Lia Chang: Christine Lin, Henry Godinez and Liz Griffiths Receive Halcyon Theatre’s 2013 Iris Awards

On Friday, March 8, 2013, the Halcyon Theatre Company honored actor Christine Lin; Henry Godinez, resident artistic associate at Goodman Theatre and the curator of the Latino Theatre Festival; and Liz Griffiths, immediate past Director of North River Commission’s (NRC) two economic development affiliates, the Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation (LADCOR) and the Albany Park Chamber of Commerce, with The Iris Award for connecting Chicago’s communities and arts, at Night of Flight, Halcyon Theatre’s first major fundraiser at Architectural Artifacts in Chicago, Il. The benefit raised more than $42,000.

Christine Lin was presented with The Iris Award for connecting Chicago’s communities and arts by Halcyon Theatre co-founders Jenn and Tony Adams, who is also the Artistic Director, at Night of Flight, Halcyon Theatre’s first major fundraiser at Architectural Artifacts in Chicago, Il, on March 8, 2013. Photo by Kan Chou

Christine Lin, an actor, improvisor and engineering consultant, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and began her affiliation with Halcyon in 2008 as an Artistic Associate, appearing in the Company’s productions of Caridad Svich’s Iphigenia…(a rave fable), Tony Adam’s Trickster, and Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories. She also directed Astrid Saalbach’s The Blessed Child in 2009′s Alcyone Festival. She has been a company and board member since 2011.

Eric Lin and his daughter Christine Lin, who was presented with The Iris Award for connecting Chicago’s communities, at Night of Flight, Halcyon Theatre’s first major fundraiser at Architectural Artifacts in Chicago, Il, on March 8, 2013. Photo by Kan Chou

It was a glorious evening for Ms. Lin, who was presented with The Iris Award for connecting Chicago’s communities and arts by Halcyon Theatre co-founders Jenn and Tony Adams, who is also the Artistic Director. Weichen Lin and Eric Lina, Ms. Lin’s parents, along with many close Chicago-based and New York-based friends, were on hand to celebrate.

Ms. Lin shared, “I was delighted when Tony shared my first audition and production with Halcyon resulting in my first production in Chicago. And then I was surprised and so very moved by Jenn reading what David Henry Hwang wrote about me. I was touched by the support and love I felt in the room – not only from Halcyon and our company but also from the many wonderful friends and supporters of theater in Chicago in the room. I realized that though the Iris Award is for commitment to connecting Chicago communities and art, it is really the art that has connected me to my wide-reaching community of wonderful friends and colleagues who so generously support and appreciate art. Art brings people together, and Halcyon makes it possible for so many by practicing what they believe in color-blind casting and producing untold stories that bring awareness of and bridges gaps between people of different cultures. The evening was more wonderful than I could have imagined and I am so grateful for Halcyon.”

Ms. Lin, who currently resides in New York City, made her Broadway debut as Miss Zhao in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre, after its world premiere at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Below are excerpts from Hwang’s congratulatory message.

Broadway Chinglish castmembers Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, playwright David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Hi Christine! We were in pre-production for Chinglish at the Goodman, when I heard that this theatre called Halcyon had gotten a grant or something specifically to do a show with this amazing Asian American actress. I was like, “Really? When was the last time I heard of something like that happening? Like, never!” Then you came in to audition for Chinglish, and Leigh Silverman and I were smart enough to know blazing talent when we saw it. You became an invaluable part of that show, then when I saw you all warrior-woman and bad-ass in Soul Samurai at Infusion, I not only respected your talent, but was scared of you too. Which in some ways is even better.

