EDITH nominated for GLAAD Media Award

Artists at Play is proud to announce that our production of Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the category of Outstanding Los Angeles Theater!

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize works for their "fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives."  Just before the end of our run, our production was Ovation Recommended as voted upon by Los Angeles theatre professionals.  We are proud of that distinction and now this GLAAD nomination as well.

We extend our gratitude and congratulations to the cast, crew, and all of our supporters.  Without them, our work would not be made possible.  We are so proud of this show and it is truly an honor to be nominated. 

Thank you, and we look forward to what this new year has in store.  Stay in touch with Artists at Play through this blog, Facebook, or Twitter, and keep up to date on upcoming news and events!

AAP Founding Members Regarding EDITH

A. Rey Pamatmat's award-winning Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them tackles profound issues, including parental abandonment, coming out as a teen and the redefining of family.

“We knew we were taking a risk when we decided to produce this show,” says Artists at Play Founding Member Stefanie Lau. “Our inaugural production, Ching Chong Chinaman, was a comedy that was well received by the Asian American community, a community we had grown very close to. And while this play features Asian Americans, the show really revolves around a lot of gay and orphaned-children issues, a community we are introducing ourselves to.”

“The moment we read the play we knew we had to do it,” says Founding Member Marie-Reine Velez. “My previous work in Center Theatre Group's Literary Department gave me an eye for spotting great writing, and this play and this playwright have talent written all over them. It was a battle to get the rights to produce the Los Angeles premiere, but we won and we're so grateful we get to bring this show to our theatre community.”

“There is so much to love about this play and its characters,” says Founding Member Peter J. Kuo. “Although it is set in the 90s, it is still extremely relevant. It's not uncommon to see kids becoming independent at an early age, especially in single-parent families. Edith and Kenny's mother has passed and their father is practically non-existent. He is only around via telephone calls and to tell them what not to do. The other major theme in the play involves Kenny and Benji's relationship. A. Rey has beautifully recreated what it is like to have a first love, and the fears and dangers of realizing that love as a gay youth. When Benji's mother discovers that he's gay, she throws him out of the house. Seeing every gay teen's biggest fear realized on stage is heartbreaking. But the play's ending is extremely satisfying, if not inspiring.”

“We've compiled an amazing team for this production,” says Founding Member Julia Cho. “The show looks beautiful. And director Jennifer Chang has done an excellent job leading this talented design team and cast. Every time I see a run of the show, they bring me to tears. The acting and the writing are just that good.”

There are only three more weeks left to catch Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

To dive deeper into the relationship each producer has with this play, check out these personal blog stories:

Julia Cho: “Edith & Me, Growing Past Our Parents"
Peter J. Kuo: “Spirit Day, Coming Out and Edith”
Stefanie Lau: “My Daughter and Edith Growing Up Fast”
Marie-Reine Velez: “Taking Asian Americans Beyond Race/Ethnicity”

Photo credits: Rodney To, Brian Hostenske and Amielynn Abellera in Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them by A. Rey Pamatmat. Photo by Michael C. Palma

EDITH, Spirit Day and Coming Out

Peter J. Kuo, producer
Photo by Michael C. PalmPurch

I originally intended to write this blog for National Coming Out Day; however that came and went and I was unable to get to it. (Cut me a break, I'm producing a play!) However, I felt that Spirit Day and its purpose of speaking out against bullying and supporting the LGBT community is just as appropriate.

Although these special days focus on the LGBT experience, they are extremely universal. As I grew up, coming out became less about being gay and more about being brave, being honest and being proud of who you are. Anyone can come out. You can come out as being gay, you can come out as being a vegetarian, you can even come out as being a lover of black licorice. (I won't judge you, but I will be wary of any dark colored treats you give me and say, “It's delicious!”)

Regardless of how you connect yourself with National Coming Out Day or Spirit Day, these special events are still extremely important. A week ago today, we commemorated the 16th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's passing, a young gay man who was brutally tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. Just recently, the Arizona Daily Wildcat at University of Arizona featured an extremely distasteful homophobic comic strip. And even in our current presidential race, there are candidates running who deem members of the gay community as second-class citizens. All these situations are grossly atrocious and need to stop. There is a hater community out there that is letting their voices be heard, and we need to respond by letting our voices be heard.

