldt star in Concert Reading of Jason Ma’s Gold Mountain on May 21, 2012
BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for 2 Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, 5/21, 5/22
Emmy Award Winner Richard Thomas Hosts Give Kids a Shot! National Meningitis Association Gala 2012 at the New York Athletic Club
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: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster, David Pittu, Jarlath Conroy and Gordana Rashovich at Charles Busch’s Judith of Bethulia
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: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
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
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
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

WNYC’s The Greene Space presents “An Evening with David Henry Hwang” featuring Oskar Eustis, Brian d’Arcy James, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim, Francis Jue on May 7, 2012

On Monday, May 7th at 7pm, WNYC’s The Greene Space and Theater Communications Group will welcome Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, whose latest Broadway comedy Chinglish received 3 Drama Desks nods today – Outstanding Play for Hwang, Outstanding Actress in a Play for Jennifer Lim and Outstanding Set Design for David Korins. The Greene Space is located at 44 Charlton Street at Varick Street in New York.

David Henry Hwang and Oskar Eustis (Photos by Lia Chang)

This evening will feature a conversation with Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater in New York and readings by Hwang with guests Brian d’Arcy James, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim and Francis Jue. The event will be followed by a book signing including Hwang’s newly published play from TCG Books, Chinglish, which received its Broadway premiere in fall 2011 and was named “Best American Play of 2011” by TIME magazine.
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish

Jennifer Lim, BD Wong and Francis Jue (Photos by Lia Chang)

Tickets are $15 and available at www.thegreenespace.org. A live video webcast will be available to stream at www.thegreenespace.org.

David Henry Hwang’s plays often explore the Asian American experience in contemporary society. He is the author of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly, a finalist for the 1988 Pulitzer Prize. Other plays include Golden Child, FOB, The Dance and the Railroad, Family Devotions and Pulitzer Prize-finalist, Yellow Face; his opera libretti include three works for composer Philip Glass. From 1994-2001, he served an appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

David Henry Hwang Articles:
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
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 David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Emmy Award Winner Richard Thomas Hosts Give Kids a Shot! National Meningitis Association Gala 2012 at the New York Athletic Club
Photos: A night out at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
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: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster, David Pittu, Jarlath Conroy and Gordana Rashovich at Charles Busch’s Judith of Bethulia
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: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
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
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
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: Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish

Justin Lin (Photo by Lia Chang)

Filmmaker Justin Lin, who is responsible for Universal’s mega-successful FAST AND FURIOUS franchise has just acquired film rights to David Henry Hwang’s critically acclaimed comedy CHINGLISH hailed by TIME Magazine as the BEST PLAY of 2011.

CHINGLISH, a romantic comedy with a timely, political spin debuted at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and follows its Broadway run with an international tour beginning at Berkeley Repertory Theatre this fall. Lin will direct and produce the film for his company, Barnstorm Pictures.

“As soon as I saw CHINGLISH on Broadway, I began to envision this smart and insightful cross-cultural comedy as a film. I’m excited about working with David to bring this very timely story to the screen, ” said Lin.

Playwright David Henry Hwang in front of the Longacre Theatre in New York, where his new comedy Chinglish played on Broadway through January 29, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“I’ve loved Justin’s work ever since he burst on the scene with Better Luck Tomorrow, and it feels very right to be collaborating with him on the movie verision of my play, said playwright Hwang, a Tony Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Hwang will write the screenplay and is set to co-produce the film with Bobbi Thompson.

David Henry Hwang Articles:
WNYC’s The Greene Space presents “An Evening with David Henry Hwang” featuring Oskar Eustis, Brian D’arcy James, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim, Francis Jue on May 7, 2012
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
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 David Henry Hwang.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Emmy Award Winner Richard Thomas Hosts Give Kids a Shot! National Meningitis Association Gala 2012 at the New York Athletic Club
Photos: A night out at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
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: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster, David Pittu, Jarlath Conroy and Gordana Rashovich at Charles Busch’s Judith of Bethulia
Mark Bennett Receives Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Sound Design for An Iliad
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: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
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
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
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