“When it became clear we were going to Broadway, there was never any question but that we were going to ask you along. You made our show so much better, and I guess we changed your life too. You are a rock-solid talent, whip-smart, and noble of spirit. I look forward to our next artistic journey together. Congratulations, Christine. Although NYC has you now, I have a feeling that a big part of your heart still belongs to Chicago, and to Halcyon. Love, David

Miss Lin’s other regional credits include Dewdrop in Qui Nguyen’s Soul Samurai (InFusion Theatre), Miyoko in Braden LuBell’s Days of Late (SiNNERMAN Ensemble), Cinderella in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (PM&L Theatre), understudying Bea in Naomi Iizuka’s Ghostwritten (Goodman Theatre), and The Chinese Woman in a staged reading of Lauren Yee’s Ching Chong Chinaman (Silk Road Rising). She is also an alum of Asian-American sketch comedy group Stir-Friday Night! and wrote and performed in three reviews: Bubble Tea Party!, Rock Out With Your Wok Out!, and Horry Kow, That’s Lacist! On screen, Ms. Lin has been featured on “Gossip Girl,” NBC’s “Deception,” indie dramas Big Words and Blowtorch, and as Pimp Lucius’ blind escort in R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” series. Training: Steppenwolf West ensemble intensive, Upright Citizens Brigade (New York), Second City Training Center Improv Conservatory (Chicago), and Duke University – BSE degree in electrical and biomedical engineering. www.christine2lin.com

Other articles by Lia Chang:
CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on January 5, 2012 – Meet David Henry Hwang & his Cast at the Lin Sing Association in NY Chinatown
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish Takes Home to 2 Jeff Awards
The ‘Chinglish’ Broadway Journal: Week 7 (Nov. 1, 2011)
Photos: Backstage with the Cast of Chinglish and David Henry Hwang at the Longacre Theatre
The ‘Chinglish’ Broadway Journal: Week 6 (Oct. 25, 2011)
Broadwaysbestshows.com: Learning to Speak Chinglish w/ David Henry Hwang (#14)
David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish Begins Previews at the Longacre Theatre on 10/11
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

Lia Chang: Christine Lin, Henry Godinez and Liz Griffiths to Receive Halcyon Theatre’s 2013 Iris Awards

Halcyon Theatre will honor Christine Lin, Henry Godinez and Liz Griffiths as this year’s recipients of The Iris Award for connecting Chicago’s communities and arts, at Night of Flight, Halcyon Theatre’s first major fundraiser on Friday, March 8th, 2013, at Architectural Artifacts, 4325 N. Ravenswood in Chicago, Il.

The night’s festivities which also includes dinner, and open bar and dancing, kick off at 7pm. Come and learn about the theatre’s Taking Wing Visionary Projects, talk to the artists about their ideas and works and help turn visions into reality. Individual tickets to the event are $50 and raffle tickets are $10.00. Both event and raffle tickets and can be purchased on line at www.Halcyontheatre.org. Raffle prizes include fantastic seats to the Bulls vs. Pistons, Blackhawks vs. Calgary, and The Lyric Opera; a Richard Petty NASCAR driving experience; or a dining extravaganza at Morton’s Steak House and Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. You do not need to be present to win a raffle prize. http://halcyontheatre.org/nightofflight2013

About Halcyon:
Based in Chicago, Halcyon Theatre was formed in 2006 to connect people, transform our borders and ascend toward a more just union. Halcyon Theatre’s mission has been committed to making the stage as diverse as the city of Chicago; presenting new voices from inadequately represented communities, as well as recasting classic works to showcase their contemporary relevance.

The company strives to make incredible theatre from stories around the world, to help show our world in new ways, and rediscover the individual beauty of people from our global community. Our artistic philosophy is driven by our continuing belief that at every point of human history where there has been an explosion of artistic creativity, it has happened when different cultures and traditions have intersected and informed each other. If every artist working with an organization looks and thinks the same, it is difficult for them to grow. A homogeneous group produces homogeneous art. Striving for artistic excellence with artists of varied cultural backgrounds and training is at the forefront of everything we do.

