| Best of Asian-American Theater Comes to NYC |
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 National Asian American Theatre FestivalVarious locationsJune 11—24th naatf.org
 A scene from "Big Head" a NAATF production from Tuscon, Arizona.  "The FeMale Heart" a NAATF production from New York, NY.  "Korean Badass" a NAATF production from San Francisco, California.  The cast of Ping Chong's "Undesirable Elements" from New York City. Spearheaded by Ma-Yi Theater Company, NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Company), and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, the festival celebrates the vitally important contributions Asian American artists make to the cultural landscape of the nation. The festival will foster greater understanding of the growing influence Asian Americans have on the social and cultural identity of America. The works presented will inspire appreciation for the unique, yet universal stories of our communities. Don’t miss out on this historic event-in-the-making! Send your contact information to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or sign up for the mailing list to keep current on the latest news and developments. Selected productions listed below, full information can be found at naatf.org: Big HeadDenise Uyehara(Tucson, AZ) Dates: June 12, 13 and 14 at 9:30 The Kirk Theatre 410 West 42nd Street, between Ninth and Dyer Avenues Big Head revisits the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II and considers current-day treatment of those perceived as “the enemy now” — including Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, and South Asian Americans. Clay animation, video montage, text and movement evoke the winding path of collective memory and provide hope for the future. The Caste & the Furious: Tokyo DriftStir-Friday Night! (Chicago, IL)Abingdon Theatre 312 W. 36th Street at 8th Ave. June 12-15, 9:30 pm Queens Theater in the Park Corona-Meadows Park June 17, 7 pm A high energy, gut-busting sketch comedy revue, “The Caste . . . “ delivers a turbo boost of physical comedy and a cruise control view of political and social satire. SFN! cleverly weaves through musical numbers, monologues, choreographed bits, and satirical sketches at a lightning quick pace. The Caste & The Furious is part of a one-day special Queens Theatre in the Park Mini-Festival. The FeMale HeartDiverse City Theater Company (New York, NY)The Beckett Theatre 410 W. 42nd Street at 9th Ave. Dates: June 16 at 8:00; June 17 at 2:00 and 7:00; and June 18 at 8:00. Set in the early 1990’s, the play is about two siblings—Anghel and Adelfa—living in the so-called “Smokey Mountain,” the infamous mountain of garbage outside Manila in the Philippines. Confronted by extreme poverty and her brother’s ailing health, Adelfa agrees to become a mail-order bride to Roger Golden, a man from Brooklyn who agrees to pay for Anghel’s medical treatments - for a price. Korean BadassAsian American Theater Company (San Francisco, CA)Dates: June 14, 16, 22 and 24 at 10:00 pm LaMaMa ETC 74 E. 4th Street Everybody has a dream… His is to be the first Asian Steve McQueen. Korean Badass a hell-for-leather balls-to-the-wall solo performance- a sexy beast by Stevie Lee Saxon and directed by Jeannie Barroga. Three Filipino TenorsEast West Players (Los Angeles, CA)Dates: June 12, 13, 14, 15 at 7:00 pm The Kirk Theatre 410 W. 42nd Street at 9th Ave. June 17, 3:00 pm Snug Harbor Cultural Center 100 Richmond Terrace (at Snug Harbor Road) on Staten Island Coming from different yet similar musical backgrounds, Antoine Reynaldo Diel, Randy Guiya, Lito Villareal, known as the Three Filipino Tenors blend their voices and talents to create an autobiographical musical program full of variety, beauty and heart. 3FT will be stopping by Staten Island for a special performance on June 17, 3:00. Undesirable ElementsPing Chong & Company (New York, NY)June 14, 8:00 pm Pregones 571-575 Walton Avenue between 149th and 150th Streets, Bronx June 15 at 8:00 pm Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street Created by theatrical innovator Ping Chong, Undesirable Elements is a powerful exploration of the Asian-American experience in New York through an interview-based theater work. A chamber piece of storytelling, the performance features real people telling their personal experiences of creating cultural identity out of a rich and complex heritage. Festival Executive Committee Shows: Carry the Tiger to the MountainPan Asian Repertory Theatre (New York, NY)June 20, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm; and June 20 and 22 at 2:00 pm West End Theatre 263 West 86th Street In 1982, Vincent Chin was beaten to death outside a Detroit bar by two unemployed auto workers. The men were fined $3780. An American Story – a quest for justice. FalsettolandNAATCO (New York, NY)June 14 - 24; Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm Dimson Theatre 108 East 15th Street In 1998, Peter Marks wrote in the New York Times: “[NAATCO] has taken Falsettoland, William Finn’s lyrical paean to Jewish angst, with its aggressively Jewish New York sensibility and multiple references to gefilte fish, and recast it with Asian-American actors. Does the gambit work? Let’s put it this way: You should be so talented.” NAATCO presents this remount with Alan Muraoka, who directed in 1998, on board once again. Also from that company are Christine Toy Johnson and Jason Ma. Also featuring: Ben Wu, MaryAnn Hu, and Francis Jue. Also featuring: Manu Narayan (of Bombay Dreams) and Ann Sanders (of Avenue Q ). The House of Bernarda AlbaNAATCO (New York, NY)June 12 - 24; Mondays-Fridays at 7:00, Saturdays at 3:00 and 7:00 pm (no 3:00 performance on Saturday, June 2). Nagelberg Theater at the Baruch Performing Arts Center 55 Lexington Avenue at 26th Street NAATCO remounts its highly acclaimed 2000 production, Lorca’s play about a repressive and tyrannical mother, which was finished just months before his assassination. The House of Bernarda Alba was selected by the Village Voice as one of the best shows of the 2000 season. I LandMa-Yi Theater CompanyJune 20, 21, 22, and 23 at 8:00 pm; June 24 at 3:00 pm Culture Project 55 Mercer Street Acclaimed hula dancer and actor Keo Woolford shares his hilarious, defiant quest for the meaning of heritage in the post-modern world. Told through Hip-Hop, traditional hula, spoken word, and Hawaiian talk story, Woolford weaves an unforgettable tale where islands separated by geography and culture collide. A limited number of tickets are available at the Festival rate of $20. |
