David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season

Signature Theatre (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is proud to announce that Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang will be the 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. Hwang succeeds Athol Fugard, whose MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! and THE TRAIN DRIVER will be presented in the coming months, as Signature’s Residency One playwright. Titles, dates and directors for the David Henry Hwang series will be announced at a later date.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

Signature Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director James Houghton said, “I have been looking forward to a season of David Henry Hwang’s work for a long time, and I am thrilled that he will be Signature’s 2012-2013 Residency One Playwright. For over thirty years, David’s plays have tackled critical issues of identity, legacy, and the global community with incredible insight and great humor. He is also a fierce supporter of emerging playwrights and a vital leader in the New York theatre community. We are honored to have David join the company and to produce three of his extraordinary plays.”

David Henry Hwang said, “It doesn’t feel like so much time has passed since Joe Papp gave me my first production more than thirty years ago. I am moved and grateful for this amazing opportunity to revisit some of my early work in the beautiful new Pershing Square Signature Center. Joining the roster of iconic playwrights who have enjoyed Residency One seasons has long been a fantasy of mine. Thanks so much to Jim Houghton and Signature Theatre for making my dreams come true.”

David Henry Hwang’s plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Finalist), Golden Child (1996 Obie Award, 1998 Tony Nomination), Yellow Face (2008 Obie Award and Pulitzer Finalist), 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 1994-2000, he served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. His newest play, Chinglish, opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, winning a Jeff Award for Best New Play, before moving to Broadway in 2011.

Single tickets are now on sale for EDWARD ALBEE’S THE LADY FROM DUBUQUE and Athol Fugard’s MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! Single tickets go on sale for April 3 for TITLE AND DEED by Will Eno and MEDIEVAL PLAY by Kenneth Lonergan.

2011-2012 CURRENT SEASON OVERVIEW
RESIDENCY ONE – ATHOL FUGARD SERIES
BLOOD KNOT
Written and Directed by Athol Fugard
The production starring Colman Domingo and Scott Shepherd completed its run on Sunday, March 11.

MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!
By Athol Fugard
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
May 1 – June 10, 2012
Written in 1989 shortly before the end of apartheid, My Children! My Africa! presents an honest and unflinching portrait of a country on the brink of revolution, and is a testament to the power and potential of youth, hope, and ideas.

THE TRAIN DRIVER *** NEW YORK PREMIERE ***
Written and Directed by Athol Fugard
August 14 – September 23, 2012
Based on a true story, The Train Driver is a soulful exploration of guilt, suffering and the powerful bonds that grow between strangers.

LEGACY PROGRAM
EDWARD ALBEE’S THE LADY FROM DUBUQUE
Directed by David Esbjornson
Extended again through April 15, 2012
Tickets on sale now
At a late night party, Sam and Jo entertain their friends with a round of Twenty Questions and another round of drinks. When an unexpected guest and her mysterious companion arrive, the question “Who are you?” gains a whole new and desperate meaning.

RESIDENCY FIVE
HURT VILLAGE *** WORLD PREMIERE ***
By Katori Hall
Directed by Patricia McGregor
The production completed its run on Sunday, March 25.

TITLE AND DEED *** U.S. PREMIERE ***
By Will Eno
Directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett
In association with Gare St. Lazare Players Ireland
May 8 – June 3, 2012
A nameless traveler from a far off place searches for connection and solace in an unknown country in this funny and sad meditation on mortality, loneliness, innocence, home, family, love, funerals, words, and the world. A provocative new work by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Horton Foote Prize winner Will Eno, whom The New York Times called “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.”

MEDIEVAL PLAY *** WORLD PREMIERE ***
Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan
May 15 – June 24, 2012
Two French mercenary knights set out on a quest for relative moral redemption against the classic comic background of late 14th century ecclesiastical politics. A story of friendship, love, noble feats of arms, indiscriminate brutality, the progressive refinement of medieval table manners and the general decline of the chivalric ideal at the onset of the Great Papal Schism of 1378. A new comedy by Kenneth Lonergan.

Tickets to the initial runs of all productions of Signature’s Inaugural Season at The Pershing Square Signature Center are $25, part of the groundbreaking Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access, a program that guarantees affordable and accessible tickets to every Signature production for the next 20 years. Serving as a model for theatres and performing arts organizations across the country, the Initiative was founded in 2005 and is made possible by lead partner The Pershing Square Foundation and founding sponsor Time Warner, Inc., with additional seed support provided by the Ford Foundation, Margot Adams, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

About SIGNATURE THEATRE
Founded in 1991 by James Houghton, Signature Theatre exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. Signature makes an extended commitment to a playwright’s body of work, and during this journey, the writer is engaged in every aspect of the creative process. Signature is the first theatre company to devote an entire season to the work of a single playwright, including re-examinations of past writings as well as New York and world premieres. By championing in-depth explorations of a living playwright’s body of work, the Company delivers an intimate and immersive journey into the playwright’s singular vision.

Signature has presented entire seasons of the work of Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornes, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Adrienne Kennedy, Tony Kushner, Romulus Linney, Charles Mee, Arthur Miller, the Negro Ensemble Company, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, August Wilson and Lanford Wilson. Signature remains deeply committed to season-long residencies, and during the company’s tenth and fifteenth anniversaries, Signature introduced the Legacy Program. The Legacy Program invites past Playwrights-in-Residence back to Signature through two series: the Signature Series, which presents “signature,” or more well-known works; and the Premiere Series, which presents New York and world premieres.

Signature, its productions and its resident writers have been recognized with a Pulitzer Prize, fourteen Lucille Lortel Awards, sixteen Obie Awards, six Drama Desk Awards and twenty-two AUDELCO Awards, among many other distinctions. The National Theatre Conference recognized the company as the 2003 Outstanding National Theatre of the Year. For more information on Signature please visit us on-line at signaturetheatre.org.

About THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER
The Pershing Square Signature Center is the new, permanent home of Signature Theatre. Spanning an entire city block at 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenue, the Frank Gehry-designed Pershing Square Signature Center features three intimate theatres, a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café and bookstore and will serve as both a theatre community hub and neighborhood destination. Working hand-in-hand with Signature leadership and architect of record H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture LLC, Gehry’s design has been carefully calibrated to foster interaction among playwrights, artistic collaborators and the public. The Pershing Square Signature Center will allow the 20-year old Company, critically acclaimed for its programs that celebrate the playwright’s body of work, to expand and enhance its programming, introduce new initiatives, and build audiences.

At The Pershing Square Signature Center, the Company’s expanded programming will include: Residency One, the continuation of Signature’s core program which provides audiences with an immersive exploration of the work of a singular playwright; Residency Five, which provides five-year residencies for multiple playwrights, guaranteeing three full productions of new work over the course of each playwright’s residency; and the Legacy Program, which honors the lifetime achievement of playwrights who have previously been in residence at Signature through the production of a premiere or earlier play. The Pershing Square Signature Center will serve as the artistic home for as many as 9 playwrights at any one time, fostering a dynamic creative community where playwrights will engage directly with audiences and one another.

David Henry Hwang Articles:
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:
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

Lia Chang Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”

Last weekend, I caught up with BD Wong at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York, where he was rehearsing a number which will be performed in “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids,” on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th St. @ 9th Ave in New York.

BD Wong rehearses with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

BD will also be hosting the event, (also honoring Tom Viola, Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids), which features Rosie’s Theater Kids alongside Derick K. Grant, Brandon Victor Dixon, Zakiya Young, and special taped video appearances by Audra McDonald and John Tartaglia. A highlight of the evening is sure to be an original piece conceived and co-written by BD, in which he will perform with 11 of the children from the “Rosie’s Theater Kids” program.

BD Wong rehearses with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

In Manhattan, thousands of children live near the “Great White Way” but never have the opportunity to step inside one of the theaters and experience Broadway. As Rosie O’Donnell says, it’s “like living in Hawaii and not having access to the beach.” Today, New York City public schools rely largely on private funding for arts education and they continue to struggle due to a constant shortage of public funding. This is where Rosie’s Theater Kids comes in, providing theater exposure and theater training to hundreds of NY City Public school kids each week.

BD Wong rehearses with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th Street in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

BD shared, “For several weeks now, I have been rehearsing with 11 of Rosie’s Theater Kids, Music Director Steven Jamail and RTK Vocal Performance Teacher Lisa Danser. Everyone on the staff there is a gem.”

BD Wong rehearses with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“My pal Wayne Barker (Broadway composer of PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS) and I wrote a mini-musical for me to perform with the RTKs, based upon a beloved Polish children’s story called KING MATT THE FIRST. Each kid has a featured role in the piece, and they have taken to the material like bees to honey.”

BD Wong rehearses with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“I really recommend you check this out. I’m really kind of proud of it, and it is just a lot of fun. And it is a great, great cause.
…They are all totally remarkable. There’s not an ounce of bad energy. Get a ticket! Smiles guaranteed.”

Rosie’s Theater Kids rehearse at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

The Tony award-winning actor has just returned from attending the world premiere of his latest film (in which he is featured with Joan Chen, Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum, Jr.) WHITE FROG, directed by Quentin Lee at the SFIAAFF30 in San Francisco.

Cast and crew of White Frog — with BD Wong, Gregg Sulkin, Quentin Lee, Tyler Posey, Boo Boo Stewart, Harry Shum Jr., Ellie Wen, Joan Chen, David Henry Hwang, Kathryn Layng at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco on March 8, 2012. Photo by Michael Jeong/Courtesy of SFIAAFF

He is also currently appearing as Dr. John Lee in NBC’s new critically acclaimed drama “Awake,” which also stars Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen, Steve Harris, Dylan Minnette, Michaela McManus, Wilmer Valderrama and Cherry Jones.

BD Wong as Dr. John Lee on NBC's "Awake".

In 2003, thanks to the generosity and vision of Founder Rosie O’Donnell, Artistic and Executive Director Lori Klinger created RTKids, dedicated to providing quality instruction in music, drama and dance at no cost to New York City public school students, inspired by O’Donnell’s life-long concern for children, love of theater, and dream of teaching. Eighty-six percent of students who participate in Rosie’s Theater Kids are from low-income families. Rosie’s Theater Kids annually involves more than 5,000 teachers, students, and their family members at 17 schools. There are currently programs in Harlem, Midtown West,Chelsea, Lower East Side, East Village, and Chinatown.

Rosie’s Theater Kids rehearse at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“PASSING IT ON: An Evening of Mentorship to benefit ROSIE’S THEATER KIDS”
6:30PM Doors open
7:00PM Performance
8:00PM VIP after party

Purchase tickets online or call: 646-434-2774.
General Admission – $225 -includes one general admission ticket for the performance
VIP Ticket – $500 – includes one VIP ticket for the performance and after-party, listing in the program.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
The SFIAAFF30 Kicks Off with World Premiere of White Frog Featuring Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum, Jr., Joan Chen, Kelly Hu and BD Wong, at the Castro Theater on March 8
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
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
Thom Sesma, Patti LuPone, Cindy Cheung, Jennifer Lim, Sab Shimono, James Yaegashi and more set for Shinsai: Theaters for Japan Benefit on March 11 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Orville Mendoza Joins the Broadway Cast of Peter and the Starcatcher, Previews Begin March 28 at the Brooks Atkinson
Photos: Laila Robins, Sean Dugan, C.J. Wilson, Peter Francis James, Bill Irwin and Tricia Paoluccio at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
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
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com.

Lia Chang: The SFIAAFF30 Kicks Off with World Premiere of White Frog Featuring Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum, Jr., Joan Chen, Kelly Hu and BD Wong, at the Castro Theater on March 8

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

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

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

BD Wong Photo by Lia Chang

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

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

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

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
http://whitefrogthemovie.com/

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

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

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.

David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award

Congratulations to playwright David Henry Hwang, who has been named the Honoree of the 31st Annual William Inge Theatre Festival, in Independence, Kansas, on the campus of Independence Community College.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

Hwang will be at the Inge Festival from April 18-21, 2012. He joins the roster of internationally renowned playwrights who have traveled to the Inge Festival to receive the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award. This select list includes Arthur Miller, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, and the most recent Honoree, Marsha Norman, to name just a few.

“David Henry Hwang brings a unique voice to the fabric of the American theatre,” said Peter Ellenstein, Inge Center Artistic Director. “Besides being a great dramatist, his work often gives voice to an Asian-American perspective that has been long left out of American culture.”

Hwang is also a librettist for musicals and operas, as well as a screenwriter. At the multi-media Tribute ceremony that concludes the Inge Festival, Hwang will accept the annual Inge Festival Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award.

Since its founding in 1981, the William Inge Theatre Festival has celebrated the accomplishments of nationally renowned playwrights. It is the Official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas, located in the picturesque southeastern Kansas town of Independence (pop. 10,000), William Inge’s hometown. Inge, who passed away in 1973, was the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Picnic and Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Splendor in the Grass.

Throughout his career, playwright David Henry Hwang has explored the complexities of forging Eastern and Western cultures in a contemporary America. His extraordinary body of work, over the past 30 years, has been marked by a deep desire to reaffirm the common humanity in all of us.

He is perhaps best known as the author of M. Butterfly, which won the 1988 Tony, Drama Desk and many other accolades, and also a finalist for the 1989 Pulitzer Prize.

His play Golden Child received three 1998 Tony Nominations, including Best New Play. His play, Yellow Face, which premiered at Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum and New York’s Public Theater, won a 2008 Obie Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Hwang’s Broadway musicals include his new book for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, which earned him his third Tony nomination in 2003 for Best Book of a Musical. He co-wrote the book for Disney’s international hit Aida, with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, which won four 2000 Tony Awards and ran over four years on Broadway, and was the book writer of Disney’s Tarzan, with songs by Phil Collins.

Hwang’s other plays include FOB (1981 Obie Award), The Dance & the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Nomination, CINE Golden Eagle Award), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Nomination), The House of Sleeping Beauties (1983), The Sound of a Voice (1983), Bondage (1992), and Face Value (1993), among others.

According to Opera News, he is America’s most-produced living opera librettist, and has written four works with composer Philip Glass: 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (1988), The Voyage, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1992 and was revived there in 1996, and The Sound of a Voice at American Repertory Theatre in 2003, as well as Icarus at the Edge of Time, based on the book by theoretical physicist Brian Greene. The Silver River, with music by Bright Sheng, was produced at the 1998 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, 2000 Spoleto Festival USA and the 2002 Lincoln Center Festival. Ainadamar, with music by Osvaldo Golijov, starring soprano Dawn Upshaw, premiered at the Santa Fe Opera and Lincoln Center in 2006; the Deutsche Gramofone recording won two 2007 Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Composition. Alice in Wonderland, with music by Unsuk Chin, premiered at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and was named by OPERNWELT as 2007 “World Premiere of the Year.”

The Fly, an opera with music by Howard Shore, directed by David Cronenberg premiered in Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet in July 2008. Hwang also co-wrote the song “Solo,” released on the 1994 gold album Come by composer/performer Prince. He made his acting debut in the 2001 digital short Asian Pride Porn, directed by Greg Pak.

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

His latest play, Chinglish, was named Time Magazine’s “Best American Play of the Year” and completed its Broadway run at the Longacre Theatre on January 29, 2012. He is also Executive Producer of the feature film White Frog, directed by Quentin Lee, which will open the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival 2012 at the Castro Theater, on March 8, 2012.

Playwright David Henry Hwang in front of the Longacre Theatre in New York. Photo by Lia Chang

Hwang penned the screenplays for M. Butterfly, a 1993 Warner Brothers release starring Jeremy Irons and John Lone, directed by David Cronenberg; Golden Gate (Samuel Goldwyn Co., 1994), starring Matt Dillon and Joan Chen, directed by John Madden; The Lost Empire, a four-hour NBC television miniseries (Hallmark Entertainment, 2001); and Possession (co-writer, USA Films, 2002), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, directed by Neil LaBute.

He has also done screenwriting work for Martin Scorsese, Sydney Pollack, Tim Burton, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jessica Lange, Bette Midler, Michael Douglas, and Robin Williams, among others. He is currently writing Bob’s Gang, an original screenplay for director Jonathan Caouette (Tarnation).

Hwang has been awarded numerous prestigious grants, fellowships, and awards.

In 1998, the nation’s oldest Asian American theatre company, East West Players, christened its new main stage The David Henry Hwang Theatre. From 1994-2001, Hwang served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

In June 2010, Mr. Hwang was named one of two Project Residents for the Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute. As part of his residency he was commissioned to write a play on the American colonial experience in the Philippines, which Arena Stage will coproduce with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

David Henry Hwang attended Stanford University and the Yale School of Drama, and holds honorary degrees from Columbia College, Chicago, The American Conservatory Theatre, and Lehigh University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and their children, Noah David and Eva Veanne.

The Inge Festival is a unique blend of Broadway and Hollywood sheen and hometown can-do spirit. Hundreds of community volunteers help provide hospitality to visiting guest artists, theater students, and theater buffs from across the nation. In addition to evening performances by professionals from Broadway and Hollywood, patrons enjoy workshops, panel discussions, a scholars’ conference and social events.

The William Inge Center for the Arts is a participant in the New Generations Program, funded by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre.

This program is presented in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

Further major supporters of the William Inge Center for the Arts include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group, the Hallmark Corporation, the William Inge Festival Foundation, and Independence Community College.

The Inge Festival’s setting is the quaint small town of Independence, located in rural southeast Kansas. It is 90 miles north of Tulsa, Okla., and 140 miles south of Kansas City, Mo.

The Inge Festival is sponsored by the William Inge Center for the Arts, a year-round arts center at Independence Community College.

The college is also home to the William Inge Collection, which includes correspondence, original artwork, and some 400 manuscripts, as well as Inge’s personal book and record collections. During 2009, seven of the unpublished plays from the Collection were publicly performed for the first time, including one world premiere in New York. The Inge Collection at Independence Community College is the most extensive collection on William Inge in existence, and remains a valuable resource for both theater researchers and admirers of the playwright. The Inge Collection houses about 25 manuscripts by Inge that have not been published.

Thanks primarily to the work of longtime Tribute creator Mike Wood of Wichita State University, the Inge Center has amassed a vast collection of video interviews of America’s leading playwrights, composers, actors, directors, producers and other theatre professionals, gathered over the last three decades. A sampling of playwright interviews is available at www.ingecenter.org. The rest of the video collection is in the process of being digitally preserved for future generations.

Tickets for the 31st Annual William Inge Theatre Festival go on sale online in the spring of 2012. For further information, visit www.ingecenter.org or call (800) 842-6063 ext. 5492.

David Henry Hwang Articles:
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:
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
Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Media Advisory on Jeremy Lin News Coverage
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
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
Photos: A night out at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
Photos: Larry Bryggman, Denise Burse, Peter Jay Fernandez, Tim Hopper, Arliss Howard, Kobi Libii, Mary McCann, Neil Pepe, David Pittu, Steve Rosen, Sheila Tapia, Debra Winger at Atlantic Theatre’s Opening Night of Gabe McKinley’s CQ/CX
Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, starring Colman Domingo & Scott Shepherd in The Alice Griffith Jewel Box at The Pershing Square Signature Center through March 11, 2012
broadwayworld.com: Photo Flash: SPEAK UP CONNIE In Rehearsal
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.

Lia Chang: STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: The Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 2 as 4 disc DVD Box Set

Prolific filmmaker Arthur Dong is hosting screening parties of the world premiere of the newly restored and scored THE CURSE OF QUON GWON in Los Angeles (November 6) and San Francisco (November 13), to celebrate the release of his new 4-disc DVD box set, STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2., and you are invited.

With over 100 international film excellence awards to his name, the full scope of Dong’s storytelling mastery is brought to light in STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2.. This consummate anthology of films spanning over 25 years showcases Dong’s historically acute focus on Chinese Americans at crossroads with Hollywood, pop culture, tradition, and immigration.

On November 6, DeepFocus Productions, Inc. is releasing the Box Set, which includes the collector’s edition of Dong’s two feature documentaries: HOLLYWOOD CHINESE, a landmark examination of the Chinese in American feature films, with over 3.5 hours of bonus material on two discs, and FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A., a ground-breaking account of the Chinese American nightclub scene during World War II. Three earlier short films comprise THE TOISAN TRILOGY, and includes , SEWING WOMANthe Oscar®-nominated documentary based on the filmmaker’s mother; LOTUS, a fictionalized film exploring the conflicts over footbinding; and LIVING MUSIC FOR GOLDEN MOUNTAINS, Dong’s 1981 documentary directorial debut profiling his Chinese music teacher.

In addition to the full-length versions of each film, the collection also premieres the newly scored and restored 1916 film, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON, the earliest known Chinese American feature film that Dong helped rescue during his work on Hollywood Chinese. One of a few films from the era that was directed by a woman, San Francisco native Marion Wong, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005, and in 2006, it was recognized as a culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant film by the Library of Congress and placed on the National Film Registry. Dong commissioned a new score from silent film composer and pianist, Judy Rosenberg, in 2010.

STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2 features 4-discs, 6 films, and over 8 hours of material, and is the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed DVD boxed-set, Stories from the War on Homosexuality: The Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 1. That 2003 release included Dong’s trilogy of films investigating the culture wars over gay and lesbian issues: Coming Out Under Fire, Licensed to Kill, and Family Fundamentals.

STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2 is available exclusively from the DeepFocus Film Library at www.deepfocusproductions.com or by phone, 800/343-5540. www.deepfocusproductions.com/stories_from_chinese_america.php

Saturday, November 6 in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, on Saturday, November 6, the Asian American arts organization, Visual Communications, will present the world premiere of STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2, headlined by the world premiere of the newly restored and scored THE CURSE OF QUON GWON. Dong will be on hand to host the screening and give a visual tour of the many hours of additional archival and interview footage that comes with his new DVD anthology. The celebration will take place at 3pm, at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo. A reception, sponsored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, will follow the screening.

Co-presenters of the event are the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, API Equality-LA, the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and the Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Los Angeles. Tickets are $12 general admission; $10 for members of Visual Communications, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, and the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, students, and seniors. To purchase tickets, please call (213) 680-4462, ext. 32, or visit www.vconline.org/alpha/cms/index.cfm/programs/presentation/the-vc-screen/STORIES-FROMCHINESE-AMERICA.

Saturday, November 13 in San Francisco
In San Francisco, on Saturday, November 13, San Francisco State University and its Asian American Studies Department will present the Bay Area premiere of STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2, headlined by the Bay Area premiere of the newly restored and scored THE CURSE OF QUON GWON. Dong will be on hand to host the screening and give a visual tour of the many hours of additional archival and interview footage that comes with his new DVD anthology. Guest performance by the Grant Avenue Follies (www.grantavenuefollies.com), with a reception and doorprizes to follow.
The celebration will take place Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, 12:00 pm, at the Four Star Theatre, 2200 Clement Street. This is an Asian American Studies Fundraising Event and proceeds will support AAS programs and students at SF State. Tickets are a $25 minimum donation, available online at Brown Paper Tickets, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/133419. Tickets are also available at the Four Star Box Office and at the Asian American Studies Department, SF State University, 415.338-2273, aas@sfsu.edu. For more information, please visit www.sfsu.edu/~aas.

ABOUT THE FILMS
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE: COLLECTOR’S EDITION (2007), 89 minutes, plus over 3.5 hours of bonus features:
www.deepfocusproductions.com/hollywood_chinese_collectors.php

HOLLYWOOD CHINESE brings together a captivating portrait of film artists and iconic images for a highspirited look at the ways the Chinese have been imagined in the movies, from silent classics to contemporary blockbusters. Winner of the 2007 Golden Horse for Best Documentary, Asia’s Oscar® equivalent, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE stars a virtual who’s who of top Chinese and Chinese American talent, including Ang Lee, Nancy Kwan, Amy Tan, James Hong, B.D. Wong, Joan Chen, Wayne Wang,and David Henry Hwang; with special appearances by veteran character actor Christopher Lee (Fu
Manchu) and surviving stars from Hollywood’s Golden age, double Oscar® winner Luise Rainer (The Good Earth) and matinee idol Turhan Bey (Dragon Seed).

The two-disc HOLLYWOOD CHINESE: COLLECTOR’S EDITION features a treasure trove of over 3.5 hours of bonus material, including these highlights:
*The world premiere of the newly scored 1916 film, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON, the earliest known Chinese American feature film that Dong helped rescue during his work on Hollywood Chinese. Silent film pianist, Judy Rosenberg, composed and recorded an original score for the film in 2010 for this DVD release. Restoration of the found 35mm nitrate film was done by the Academy Film Archive in 2005, and in the following year, the Library of Congress selected The Curse of Quon Gwon for the National Film Registry.

*A trio of Soundies including 1940s renditions of Chinatown, My Chinatown and Where’s the Chicken in the Chicken Chow Mein, performed by white entertainers in faux Chinese settings. Soundies are short musical films produced in 1940-1947. A precursor to music videos, they were projected on coin-operated film jukeboxes in bars and restaurants.

*A selection of 1900s paper prints from the Library of Congress collection, including That Chink at Golden Gulch, an early attempt by Broken Blossoms (1919) director, D.W. Griffith, to portray a somewhat sensitive story about the Chinese in America.

*A gallery of movie memorabilia from pre-1950s Hollywood films with Chinatown settings. This selection of lobby cards, posters, and stills are from Dong’s personal archive of over 1,200 pieces that were the basis for the landmark exhibition, “Hollywood Chinese: the Arthur Dong Collection,” at the Los Angeles-based Chinese American Museum.

Interview outtakes featuring the stars of Hollywood Chinese who offer extended dialogues on topics such as Charlie Chan, Flower Drum Song, Fu Manchu, Suzie Wong, yellowface, stereotyping, and the Chinatown mystique.

FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A. COLLECTOR’S EDITION (1989), 56 minutes, plus bonus features:
www.deepfocusproductions.com/forbidden_city_usa.php

FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A. is a delightful documentary about the little-known stories of Chinese American nightclub performers in World War II San Francisco. Compared to the Cotton Club of Harlem, which featured America’s finest black entertainers, the famed Forbidden City Nightclub in San Francisco gained an international reputation with its unique showcase of Chinese American entertainers.

FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A. introduces crooners and tap dancers with monikers like the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand” – just some of the swinging performers that take you back in time when Chinese were known only for chop suey joints. The film combines remarkable archival film and photographs with interviews to show a generation of Asian American pioneers who fought cultural barriers and racism to pursue their love for American song and dance. The special collector’s DVD includes previously unseen vintage and original footage along with galleries showing over 200 pieces of fascinating memorabilia and nostalgic photos from the “Chop Suey Circuit.” Winner of over 15 international film excellence awards, including the Decade’s Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival (shared award).

NOTE: STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2 is the only way to acquire the last remaining personal home use DVDs of FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A.; this DVD is not available as an individual title for home use sales.
A TOISAN TRILOGY:
THREE EARLY SHORT FILMS WITHIN THE COLLECTION
www.deepfocusproductions.com/toisan_trilogy.php

In the 1870s, the first major wave of Chinese came to America primarily from southern China, with a heavy concentration from the Toisan (Taishan) region of Guangdong Province.

A TOISAN TRILOGY presents three award-winning short films directed by Arthur Dong that draw upon this early period of Chinese migration to America. The stories follow the plight of three Toisan natives set against a backdrop of U.S. immigration laws that pushed men to leave their wives in order to go to America. This separation created the so-called “bachelor society” in American Chinatowns consisting of men withouttheir wives, and in China, a parallel “widow society” that was formed by the women left behind. For the first time together, A TOISAN TRILOGY presents Dong’s first films that forecasted his penchant for emotionally rich stories about the personal lives of individuals confronting adverse social conditions.

SEWING WOMAN (1982), 14 minutes:
www.deepfocusproductions.com/sewing_woman.php
This beloved classic reveals one woman’s determination to survive: from an arranged marriage in Toisan to working class comforts in modern America. SEWING WOMAN is based on a series of oral histories and the life story of the filmmaker’s mother, Zem Ping Dong, an immigrant who worked in San Francisco garment factories for over fifty years. With a candid monologue spoken by veteran actress, Lisa Lu (The Joy Luck Club), SEWING WOMAN chronicles a story of family and reunification between a “widow” and her “bachelor” husband. Winner of over 20 international film awards, including an Oscar® nomination for Best Short Documentary. Included as an added bonus in STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2 is a Chinese-subtitled version of the film. Written by Lorraine Dong.

