2nd National Asian American Theater Festival

Details

Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Theater

Published on Friday, 25 September 2009 11:59

Written by FFTraveler Staff

The Second National Asian American Theater Festival, presented by CAATA (Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists), will run October 13 - 18, 2009, at both Theater for the New City (1st Ave between 9th and 10th Streets) and the Julia Miles Theater (424 West 55th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

"NAATF celebrates and affirms Asian American theater artists, their significant contributions to the national cultural landscape, and the dynamic innovations they bring to the field," says Mia Katigbak, one of the organizers along with Lloyd Suh.

Presented will be new works by Kristina Wong, Alice Tuan, Soo-Jin Lee, Sheetal Gandhi, and Shishir Kurup, and readings of new plays from Ma-Yi Theater Company's Writers Lab. The National Asian American Theater Company is proud to present its new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and Pan Asian Repertory Theater performs its new musical, Imelda.

The Festival will feature performances of:

Sharif Don't Like It, Shishir Kurup's play about the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's post-9/11 treatment of people of Asian and Middle Eastern descent.

A new dance/theatre piece by Sheetal Gandhi, Bahu-Beti-Biwi (Daughter-in-Law, Daughter, Wife), about the lives of contemporary women in Northern India, is set to ancient songs performed by women from that region.

Also presented with the Festival is Labfest III, readings of new plays presented by the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the resident company of Asian American Playwrights with the Obie Award-winning Ma-Yi Theater Company. Labfest is curated by the authors of recently acclaimed Off-Broadway plays, Qui Nguyen (Soul Samurai) and Lloyd Suh (American Hwangap) and will be presented at Theater for the New City from Oct. 6 - 17, 2009. 

Imelda, a new musical about Imelda Marcos, is presented by the Obie Award-winning Pan Asian Repertory Theater, Tisa Chang artistic producing director, in association with East West Players. Written by Sachi Oyama, Nathan Wang and Aaron Coleman, Imelda is about the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, spanning the years from Philippine Independence in the 1940's to the Marcos' fall from grace in the 1980's. Tim Dang directs. The musical is running at the Julia Miles Theater from Sept. 22 - Oct. 18, 2009. 

Anton Chekhov's The Seagull is presented by the Obie Award-winning National Asian American Theater Company (NAATCO), directed by Gia Forakis. The production will pay particular attention to Chekhov's subtitle: "A Comedy in 4 Acts." Commedia, clowning, slapstick, farcical, presentational, Symbolist, anything naturalistic -- the production will serve the human comedy so masterfully achieved by Chekhov in his characterization of despair and the will to live despite this condition. This production will be presented at Theater for the New City from Sept. 26 - Oct. 18, 2009.

Also included in the Festival is an umbrella presentation, 20th Century Performance in the 21st Century: The Future of Asian American Theatre, a variety of performance art and interactive panels, that examine Asian American theatre past and present. These offerings are presented by Asian Pacific Americans C*ntemporary Unilateral Neo-Theater (APAC*NT), a collective of playwrights and directors including Kristina Wong (Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Alice Tuan (Ajax [por nobody]), Katie Pearl (Nita & Zita) and Hatnim Lee.

For additional information about Imelda, visit www.panasianrep.org

For additional information about Labfest III, visit www.ma-yitheatre.org

For additional information about The Seagull, visit www.naatco.org

For genral information, please call 646-522-0931 or visit www.naatf.or

The Second National Asian American Theater Festival
October 13-18, 2009
Theater for the New City
1st Ave between 9th and 10th St.
the Julia Miles Theater
424 West 55th St.
between 9th and 10th Avenues
New York, NY

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