When you come out and/or show your support for the LGBT community, you are letting people who may be too afraid, too confused or too ashamed, know that there are people like them as well as those who will not judge them.

Rodney To and Brian Hostenske in
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

I bring this back to the play that I'm producing in Los Angeles with Artists at Play. Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them is a play that is written for the gay community. It features a pair of 16-year-old boys and one of the boy's 12-year-old sister. (Note: The cast is comprised entirely of adult actors, as to avoid the awkward issue of seeing teens in rather adult situations.) While one of the main themes revolve around parental abandonment, the other central theme focuses on the two boys' budding romance. The play beautifully captures the first moment you see two people of the same sex being affectionate with each other and know “This exists in the world. It's not just me who has these feelings, others feel this way too.” 

Brian Hostenske and Rodney To in
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

There is an awkwardness about asking someone out for the first time, especially in a gay relationship. When you finally ask someone out, you admit to the fact that there is a relationship going on, and it is indeed gay. The first date is wonderfully captured by that first romantic touch, the “move” you make to wrap your arm around someone (or be wrapped up in someone), and then that first kiss. That first-kiss moment that you've seen heterosexuals do on TV shows, movies and read about in novels. But in this gay teen romance, as in many real life ones, it doesn't happen. Because you never know when Mom or Dad is watching through the window. You don't know when they are listening to your calls or reading your notes. And when one character's mother finds a love note, she flies off the handle and throws her son out of the house. Every gay teen's worst nightmare is realized on stage.

Yes, the play has a sad edge to it, but that's what makes it so gritty and real. While the first act ends on a frighteningly heartbreaking note, the overall play resolves in an extremely satisfying way. It is inspirational, and for the playwright to have created such courageous teenage characters is something to be heavily commended. I've invited my mom, my brother and countless people to this production because, just like coming out, it's important to tell our stories and let people know about the unique experience of believing "our relationships aren't normal."

While I think the gay community will connect with this play and its characters, the most important people who need to see it are the bullies, the haters and the potential parents of young gay teens.
 
I encourage you to pass this information to anyone you feel like will connect with this play and/or will learn from its story. Or just pass this on to share the impact that coming out and/or showing your support can do for gay teens. Either way, come together, and show your support for this and many other communities who need to spread their awareness.

Also, don’t forget to show your support for Spirit Day by wearing purple! Show your spirit by using the hashtag #SpiritDay. You can easily spread the word about this blog too by sharing: http://bit.ly/EdithSpiritDay

Much Love,

Peter J. Kuo

Snapshots of EDITH

Yesterday we had our production photo shoot for Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, and we though we'd share a couple of our favorites with you.

Previews start TONIGHT (Thursday, October 18)!  The show runs through November 10 so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Amielynn Abellera in 
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

Edith is pretty tough for a 12-year-old girl. She's got a gun and a bow and arrow. She wields them to protect her home from intruders, including aliens, spies and even adults. But will Edith's weapons get her in trouble when she shoots something she really shouldn't have?

Rodney To and Amielynn Abellera in 
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

Kenny is Edith's big brother. With their mom out of the picture and their dad only around via phone calls, Kenny has been forced to be the man of the house. And while they enjoy playing together, Edith can sure put up a fight. It's a sibling bond that is tested when something threatens to break it apart.

Rodney To and Brian Hostenske in 
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

"They show real lesbian kissing?" Benji is Kenny's best friend. And with both boys having flawed parents, they have no role model for a romantic relationship. So they turn to comic books, dictionaries and medical books. Eventually, they turn to creating their own experiences.

Rodney To and Brian Hostenske in 
Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat.
Photo by Michael C. Palma

"You didn't traverse the distance by half. You went all the way." Benji is a little bit nerdy and Kenny is a little bit uncertain about his feelings. But they're on their first date. And like most first dates, you share deep secrets that bring you closer together.

Get your tickets to Edith now!

EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM opens this Saturday!

Artists at Play presents Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them  By A. Rey Pamatmat  Directed by Jennifer Chang

Saturday, October 20 - Saturday, November 10
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.

