WRITERS GALLERY
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EAST WEST PLAYERS in association with the JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM presents a
WRITERS GALLERY reading of
A CAGE OF FIREFLIES
The story of three elderly sisters of the kibei generation: sent as children to be raised in Okinawa, then returned to live and work in Hawai'i. Two of the sisters confine themselves to their Honolulu apartment where they enact the rituals of daily life and dream of one day returning to Okinawa. The third, charged with running their family's orchid nursery, embraces the modern world and disrupts her family's fragile traditions. As long-hidden hopes, resentments and regrets surface, the sisters must confront the nature of their love for each other. A Cage of Fireflies, which recently premiered at Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu to critical acclaim and a sold-out, extended run (1/24/13-3/3/13), explores the tug-of-war between progress and preservation, the selfish and the selfless.
Written by Daniel Akiyama
Directed by Phyllis S. K. Look
Featuring: Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda, Sharon Omi, and Jeanne Sakata
Assistant Director/Stage Manager
David Johann Kim
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013, 7:30pm
Tateuchi Democracy Forum of the
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90012
Admission is FREE!
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:
Daniel Akiyama was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. A Cage of Fireflies, his first full-length play, was developed at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab and was a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Phyllis S.K. Look was a member of Berkeley Repertory Theatre's artistic staff, Co-Artistic Director of Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and freelance director. Her work has been produced at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Institute, Young Playwrights Festival, Berkeley Rep, Magic Theatre, Asian American Theater Company, Syracuse Stage, Alliance Theatre, Mixed Blood, Seattle Children's Theatre, and Honolulu Theatre for Youth, among others. She directed the developmental workshop of A Cage of Fireflies at Sundance Institute's 2012 Theatre Lab, and its recent world premiere production at Kumu Kahua Theatre. Look holds an MFA in Directing from Yale School of Drama and is the recipient of a TCG/NEA Director Fellowship. She was born, raised, and currently resides in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
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Developing
new works and introducing new talent is vital to the creative
process at EWP. Promising new scripts submitted to EWP are presented
to the public as staged readings that offer a tantalizing glimpse
of works that may be developed for our mainstage. These works
need the reaction of an audience to grow, and readings introduce
the developmental process to writers who have the gift to become
major new talents. These presentations allow audiences to participate
in the shaping of a new voice for the theatre.
Some
of the Writers Gallery plays of recent note:
THERE OR HERE by Jennifer Maisel (Winter 2010)
KRUNK-FU BATTLE BATTLE (Fall 2009)
Book by Qui Nguyen
Lyrics by Beau Sia
Music by Marc Macalintal
(Produced by East West Players Spring 2011)
IXNAY by Paul Kikuchi (Winter 2008)
(Produced by East West Players in Winter
2009)
RUBY TRAGICALLY ROTUND by Boni B. Alvarez
(Spring 2008)
(Produced by Playwright's Arena Fall 2009)
VOICES FROM OKINAWA by Jon Shirota (Spring 2007)
(Produced by East West Players in Spring
2008)
DRIVING IN LA by Henrietta Chico Nofre (Spring
2006)
HAPPY MOON DAY, HOLLY WOO by Jiehae Park (Fall
2005)
CELESTIAL MOTIONS by Mrinalini Kamath (Summer
2005)
QUEEN
OF THE REMOTE CONTROL by Sujata Bhatt
(Produced by East West Players in Fall 2002)
MONSTER
by Derek Nguyen
(Produced by East West Players in Spring
2002)
HIT
by Alice Tuan
THE
CLOUDS, THE OCEAN, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN by Michael Premsrirat
MY
TIRED, BROKEASS PONTIFICATING SLAPSTICK FUNK by Euijoon Kim
(Produced by East West Players in Spring
2000)
©
EAST WEST PLAYERS
The Nation's Premier Asian American Theatre
120 Judge John Aiso St. | Los Angeles CA 90012 | (213) 625-7000
 
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