LIVING MUSIC FOR GOLDEN MOUNTAINS (1981), 27 minutes; 2010 Director’s Cut, 18 minutes: www.deepfocusproductions.com/living_music_for_golden_mountain.php
LIVING MUSIC FOR GOLDEN MOUNTAINS is a touching portrait of filmmaker Arthur Dong’s Chinese music teacher, Leo Lew, an immigrant who toiled as a laundry worker but kept spiritually alive through his love of music. The film traces Lew’s “bachelor” life in San Francisco Chinatown, planning to one day return to his family in Toisan. Produced in 1981 at San Francisco State University with Elizabeth Meyer, LIVING MUSIC FOR GOLDEN MOUNTAINS marks Dong’s documentary directorial debut and won a Regional Academy Student Film Award for Best Documentary. STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2 is the film’s DVD premiere and includes a new 2010 director’s cut of the film that the filmmaker re-edited and re-subtitled especially for the anthology.

LOTUS (1987), 27 minutes:
www.deepfocusproductions.com/lotus.php
Shot on location in remote villages of Hong Kong, this fictionalized story set in the Kay Lok Village of Toisan follows Lotus, a woman with bound feet in 1914 China who must decide whether to bind her aughter’s feet. For more than thirty centuries, China celebrated a practice known as footbinding and the fight against it triggered one of the biggest, most overlooked women’s struggle in world history. Lotus is a “widow” whose husband is away in America and makes an independent, life-changing decision in the absence of patriarchal figures. The DVD includes galleries of vintage bound feet shoes and historical
photos of women with bound feet. Winner of the CINE Golden Eagle Award. LOTUS was produced by Dong and Rebecca Soladay, with story by Lorraine Dong and Arthur Dong, and screenplay by Soladay.

About ARTHUR DONG:
Arthur Dong’s Oscar®-nominated and multi-Sundance and Peabody award-winning films include the trilogy, STORIES FROM THE WAR ON HOMOSEXUALITY: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 1 (Family Fundamentals, Licensed to Kill, Coming Out Under Fire) and the anthology, STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: THE ARTHUR DONG COLLECTION, VOL. 2. A two-time Rockefeller Fellow in Media as well as a Guggenheim Fellow in Film, Arthur is a former governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and served on the boards of Outfest, Film Independent, and the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress. Arthur recently served as a curator for the exhibitions, “Chop Suey on Wax: the Flower Drum Song Album” at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum in San Francisco, and “Hollywood Chinese: the Arthur Dong Collection,” currently at the Chinese America Museum in Los Angeles through November 7, 2010. His public service honors include the Pioneer Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans, the History Maker Award from the Chinese American Museum, and the 2007 Alumnus of the Year Award from San Francisco State University for producing films that are “…a reminder of the power art can have to move us – not only emotionally but also to move us to action. His films merge artistry and activism, making him an impressive role model for all of our students who are taught that their talents can and should be used for the greater good of society.” For more information, please visit: www.deepfocusproductions.com.

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS:
Founded in 1970 by a group of Asian American graphic designers, photographers, and independent filmmakers, Visual Communications was created with the understanding that the media and arts should do more than just present pictures or portraits; they should take an active role in building a more humane, responsible and understanding society. Visual Communications’ mission is to promote intercultural understanding through the creation, presentation, preservation, and support of media works by and about Asian Pacific Americans. For more information, please visit www.vconline.org

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT @ SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY:
Asian American Studies Department, the largest of five units in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, was established in March 1969 as a result of the 1968 Third World Student Strike. The Department currently consists of the following Asian American ethnic units: Chinese American, Filipino American, Japanese American, Korean American, South Asian American, Southeast Asian American, and Asian Americans of Mixed Heritage. It offers a comprehensive program of study of the Asian American experience with a commitment to serving the University, its students, and the Asian American communities. For more information, please visit http://www.sfsu.edu/~aas.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2010 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 liachang@hotmail.com.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection Exhibition at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, has been extended through November 7, 2010
Multimedia: George Takei, Nancy Kwan, Lisa Lu and Tsai Chin attend Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection Exhibition Opening Night
The Chinese American Museum partners with Academy award nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong on a groundbreaking exhibition about Hollywood’s forgotten past
In Arthur Dong’s Hollywood Chinese, Chinese Tinseltown Tales told by Asian Silver Screen Icons
Multimedia-Photos and Video: Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas- In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Crafting a Career
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

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.

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.