Previews:  Thursday, October 18 at 8 p.m. & Friday, October 19 at 8 p.m.
Added Matinee:  Saturday, November 10 at 2 p.m.

GTC Burbank

1111-B Olive Ave. Burbank, CA 91506 (map)

Edith doesn't have a typical family for a pre-teen girl. She and her brother Kenny are two Filipino American kids living in Middle America, abandoned by their parents. Kenny watches the money and makes sandwiches, while Edith goes on adventures with her stuffed frog and trusty BB gun. When Kenny and his close friend Benji begin to explore a relationship beyond friendship, Edith realizes she will have to stand guard to keep her newfound family protected. Contains profanity and adult content.

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them
by A. Rey Pamatmat

Directed by Jennifer Chang

FEATURING
Amielynn Abellera, Brian Hostenske and Rodney To

Set Design by Art Betanzos
Costume Design by Rachel Stivers
Lighting Design by Jennifer Hill
Sound Design by Dennis Yen
Property Master Naomi Kasahara
Stage Manager Amelia Worfolk

TICKETS $12-30 ~ To purchase online: http://bit.ly/AAPEdith

Watch our promo video, featuring interviews with the director and cast!

Photo Credit: Amielynn Abellera, Brian Hostenske and Rodney To
in Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them. Photos by Michael C. Palma.

EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM - Bios

CAST

Amielynn Abellera (Edith) dedicates this performance to her one and only awesome big brother, Brian. Recent credits include: Dusty de los Santos (Katselas Theatre Co.), The Other Woman Exp. (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Buffalo’ed (San Jose Stage), and Wind Chimes (Company of Angels). Favorite USC credits: Three Sisters, Scapino!, Forget My Name, and Tales from Ovid. She is forever grateful to her mom, pop, bro, relatives and friends for their endless support. USC – MFA in Acting. www.amielynnabellera.com

Brian Hostenske (Benji) is thrilled to be a part of this show! Past credits include the world premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Kirk Douglas Theatre); Pride and Prejudice, Noises Off, The Brand New Kid, Junie B Jones (South Coast Repertory); Playboy of the Western World (A Noise Within); Mother Courage (La Jolla Playhouse); Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare Santa Cruz). He can be seen in several commercials and the web series The Online Gamer. Brian is a proud graduate of the MFA program at UC San Diego and holds a BFA from University of Evansville. lacasting.com/brianhostenske | resumes.actorsaccess.com/BrianHostenske

Rodney To (Kenny) NY/Regional Theater/Workshops with Victory Gardens, Steppenwolf, La Jolla Playhouse, Northlight, Mark Taper Forum, Hartford Stage, Boston Symphony, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, NYTW, NYSF/Public Theater, East West Players and Ma-Yi, among others. TV/Film: Wilfred, Modern Family, The Whole Truth, The American Mall, Victorious, Love Monkey, Conviction and The Chris Rock Show. Awards: Jeff Award Nomination, NY International Fringe Festival – Winner (Best Ensemble) and inductee in the Filipino American Hall of Fame in Chicago.

Jaime Barcelon (u/s Kenny) Theatre credits include “Jetsam” in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, u/s "Henry” in Next to Normal (Atlantis), “Laurie” in Little Women, “Rolf” in The Sound of Music (Repertory Philippines), “Don John” in Much Ado About Nothing (Upstart), “Ryan” in Disney’s High School Musical, “Jon” in Tick, Tick… Boom!, “Jason” in Bare (Ateneo BlueRepertory). TV: General Hospital (ABC). Film: The Model (Puzzlework). This is Jaime’s first production with Artists at Play and is thrilled and grateful to be a part of Edith. He dedicates this performance to his family.

Rudy Martinez (u/s Benji, Puppet Designer) has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Junie B. In Jingle Bells Batman Smells, and Angel of the Desert (Studio SCR) at South Coast Repertory; Much Ado About Nothing (Independent Shakespeare Company), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Art of Acting Studio). On television he played “Franklin” on Good Luck Charlie, “Stu” on iCarly, and was a recurring host on Disney 365. He recently wrote a short play titled Act Three, Scene One that was performed at the Santa Monica Playhouse.
 

Joy Regullano (u/s Edith), a UC Berkeley theater grad, is also a proud graduate of both UCB and iO’s improv programs. TV credits include 90210, Castle, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Stage credits include Our Town and East West Players’ DHHWI staged reading of Road Rage. She’s also an avid writer and is sitting on way too many sketches, plays, and screenplays. She is very excited to be a part of Edith, her first LA theatrical production!



CREATIVE TEAM

A. Rey Pamatmat (Playwright) recently received the 2011-2012 Playwright of New York Fellowship from The Lark Play Development Center. His play Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them began a rolling world premiere at the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 2011 Humana Festival of New American Plays before productions in Coral Gables, FL (New Theater), Atlanta, GA (Actor’s Express), Minneapolis, MN (Mu Performing Arts), Sacramento, CA (B Street Theater), and Durham, NC (Manbites Dog Theater). His play Thunder Above, Deeps Below, initially produced by Second Generation, will be part of the inaugural season in the new space for San Francisco’s Bindlestiff Studio in early 2012.

Jennifer Chang (Director) would like to thank Artists at Play and the amazing cast and crew for their talent and generosity. She is Co-Artistic Director and a founding member of Chalk Repertory Theatre www.chalkrep.com. She is an actor, director, writer, producer and soon to be, mother. She received her BFA from NYU and her MFA from UCSD/ La Jolla Playhouse.

Arturo Betanzos (Scenic Designer) has an extensive background in the motion picture industry as a prop maker and special effects artist. He is also a painter and sculptor in the fine arts. Most recently, Art worked with the Shakespeare Center in the production of Twelfth Night as a scene design mentor. He also worked with Company of Angels for Wind Chimes and LA Views V; Yes, and … Productions for Ordinary Days at the Imagined Life Theater, Center Theater Group at the Kirk Douglas Theater, the Public Theater Group in New York at the LuEsther Hall and with Neo ensemble Theater.

Jennifer Hill (Lighting Designer) is a recent graduate from UC Irvine with a B.A. in Drama and Honors in Lighting Design. While studying there she designed more than 16 shows and worked on more than 27 productions. She has designed at Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble and assisted on productions at East West Players, Syracuse Stage and the Odyssey Theater. Recently she was involved with a production of Helen at the Getty Villa.

Rachel Stivers (Costume Designer) has been a freelance costume designer since graduating from UC Irvine with a degree in Costume design in 2008. She has designed for The Chance Theater (Inventing Van Gogh, Hot and Throbbing), The Ahimsa Collective (Foster Care to Fabulous, Two Figures), Golden Performing Arts (It’s Top Secret) and Artist at Play (Ching Chong Chinaman). She has assistant designed with Music Circus (2003 and 2008 seasons), The Matrix Theater (Stick Fly), Ebony Repertory Company (Crowns), South Coast Repertory (Fences, In a Garden, Crimes of the Heart, Jitney) and the Glimmerglass Opera Festival (The Music Man). She is excited to be working on her second show with Artists at Play.

Dennis Yen (Sound Designer) is a Los Angeles based composer for film and television. He is also an award-winning composer and sound designer in the Los Angeles theatre world. He is excited to take part in this amazing production. Thanks Artists at Play! It is great being reunited with my friends. Thanks for having me on board! Shout outs to The Gwai and 11!

Naomi Kasahara (Property Master) is originally from Japan and received her MFA from Cal State Long Beach in scenic design. She has worked with Teatr Pokoleniy in St. Petersburg, Russia for two seasons. Her latest works include set designs for Alceste and Copy (Theatre of NOTE), Cloud Tectonics (Long Beach Playhouse), and Maudit (Highways Performance Space). Assistant set design include Stranger Things (Ghost Road Company), and The Bacchae of Euripides at (LMU). Prop designs include Slither at Chalk Rep.

Skyler Gray (Dramaturg) graduated with Honors in Directing and Stage Management from the UC Irvine. He is the Literary Assistant for South Coast Repertory, the Festival Assistant for the Pacific Playwright Festival, and was the Assistant Director to Obie Award-Winner Sam Gold on SCR’s Circle Mirror Transformation. Directing Credits include: A New Brain, Spring Awakening, MUD and the World-Premiere of Yo, Vikings!. Gray is currently the Education Manager for Rogue Artists Ensemble and Artistic Director for Children’s Musical Theaterworks Fresno.

Thomas Morinaka (Safety Coordinator) is an actor, a writer, and a stunt choreographer among other things. He has recently coordinated stunts on the feature-length independent horror films Chink and The Rental, in addition to a few other projects, including working with his long-time mentor Dom Magwili on a soon to be released web mini-series called, Samurai Mon Amour. He is thrilled to be able to work with Jennifer Chang again, as well as Artists at Play on their second production.

Amelia Worfolk (Stage Manager) is happy to be stage managing with her friends on this production. She is also the Business Manager for Company of Angeles Theater. Previously she was the Resident Stage Manager for Lodestone Theater Ensemble’s 2009 season. She was also ASM for East West Players’ Ixnay and worked crew at the Colony Theater. She studied Stage Management at UCLA and worked with their Graduate Level Director’s program while getting her BA in Economics.

Julia Cho (Producer) is a Los Angeles native and actor who has performed/ toured with East West Players, hereandnow theatre company, and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble. TV/film credits include Cougar Town, Enlightened, Whitney, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23, Wedding Palace and Larry Crowne. Julia last appeared onstage in the musical Ordinary Days (Yes, and ... Productions) as well as Artists at Play's inaugural production Ching Chong Chinaman. She currently stars as "Charlotte Lu" in the popular web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a YouTube adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Julia is proud to be a part of Artists at Play and the Los Angeles premiere of Edith. Follow @thatjuliacho on Twitter.

Peter J. Kuo (Production Manager, Producer) is one of the founders of Artists at Play, and is more commonly known as a director. Favorite directed shows include: Ching Chong Chinaman, Ordinary Days, Songs for a New World, Letters to a Student Revoltuions, Election Day and Bat Boy: The Musical. His written plays, The Amazing Wedding Race and Three Steps Back, were developed and presented through East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Writers Institute. As an arts administrator he has worked at South Coast Repertory, East West Players and LA Stage Alliance, among others. Special thanks to producing partners Julia, Stefanie and Marie. Twitter: @PeterJKuo

Stefanie Wong Lau (Producer) has done marketing, public relations, audience development, fundraising and special event planning for organizations such as Center Theatre Group, East West Players and the Ford Amphitheatre, among others. Producing credits include Cold Tofu Improv’s original sketch comedy show Tofu Exposed, a university tour of Letters to a Student Revolutionary and a production of The Maids in a home on the National Register of Historical Places. A founding member of Artists at Play, Stefanie is proud to work alongside Julia, Peter and Marie. Love and thanks to John and Amelia. Twitter: @MsStefanieL

Marie-Reine Velez (Producer) is a founding member of Artists at Play. Her work life is filled with producing and marketing for USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative, where she has had the honor of working events with noted speakers and artists such as Ira Glass, Anna Deveare Smith, Pedro Almodovar, David Henry Hwang, Jenny Holzer and Alonzo King Lines Ballet, among others. She produced new work with LA-based artists at TeAda Productions for four years and served on the host committee for the 3rd National Asian American Theatre Festival in 2011. Twitter: @mariezpz

EDITH Needs Your Help

They say it takes a village to raise a child.  In the same way, it takes a community to put on a production.  Over the next couple of weeks, Artists at Play will be working on building sets, hanging lights, painting the stage and loading everything into the theatre, and we could use your help!  If you have the time, tools or talents, we can certainly use them.  Check out our LABOR and MATERIAL needs below to see how you can help.  Then contact us at ArtistsAtPlayLA@gmail.com to let us know when and how you can help, and we’ll get in touch with you!  Lunch and dinner will often be provided.

LABOR
October 3 - 7, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
We’ll be building the set for the show, and any amount of time people can spare to help cut, drill, screw, hammer would be helpful!

Monday, October 8, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: GTC Burbank
We’ll be hanging lights and could use an extra pair of hands to help tie up cables, steady ladders or traffic lighting instruments.

Monday, October 8, 2 - 7 p.m.
Location: Downtown Los Angeles to GTC Burbank
We’ll be picking up the set from our build location and transferring it to the theatre.  People who can help load and unload the truck will be greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, October 9, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: GTC Burbank
We’ll be assembling the set pieces on stage.  Those comfortable with a drill and screw gun will be highly welcomed.

Wednesday, October 10, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: GTC Burbank
We’ll be focusing the lights this evening, someone who knows or is interested in working with lighting instruments or a light board would be greatly assisted.  And if you’re looking to stand around and look pretty, body doubles will also be greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, October 10, 4p.m.-10p.m. & Thursday, October 11, 10a.m.-3 p.m.
Location: GTC Burbank
We’ll be painting the set on these days!  Get your paint clothes on, grab a brush and stop by as we create our rustic barn setting.  Bring your mp3 players and we’ll hook up your favorite music to our radio.


MATERIALS
Sets:
We’re looking for a low-cost scrim, either rented or purchase.  Any suggestions?

Props:
Anyone have a rustic looking bow and arrow?  Hopefully an arrow that’s already been made stage safe or can be made stage safe.

Lighting:
We’re looking to borrow or rent a dimmer pack for a low-cost.  Any leads?

Questions? E-mail us at ArtistsAtPlayLA@gmail.com.

Meet the Cast of EDITH

The three principal roles in Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them will be played by Amielynn Abellera (Dusty de los Santos, Wind Chimes), Rodney To (Wilfred, Modern Family), and Brian Hostenske (Pride and Prejudice, The Playboy of the Western World).  We can't wait for you to see these wonderful actors bring their characters to life on the stage when the show opens October 20th! 

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them introduces us to EDITH, a spunky, spirited and tough 12-year-old girl. Her brother KENNY is caring and responsible but isn't one to put up a fight. And his friend BENJI dresses himself a little too neatly.

Edith and Kenny are two Filipino American kids living in Middle America, abandoned by their parents. Kenny watches the money and makes sandwiches, while Edith goes on adventures with her stuffed frog and BB gun. When Kenny and classmate Benji begin to explore a relationship beyond friendship, Edith realizes she will have to stand guard to protect her newfound family.

Tickets available here: http://bit.ly/AAPEdith

An Introduction to EDITH

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them

by Skyler Gray

Edith, 12, and her brother Kenny, 16, are alone in a remote farmhouse in Middle America. It is 1993 and the car outside is almost out of gas and their bank account isn’t much better. The kid’s mother recently died and it has been days since they have heard from their father. Isolated spatially and emotionally from the outside world, they must rely on each other for survival. The bleakness of their situation seems to lighten with the arrival of Kenny’s classmate Benji.  The kids create a makeshift family for support, but it isn’t until the arrival of adults that someone shoots and hits something they shouldn’t have.

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them by A. Rey Pamatmat is far from a nostalgic look at the 90’s, but rather an ageless play about growing up. Pamatmat has crafted a heartbreakingly hilarious portrait of what it is like to grow up isolated from the norm of society. He finds the beauty in the simplistic. Edith copes with her struggles by carrying a rifle and finding companionship in her best friend Fergie, a stuffed frog. Kenny has had to set aside his hopes and dreams to take care of Edith, the family finances, and their home. But, with the help of his endearing companion Benji, Kenny is able to discover what it means to love and be loved. Pamatmat’s portrayal of first love, loss, and family are all the things it should be: confusing, awkward and beautiful.

When first approaching the text for Edith, it was important to focus on the relationships of the characters and the world in which they live. Director Jennifer Chang and I decided that building a strong foundation of research for the world of the play was key. Edith may seem like a simple play on the technical level, but it is an emotionally complex piece.  Before we could dive in, we had to answer some basic questions:

Where in Middle America is the play set? Taking Pamatmat’s stage direction that the play is “set in the remotest part of America,” we turned to the center of the United States: Smith County, Kansas.  Smith County is home to Lebanon, the center of the continental United States.  Really. