Lia Chang: Gary Wilmes and Scott Shepherd Set for Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ at The Public, March 14-May 6

Gary Wilmes. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish‘s Gary Wilmes and Scott Shepherd (Blood Knot, Hamlet) return to The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) in Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ, the award-winning, critically lauded theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, directed by John Collins, with previews beginning on Wednesday, March 14 and running through Sunday, May 6, for 28 performances only in the Newman Theater. Single tickets, beginning at $160, are on sale now. (Extended through May 13.)
GATZ was created and developed by the Elevator Repair Service ensemble, which includes Laurena Allan (Myrtle), Frank Boyd (George), Jim Fletcher (Jim), Ross Fletcher (Henry C. Gatz), Mike Iveson (Ewing), Vin Knight (Chester),Annie McNamara (Catherine), Kate Scelsa (Lucille), Scott Shepherd (Nick), Susie Sokol (Jordan), Victoria Vazquez (Daisy), Ben Williams (Michaelis), and Gary Wilmes (Tom).

BLOOD KNOT's Colman Domingo, dialect coach Barbara Rubin and Scott Shepherd at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York on February 13, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

One morning in the office of a mysterious small business, an employee finds a copy of The Great Gatsby in the clutter of his desk. He starts to read it out loud and doesn’t stop. At first his coworkers hardly notice. But after a series of strange coincidences, it’s no longer clear whether he’s reading the book or the book is transforming him. GATZ is a theatrical and literary tour de force, not a retelling of the Gatsby story but an enactment of the novel itself. Over the course of a single 6 1/2 hour production, Fitzgerald’s American masterpiece is delivered word for word, startlingly brought to life by a low-rent office staff in the midst of their inscrutable business operations.

GATZ’s Associate Director is Steve Bodow and features scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Colleen Werthmann, lighting design by Mark Barton, and sound design by Ben Williams.

JOHN COLLINS (Director) founded Elevator Repair Service with his first production, Mr. Antipyrine, Fire Extinguisher. In the 20 years since, he has directed or co-directed all of the company’s shows. From 1993 to 2006 he worked for The Wooster Group as a sound designer, receiving two Drama Desk nominations and two Bessie Awards. As a lighting designer, he won a Bessie Award for his design of Elevator Repair Service’s Room Tone. John is the recipient of a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship in Drama and Performance Art, the 2011 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director and the 2010 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for GATZ.

STEVE BODOW (Associate Director) is an ERS co-founder. Along with John Collins, Steve was Artistic Director of the Company from 1996-2004, co-directing pieces including Language Instruction, Total Fictional Lie, Cab Legs, Highway to Tomorrow, and Room Tone. Steve is Co-Executive Producer and former Head Writer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” where he recently won his ninth Emmy.

LAURENA ALLAN (Myrtle) has performed extensively in downtown New York. She performed internationally as Wife in Richard Maxwell’s House and is the creator of “Laurena’s Pancake Party.”

FRANK BOYD (George) has appeared with Elevator Repair Service in The Select (The Sun Also Rises), and Shuffle. New York credits include Architecting at The Public Theater; and Particularly in the Heartland. Film & TV credits include B.U.S.T, Dogs Lie, Yakima, and “Guiding Light.”

JIM FLETCHER (Jim) performed in Elevator Repair Service’s The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928) (tour). He has performed in many Richard Maxwell productions and with the New York City Players. He also works with the English theater group Forced Entertainment. He appears in the feature film Bass Ackwards, directed by Linas Phillips, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

ROSS FLETCHER (Henry C. Gatz) is a cardiologist and the Chief of Staff of Washington, D.C.’s VA Medical Center. Gatz is his first show with Elevator Repair Service.

MIKE IVESON (Ewing) previously appeared in the Elevator Repair Service productions of The Select (The Sun Also Rises), Shuffle and The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928). His other credits include Richard Maxwell’s Ode to the Man Who Kneels, Sarah Michelson’s Dover Beach, Sibyl Kempson’s Crime or Emergency, and Erin Courtney’s Black Cat Lost.

VIN KNIGHT (Chester) appeared in the Elevator Repair Service productions of The Select (The Sun Also Rises), Shuffle, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928), and No Great Society. His other credits include The Temperamentals with Barrow Group, and over two dozen productions with the adobe theater company and performances at Clubbed Thumb, Andhow!, Soho Rep, HERE, New Georges and Theatreworks USA.

ANNIE MCNAMARA (Catherine) appeared in Elevator Repair Service’s The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928). Her recent credits in New York include That Pretty Pretty, or, The Rape Play; The Flea and the Professor; Nurses in New England with Half Straddle; God’s Ear and A Map of Virtue.

KATE SCELSA (Lucille) appeared in Elevator Repair Service’s The Select (The Sun Also Rises), Shuffle, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928), and Show of Shows. Her New York stage appearances include City Council; Can I Help You; Say Uncle! at the Soho Playhouse; and Light Keepers, an ongoing collaboration with puppet artist Amanda Villalobos.

SCOTT SHEPHERD (Nick) returns to The Public, where he previously appeared as Nick in GATZ and as the title role in The Wooster Group’s Hamlet. He is currently in Blood Knot at Signature Theatre and his credits with Elevator Repair Service include McGurk: A Cautionary Tale, Shut Up I Tell You (I Said Shut Up I Tell You), Cab Legs, Total Fictional Lie, and No Great Society. He won Bessie and OBIE awards for his performance in The Wooster Group’s Poor Theater. Other Wooster Group credits include The Hairy Ape, North Atlantic, To You, the Birdie! Brace Up!, The Emperor Jones, La Didone, and Vieux Carré. He appears in Hal Hartley’s film Meanwhile.

SUSIE SOKOL (Jordan) has been a member of Elevator Repair Service since 1992 and has appeared in all ERS productions since 1993. She has also collaborated with theater artists Katherine Profeta, Tina Satter and Half Straddle, and Sibyl Kempson.

VICTORIA VAZQUEZ (Daisy) has been a member of ERS since 1996 and has appeared in The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928), Total Fictional Lie, and Cab Legs. Other credits include: Richard Maxwell’s Caveman People Without History, Das Maedchen; The Voices with Forced Entertainment and Young Jean Lee’s, PULLMAN, WA.

BEN WILLIAMS (Michaelis) appeared in Elevator Repair Service’s The Select (The Sun Also Rises), Shuffle, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928), and No Great Society. His other recent projects include Walse-Fantasie with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Julia Jarcho’s American Treasure.

GARY WILMES (Tom) recently appeared on Broadway in Chinglish. His Off-Broadway credits include Red Light Winter; Brace Up!; More Lies About Jerzy; House and Boxing 2000 with Richard Maxwell; and Bad Boy Nietzsche and Paradise Hotel with Richard Foreman. He also appeared in the National production of August: Osage County with Steppenwolf at The Sydney Theatre Company. His film and television credits include A Mighty Heart, Afterschool, Salt, “Jon Benjamin Has A Van,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Nurse Jackie.”

ELEVATOR REPAIR SERVICE, a theater ensemble, was founded by director John Collins and a group of actors in 1991. Since that time, ERS has built a body of highly acclaimed work and has appeared on stages in downtown New York and across the U.S. and Europe. ERS’s core artistic mission is to create original works, with a consistent ensemble, that explore and challenge the fundamentals of live performance. ERS shows are built around a broad range of subject matter including literary, dramatic and cinematic forms. They combine elements of hi-tech and lo-tech design, vaudeville, both literary and found text, found objects and discarded furniture, and the group’s own highly developed style of choreography. The company has generated a repertoire that includes 14 original full-length pieces and several short pieces and workshop productions. Their newest piece, The Select (The Sun Also Rises) had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2010, its U.S. premiere at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival in September 2010, and its New York premiere in September 2011 with an extended ten-week run at New York Theatre Workshop. Elevator Repair Service is a member of TCG and A.R.T./New York.