Christine Lin
Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Christine Lin is an actor, improvisor and engineering consultant based in New York City. Ms. Lin made her Broadway debut as Miss Zhao in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish after its world premiere at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Ms. Lin is a company and board member of Halcyon Theatre where she performed in Halcyon’s productions of Caridad Svich’s Iphigenia…(a rave fable), Tony Adam’s Trickster, and Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Christine also directed Astrid Saalbach’s The Blessed Child in 2009′s Alcyone Festival. Other regional credits include Dewdrop in Qui Nguyen’s Soul Samurai (InFusion Theatre), Miyoko in Braden LuBell’s Days of Late (SiNNERMAN Ensemble), Cinderella in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (PM&L Theatre), understudying Bea in Naomi Iizuka’s Ghostwritten (Goodman Theatre), and The Chinese Woman in a staged reading of Lauren Yee’s Ching Chong Chinaman (Silk Road Rising). She is also an alum of Asian-American sketch comedy group Stir-Friday Night! and wrote and performed in three reviews: Bubble Tea Party!, Rock Out With Your Wok Out!, and Horry Kow, That’s Lacist! On screen, Ms. Lin has been featured on “Gossip Girl,” NBC’s “Deception,” indie dramas Big Words and Blowtorch, and as Pimp Lucius’ blind escort in R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” series. Training: Steppenwolf West ensemble intensive, Upright Citizens Brigade (New York), Second City Training Center Improv Conservatory (Chicago), and Duke University – BSE degree in electrical and biomedical engineering. www.christine2lin.com

Henry Godinez
Henry Godinez is the resident artistic associate at Goodman Theatre and the curator of the Latino Theatre Festival. Most recently at the Goodman, he directed Karen Zacarías’ The Sins of Sor Juana as part of the fifth Latino Theatre Festival in 2010. His other Goodman directing credits include José Rivera’s Boleros for the Disenchanted, as well as its world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre. Other world premieres at the Goodman include Karen Zacarías’ Mariela in the Desert, Regina Taylor’s Millennium Mambo and Luis Alfaro’s Straight as a Line. Also at the Goodman: The Cook by Eduardo Machado, Electricidad by Luis Alfaro, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez, Red Cross by Sam Shepard (in Regina Taylor’s Transformations), the Goodman/Teatro Vista co-production of José Rivera’s Cloud Tectonics and the 1996–2001 productions of A Christmas Carol. Mr. Godinez’s other Chicago credits include A Year with Frog and Toad and Esperanza Rising for Chicago Children’s Theatre, Nilo Cruz’s Two Sisters and a Piano (Apple Tree Theatre/Teatro Vista co-production) and Anna in the Tropics for Victory Gardens Theater. Mr. Godinez is the co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista, where he directed Broken Eggs, El Paso Blue, Journey of the Sparrows, Santos & Santos and The Crossing. His other directing credits include work at Portland Center Stage, Signature Theatre Company in New York City, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and several seasons of Stories on Stage for WBEZ Chicago Public Radio. As an actor, Mr. Godinez appeared most recently in the Goodman/Teatro Vista world premiere of José Rivera’s Massacre (Sing to Your Children) and on TV in “The Beast,” “The Chicago Code” and in a recurring role on “Boss.” Born in Havana, Cuba, Mr. Godinez is an associate professor at Northwestern University and has served as a site evaluator and panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Illinois Arts Council and the Evanston Arts Council. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Arts Council and Albany Park Theatre Project. Mr. Godinez is the recipient of the 1999 TCG Alan Schneider Directing Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, and was honored as the 2008 Latino Professional of the Year by the Chicago Latino Network.

Liz Griffiths
Liz is immediate past Director of North River Commission’s (NRC) two economic development affiliates, the Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation (LADCOR) and the Albany Park Chamber of Commerce. LADCOR is one of the nations preeminent and oldest community based economic development corporations. LADCOR/NRC is responsible for more than $300 million in neighborhood investment resulting in the creation or retention of more than 4,000 jobs. She simultaneously served as the Director of the Albany Park chamber of Commerce where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 150 member Chamber, coordinating all neighborhood marketing efforts, tours, business attraction and retention, member events and business technical assistance. She worked with small businesses, property owners, developers, real estate agents, residents and public officials to strengthen the commercial district of Albany Park, Mayfair and North Park.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and The Railroad Opening Night
Hold These Truths Opening Night at Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s Tenney Theatre with Daniel Dae Kim, Joel de la Fuente and Jeanne Sakata
Ron Domingo, Francis Jue and Jon Norman Schneider Join the Cast of the World Premiere of Paper Dolls at the Tricycle Theatre, February 28 – April 13, 2013
Jelks, Blanks, Chisholm, Cooper, Odera, Ruff and Williams Set for Two Trains Running, Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson at Two River Theater Company, February 2 – March 3, 2013
Manu Narayan, Mark Bennett, Lea Salonga, Michael K. Lee and Stafford Arima Among 2012 Craig Noel Award Nominees
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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

Lia Chang: Meet the authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac, Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, Museworks, Ltd.

I caught up with musicologist Joanna C. Lee and veteran music journalist Ken Smith at the Longacre Theatre in New York, after the post-show talkback following the 100th performance of Chinglish, by Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright David Henry Hwang, which was recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year.

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang (center) is flanked by (l-r) his cultural advisors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, actors Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Stephen Pucci, Jennifer Lim and Larry Lei Zhang after the 100th performance of Chinglish on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre in New York on January 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Smith and Lee were tapped as cultural advisors by the playwright when Chinglish, his play about an American businessman looking to land a deal in provincial China, had its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Smith writes about their participation as resident Chinglish cultural advisors here.

Chinglish cultural advisors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith at the opening night party of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Brasserie 8 ½ in New York on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

The husband and wife team are co-authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac and co-directors of Museworks Ltd., a Hong Kong-based cultural consulting company offering wide-ranging support, from production to translation and media services, for artists and institutions seeking links to and from Asia. Their clients include Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, Holland Festival, Habitat for Humanity, the Hong Kong International Film Festival and Sotheby’s HK.

Ken Smith, Hong Kong-based composer Eli Marshall (Ashes of Time Redux) and Joanna C. Lee after the 100th performance of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish in New York on January 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Lee, a pianist with a doctorate in musicology from Columbia University, was an Honorary Research Fellow of the Centre for Asian Studies, Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. Smith has covered arts and culture in Asia for the Financial Times since 2003. He is the author of Fate! Luck! Chance! Amy Tan, Stewart Wallace and the Making of The Bonesetter’s Daughter Opera. For the past seven years, he has served as advisor to the Western China Cultural Ecology Research Workshop, an NGO actively devoted to cultural preservation based in Guizhou province.

Goodman associate producer Steve Scott wrote an article entitled, “The Challenges of Chinglish,” that detailed Lee and Smith’s integral and invaluable contributions.

Translator Candace Chong (center) reviews the Chinese dialogue in the new script pages with Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, Cultural Advisors for Chinglish in the Healy Room of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago on June 5, 2011. © 2011 Lia Chang

“Finally, to ensure that the complex social interactions of the play adhere to the rather more formal rules observed in China, consultants Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith became crucial members of the Chinglish production team. As the production’s “cultural consultants,” Lee and Smith were invaluable to the accurate creation of the world of Guiyang, China, and its inhabitants.

After a sold-out extended run at the Goodman Theatre last July, Chinglish, featuring Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang, opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on October 27, 2011. Hwang received Chicago’s 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Play.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (L) his cultural advisors for Chinglish Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith. (Lia Chang)

Meet Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith in Ann Arbor, Michigan, San Francisco, CA and in New York as they make a number of personal appearances for their Pocket Chinese Almanac 2012, and with Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang.

ANN ARBOR,MICHIGAN
On Friday, January 13, 2012, the Confucius Institute at the University of Michigan is presenting CHINGLISH: A New Comedy on the Misadventures of Cross-cultural Communication, at the Michigan League – Vandenberg Room, 911 N. University in Ann Arbor, Michigan from 4pm-5:30pm. Playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) will discuss his latest Broadway hit, with Joanna C. Lee and Kenneth Smith. Free and open to the public. All are invited to a reception following the talk.

NEW YORK,NY
On Saturday, January 21, 2012, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is presenting Lunar New Year Talk: Decoding the Chinese Almanac’s Predictions for 2012, at 215 Centre Street in New York, from 2:30pm – 3:30pm. To usher in the Year of the Dragon, co-authors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith will decode the almanac’s predictions for 2012 and share a range of New Year’s traditions designed to protect your household. Admission is $15/adult, $12/student, free for children, MOCA members and seniors (65+). Each participant will receive a free copy of the Pocket Chinese Almanac (valued at $7). RSVP required to programs@mocanyc.org or 212-619-4785.

SAN FRANCISCO,CA
On Thursday, January 26, 2012, the co-authors will talk about the Pocket Chinese Almanac 2012, The Pocket Confucius, and The Pocket Tao at Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building in San Francisco at 6 p.m. Lee and Smith will translate and decode predictions for 2012. They’ll also dig beneath both the pop philosophy of Confucius and the scholarly interpretations to rediscover what the Master actually said about moral character and social order.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Financial Times Critic Ken Smith Discusses Western Opera’s Recent Success in China with the Three Chinese Tenors at The China Institute in New York on January 21, 2012
Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead at the Waldorf Astoria on January 11, 2012
CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on 1/5/12 – Meet David Henry Hwang & the Cast After Post-Show Talkback
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Click here for more articles on David Henry Hwang.
AALDEF Honors Parkin Lee, Jean Koh Peters, and CNN’s Fareed Zakaria with 2012 Justice in Action Awards in New York on February 8, 2012
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012</a
Cindy Cheung Debuts SPEAK UP CONNIE…Her Solo Show at Stage Left Studio, January 17-25, 2012
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
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, January 18 – February 19, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
DOGS LIE, Starring Samrat Chakrabarti, Frank Boyd and Ewa Da Cruz, Nabs ”Best Film (USA)” and ”Feature Film Audience Award” at 2011 ITN Distribution Film and New Media Festival
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.

Subscribe to Backstage Pass with Lia Chang

Joanna C. Lee and Lia Chang at the Broadway opening night party of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at Brasserie 8 1/2 in New York on October 27, 2011.

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

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 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: Playwright David Henry Hwang Reading and Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/15

Playwright David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

Tony-Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang, with special guests Francis Jue, Jo Mei, and Tony Torn, will read and discuss his current Broadway offering, Chinglish as well as his award-winning plays M. Butterfly and Yellow Face at The Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40th Street in New York, on Thursday, December 15th at 6pm. Admission is free.

David Henry Hwang’s works include the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly, the hit musical AIDA, and his current Broadway comedy, Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre, recently named 3rd in Time Magazine’s list of Top 10 Plays and Musicals, which stars Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes and features Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang. Directed by Leigh Silverman, the production had its world premiere this summer at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. In November, the production received two Jeff Awards – for Hwang (New Work-Play) and scenic designer David Korins (Scenic Design-Large), at the 43rd Annual Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Chicago.

On New York Magazine’s The Year in Theater list, “David Henry Hwang, after a long stretch of smallish works and writing librettos for musicals like Aida, debuted a play on Broadway (Chinglish) for the first time since 1998,” and named Jennifer Lim as “Most Exciting Newcomer”.

Hwang is a three-time Tony Award nominee, a three-time Obie Award winner, and has twice been a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

The Drama Book Shop, Inc.
250 West 40th Street
New York

Other Articles on David Henry Hwang
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
Oscar L. Tang, David Liu, Dominic Ng, Pichet Ong to Receive 2011 MOCA Legacy Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on 12/12; Performances by Chinglish’s Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Leigh Silverman, Samuel L. Jackson, Kenny Leon, David Ives, Douglas Carter Beane and More at The Drama Desk & Fordham University Theatre Program’s “Anatomy of a Breakout” Panel
David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish Takes Home to 2 Jeff Awards
The ‘Chinglish’ Broadway Journal: Week 7 (Nov. 1, 2011)
Photos: Backstage with the Cast of Chinglish and David Henry Hwang at the Longacre Theatre
The ‘Chinglish’ Broadway Journal: Week 6 (Oct. 25, 2011)
Yellow Face Reading & Book Signing w/ David Henry Hwang, Kathryn Layng, Francis Jue, w/ guest Edward Albee David Henry Hwang, Francis Jue, Kathryn Layng and Edward Albee: YELLOW FACE Reading Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/10
David Henry Hwang’s YELLOW FACE Starring Francis Jue, Pun Bandu and Thomas Azar at Theatreworks through 9/20
Nothing is Sacred in David Henry Hwang’s Comedy of Mistaken Racial Identity
Francis Jue, At Home on the Stage
Click here for more articles on David Henry Hwang.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang as Sam Shikaze in Rick Shiomi's Yellow Fever Photo by Lia Chang

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

Lia made her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden, and has since documented her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism as a photographer and videographer, collaborating with other artists, organizations and companies to establish their documentary photo archive and social media presence. Lia was featured as Joy in the Signature Theater Company’s revival of Sam Shepard’s 1965 Obie award winning play, Chicago directed by Joseph Chaikin at the Public Theater. She has appeared in em>Wolf, New Jack City, Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman, “As the World Turns,” “Another World,” and “New York Undercover”. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 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: Party 3.0, Scenes from Version 3.0, A New Anthology of Asian American Plays, Edited by Chay Yew at Zacek McVay Theater on 12/4

Lia Chang, David Henry Hwang, BD Wong and Chay Yew at the opening night party of the Broadway production of Hwang's Chinglish at Brassiere 8 1/2 in New York on October 27, 2011.

The Victory Gardens Theater, Silk Road Rising, and Theatre Communications Group is presenting Party 3.0, a selection of scenes from VERSION 3.0, published by TCG Books, directed by Chay Yew on December 4, 2011 from 5-7pm in the Zacek McVay Theater, 2433 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Admission is free.

The evening kicks off with a brief reading of excerpts from the new anthology of contemporary Asian American drama entitled Version 3.0, edited by Victory Gardens’ Artistic Director, Chay Yew, and hot off the press from TCG Books. Version 3.0 features a foreward by David Henry Hwang (Chinglish, M. Butterfly), and includes work by today’s foremost Asian American playwrights including Julia Cho, Diana Son, Chay Yew, Han Ong, Alice Tuan and others. Version 3.0 will be available for purchase at the event, and Yew will be on hand to sign copies.

Then Yew and Luis Alfaro, award-winning playwright, poet and activist (author of Oedipus El Rey, VG’s summer 2012 show) will chat about the anthology and the current state of the art.

Version 3.0
Contemporary Asian American Plays
Edited by Chay Yew
Cover design by Bob Stern
Paperback 680 pages
$22.95 978-1-55936-363-1

Zacek McVay Theater
Victory Gardens Theater
2433 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago
5-7pm
Click here to register.
Contact Daniel Reinglass at the Victory Gardens Theater, 773-549-5788, or via email tickets@victorygardens.org, for more information.

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

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
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
Playwright David Henry Hwang Reading and Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/15
Photos: Playwright Lonnie Carter Talks TRIM, The Tiger Woods What If Story, The Romance of Magno Rubio and The Lost Boys of Sudan
Photos: Kathie Lee Gifford at the 2011 Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Christmas Windows Unveiling in New York
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Leigh Silverman, Samuel L. Jackson, Kenny Leon, David Ives, Douglas Carter Beane and More at The Drama Desk & Fordham University Theatre Program’s “Anatomy of a Breakout” Panel
David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish Takes Home 2 Jeff Awards
Cathy Foy-Mahi Plays Bloody Mary in 2011-2012 National Tour of South Pacific
Photos: Backstage with the Cast of Chinglish and David Henry Hwang at the Longacre Theatre
Lia Chang Photos: Opening Night of Mu Performing Arts’ Katie Hae Leo’s Four Destinies
Lia Chang Photos: Backstage at Mu Performing Arts’ Four Destinies by Katie Hae Leo
Photos: Crossroads’ Ain’t Misbehavin’
Up Close and Personal with Rick Shiomi, Award-winning Playwright and Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts
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: 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.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 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.