Since its 2006 premiere at the Kunsten Festival des Arts in Brussels, GATZ has been seen on 18 stages, including at the American Repertory Theater (Boston, 2010), Sydney Opera House (2009), Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (2008), Vienna Festival (2007), The Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, 2006), and The Holland Festival (2006). Awards include Zürcher Theater Spektakel ZKB-Acknowledgement Prize (2006); Elliot Norton Awards for Outstanding Visiting Production, Outstanding Director – John Collins, and Outstanding Actor – Scott Shepherd (2010); Lortel Awards for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience and an Outstanding Director Award for John Collins (2011); and an Obie Award for Scott Shepherd’s performance as Nick. GATZ also received a Drama Desk nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience; a Drama League nomination for Distinguished Production of a Play and a Distinguished Performance nomination for Scott Shepherd; Lortel nominations for Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Sound design; and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination for Best Theatrical Experience.

THE PUBLIC THEATER (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 and is now one of the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals and productions of classics at its downtown home and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public Theater’s mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day on stage and through extensive outreach programs. Each year, more than 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe’s Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public Theater’s productions have won 42 Tony Awards, 158 Obies, 42 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. Fifty-four Public Theater productions have moved to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones; That Championship Season; A Chorus Line; For Colored Girls…; The Pirates of Penzance; The Tempest; Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Topdog/Underdog; Take Me Out; Caroline, or Change; Passing Strange; the revival of HAIR; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and The Merchant of Venice.

TICKET INFORMATION
GATZ runs Wednesday, March 14 through Sunday, May 6. Marathon performance tickets for GATZ begin at $160. Single tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at The Public Theater box office.

GATZ will be presented as a marathon theatrical event, with two intermissions and a dinner break, four times per week. Performances begin on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. ERS company members may alternate roles at select performances.

The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. For more information, visit www.publictheater.org.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
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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
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
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David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
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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 lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com.

Lia Chang Photos & Video: Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish through January 29, 2012

Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, 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

Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang (photo by Lia Chang)

Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) is back on Broadway with CHINGLISH, a hilarious and sexy new comedy currently playing at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York.

CHINGLISH, recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year, will have its final performance on January 29, 2012, and will have played 128 performances. Tickets are available on Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Yesterday, I met up with David and his cast members Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo’s Dim Sum Sushi Palace, where they were having a pre-show Year of the Dragon dinner.

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

CHINGLISH is featuring special audience post-show talkbacks on January 24th, 25th and 26th. After these evening shows, the cast will come out to answer audience questions. The mostly bi-lingual and multi-cultural cast will also be answering questions in Mandarin and maybe give a lesson or two. After the post-show talkbacks, head to the front of the orchestra and you’ll have the opportunity to meet the cast members.

An ad in the New York Times for David Henry Hwang's Chinglish, currently playing at the Longacre Theatre through January 29, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

The CHINGLISH cast features Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang. The play is directed by Leigh Silverman, who directed Lisa Kron’s Well on Broadway and won a 2011 OBIE for directing both Go Back To Where You Are and In The Wake, Chinglish 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.

The cast of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre during the opening night curtain call on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is Hwang’s new comedy about the misadventures of miscommunication. It is the story of an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China. There are only three things standing in his way: He can’t speak the language. He can’t learn the customs. And he’s falling in love with the one woman he absolutely can’t have.

The cast of Chinglish-Stephen Pucci, Angela Lin, Larry Lei Zhang, Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Christine Lin and Johnny Wu at their opening party at Brasserie 8 1/2 in New York on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Cathy Chernoff, Heni Koenigsberg/Lily Fan, Joe & Matt Deitch, Dasha Epstein, Ronald & Marc Frankel, Barry & Carole Kaye, Mary Lu Roffe, The Broadway Consortium, Ken Davenport, Filerman Bensinger, Herbert Goldsmith, Jam Theatricals, Olympus Theatricals, Playful Productions, David & Barbara Stoller, Roy Gottlieb, Mary Casey, Hunter Arnold in association with the Goodman Theatre.

Tickets are available on Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace Photo by Lia Chang

Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace Photo by Lia Chang

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

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

Christine Lin, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish group hug with Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Johnny Wu, David Henry Hwang and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Other Articles by Lia Chang
Photos: David Henry Hwang, John C. Whitehead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Asia Society Awards Dinner in New York
Meet Museworks, Ltd.’s Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, Chinglish Cultural Advisors and Co-authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac
Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead at the Waldorf Astoria
CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on January 5, 2012 – Meet David Henry Hwang & his Cast at the Lin Sing Association in NY Chinatown
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
Playwright David Henry Hwang Reading and Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/15
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)
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
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
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 and David Henry Hwang at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on January 11, 2012. Hwang received the 2011 Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award at the Asia Society Gala Benefit. (Rachel Cooper)

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 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 Photos: David Henry Hwang, John C. Whitehead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Asia Society Awards Dinner in New York

The Asia Society held its 2011 Asia Society Awards Dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Diana Taylor and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng and her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Comedian and actor, Dan Nainan emceed the festivities, which included a special performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ray Kelly, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, were among the 400 who came out to honor and to celebrate the 90th birthday of former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead, who was presented with an Asia Society Award.

Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), whose hilarious and sexy new comedy CHINGLISH is currently on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York was presented with the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar, received the 2011 Asia Society Global Vision Award, and a videotape of her acceptance speech was played during the dinner.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, journalist Kati Marton, widow of former Asia Society Chairman Richard Holbrooke, and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. (Lia Chang)

Seated, from left: Cynthia Whitehead, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. Standing, from left: Asia Society President Vishakha Desai, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Former Asia Society President Bob Oxnam. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society President Vishakha Desai and Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Seated, from left: Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Ray Kelly, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Standing, from left: Cynthia Whitehead, David Earls, Samantha Earls, Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan, Asia Society President Vishakha Desai and Asia Society Co-Chair Henrietta Fore. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management, presented the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award to Chinglish playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management. (Lia Chang)

David Henry Hwang’s plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), Yellow Face (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Bondage.

Video excerpts from David Henry Hwang's Chinglish. (Lia Chang)

His latest Broadway offering Chinglish, was recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year. He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination) and Disney’s Tarzan. In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass: The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Sound and Beauty (seen in Chicago at the Court Theatre), and Icarus at the Edge of Time; as well as Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 “World Premiere of the Year”) and Howard Shore’sThe Fly. Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. Hwang sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. More information about Chinglish
Click here to view his speech.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (center) is flanked by (L-R) his wife Kathryn Layng, Joanna C. Lee, Rachel Cooper, Director of Cultural Programs and Performing Arts, Ken Smith and Yoshie Ito, Assistant Director, Business Programs, Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Hwang was joined by his wife actress Kathryn Layng; and his Chinglish crew: Museworks. Ltd.’s Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, his cultural advisors; his director Leigh Silverman, and his costume designer Anita Yavich.

Chinglish director Leigh Silverman, Kathryn Layng, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Chinglish costume designer Anita Yavich. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng with her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Asia Society Trustee Harold Newman and Yoshie Ito, Assistant Director, Business Programs, Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (L) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng with her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Lisina M. Hoch, Asia Society Honorary Life Trustee and Steven Hoch, Co-Founder of Highmount Capital. (Lia Chang)

Kate Levin, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Former Asia Society President Bob Oxnam. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan and Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Chinese Opera star Qian Yi, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Hafez Nazeri, Iranian composer. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (L) and Nicholas Platt, former president of the Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Ralph Samuelson, and Andrea Samuelson. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Ida Liu. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Trustee J. Michael Evans, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, presented the 2011 Global Vision Award to former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead.

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Asia Society Trustee J. Michael Evans, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs. (Lia Chang)

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead celebrates his 90th birthday this year. (Lia Chang)

Born in Evanston, Illinois, John C. Whitehead graduated from Haverford College in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After receiving his M.B.A. degree from Harvard in 1947 he began at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he became Partner in 1956 and Senior Partner in 1976. In 1985 President Reagan appointed Mr. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State, a position he held from July 1985 until January 1989. Click here to view his speech.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. (Lia Chang)

He is the former Chairman of such diverse organizations as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Harvard Board of Overseers, the International Rescue Committee, the United Nations Association, Haverford College, Asia Society and the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund. He is Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America/GNY.

Cynthia Whitehead, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Harold Newman. (Lia Chang)

In late 2001 Mr. Whitehead was appointed as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, the organization responsible for the rebuilding and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, and served in that position until May 2006. He is also the Founding Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center.

Paul B. Kazarian, Chairman & CEO of Japonica Partners, John C. Whitehead and Asia Society Chairman Emeritus Maurice R. Greenberg. Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan. (Lia Chang)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Global Vision Award

Burmese democracy icon Aung Sang Suu Kyi accepts her Asia Society Global Vision Award. (Lia Chang)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar and the daughter of Aung San, a martyred national hero, and Khin Kyi, a late Burmese diplomat. She has spent most of the past two decades under detention after her party, the National League for Democracy, won a victory in the 1990 elections but was denied power by the ruling military junta. In the midst of her struggle, she has endured the loss of her husband, Michael Aris, and continued separation from her two sons. She was eventually released from house arrest on November 13, 2010 following the election of a new government, and a year later announced she would rejoin the political system.

Silk Road Ensemble members Sandeep Das (L) and Shane Shanahan. (Lia Chang)

Aung San Suu Kyi’s reemergence into politics has ushered in a new state of dialogue between Myanmar and the international community, highlighted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit in early December 2011, the first visit from a foreign secretary to the country in over 50 years. She formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party in December 2011. The government of Myanmar approved the National League for Democracy’s registration on January 5, 2012, and the party is ready to begin campaigning for the by-elections to be held on April 1 of this year.

Silk Road Ensemble members Sandeep Das (L) and Shane Shanahan. (Lia Chang)

In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
Click here to view her videotaped message.
Click here for highlights of the dinner.

Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education and policy, the Society provides insight , generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.

Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit education institution headquartered in New York with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington D.C.

Related Articles:
Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former 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.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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Lia Chang and David Henry Hwang. (Rachel Cooper)

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



All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 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: Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead at the Waldorf Astoria on January 11, 2012

On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), whose hilarious and sexy new comedy CHINGLISH is currently on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York, will receive the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award at the Asia Society New York Awards Dinner, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue in New York.

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang (center) is flanked by (l-r) his cultural advisurs 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

The 2011 Global Vision Award will be presented to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar. The evening is also a celebration of the 90th birthday of John C. Whitehead, Former Deputy Secretary of State, who will be presented with the Global Vision Award. Comedian and actor, Dan Nainan will emcee the festivities, which will feature a special performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Global Vision Award
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar and the daughter of Aung San, a martyred national hero, and Khin Kyi, a late Burmese diplomat. She has spent most of the past two decades under detention after her party, the National League for Democracy, won a victory in the 1990 elections but was denied power by the ruling military junta. In the midst of her struggle, she has endured the loss of her husband, Michael Aris, and continued separation from her two sons. She was eventually released from house arrest on November 13, 2010 following the election of a new government, and a year later announced she would rejoin the political system.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s reemergence into politics has ushered in a new state of dialogue between Myanmar and the international community, highlighted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit in early December 2011, the first visit from a foreign secretary to the country in over 50 years. She formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party in December 2011. The government of Myanmar approved the National League for Democracy’s registration on January 5, 2012, and the party is ready to begin campaigning for the by-elections to be held on April 1 of this year.

In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang
2011 Cultural Achievement Award
David Henry Hwang’s plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), Yellow Face (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Bondage. His latest Broadway offering Chinglish, was recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year. He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination) and Disney’s Tarzan. In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass: The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Sound and Beauty (seen in Chicago at the Court Theatre), and Icarus at the Edge of Time; as well as Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 “World Premiere of the Year”) and Howard Shore’sThe Fly. Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. Hwang sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
More information about Chinglish

John C. Whitehead
Former Deputy Secretary of State
Born in Evanston, Illinois, John C. Whitehead graduated from Haverford College in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After receiving his M.B.A. degree from Harvard in 1947 he began at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he became Partner in 1956 and Senior Partner in 1976. In 1985 President Reagan appointed Mr. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State, a position he held from July 1985 until January 1989.

He is the former Chairman of such diverse organizations as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Harvard Board of Overseers, the International Rescue Committee, the United Nations Association, Haverford College, Asia Society and the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund. He is Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America/GNY.

In late 2001 Mr. Whitehead was appointed as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, the organization responsible for the rebuilding and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, and served in that position until May 2006. He is also the Founding Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
301 Park Avenue
New York City
Reception: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm
Dress: Asian National Dress or Black Tie

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.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
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
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
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
Up Close and Personal with Darren Pettie, Star of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
Photos and Video: Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas- In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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.

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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: CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on 1/5/12 – Meet David Henry Hwang & the Cast After Post-Show Talkback

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang with his stars Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes at the MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) is back on Broadway with CHINGLISH, a hilarious and sexy new comedy currently playing at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York, recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year. The playwright, along with his cast and creative team will celebrate their 100th performance at 3pm in Chinatown at the Lin Sing Association, a prominent Chinese American community organization established in 1900, located at 47-49 Mott Street in New York. www.lin-sing.org.

The cast of Chinglish-Stephen Pucci, Angela Lin, Larry Lei Zhang, Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Christine Lin and Johnny Wu at their opening party at Brasserie 8 1/2 in New York on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is also featuring special audience post-show talkbacks on January 3rd, 4th and 5th. After these evening shows, the cast will come out to answer audience questions. The mostly bi-lingual and multi-cultural cast will also be answering questions in Mandarin and maybe give a lesson or two. After the post-show talkbacks, head to the front of the orchestra and you’ll have the opportunity to meet the cast members.

The cast of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre during the opening night curtain call on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

The CHINGLISH cast features Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang. The play is directed by Leigh Silverman, who directed Lisa Kron’s Well on Broadway and won a 2011 OBIE for directing both Go Back To Where You Are and In The Wake, Chinglish 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.

Here’s what the critics had to say:

“A TRIUMPH IN ANY LANGUAGE.
Chinglish is sexy, fun and hilarious!”
-Scott Brown, New York Magazine

“A lethal comedy about business, sex and
the failure to communicate that bristles with intelligence.”
-Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg

“Riveting, funny and highly entertaining!”
-Roma Torre, New York One
—

CHINGLISH is the new comedy about the misadventures of miscommunication. It is the story of an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China. There are only three things standing in his way: He can’t speak the language. He can’t learn the customs. And he’s falling in love with the one woman he absolutely can’t have.

CHINGLISH is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Cathy Chernoff, Heni Koenigsberg/Lily Fan, Joe & Matt Deitch, Dasha Epstein, Ronald & Marc Frankel, Barry & Carole Kaye, Mary Lu Roffe, The Broadway Consortium, Ken Davenport, Filerman Bensinger, Herbert Goldsmith, Jam Theatricals, Olympus Theatricals, Playful Productions, David & Barbara Stoller, Roy Gottlieb, Mary Casey, Hunter Arnold in association with the Goodman Theatre.

Tickets are available on Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Other Articles on David Henry Hwang
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, 1/18-2/19/12
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
Playwright David Henry Hwang Reading and Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/15
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.

Christine Lin and Lia Chang celebrate New Year's Eve in New York on December 31, 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.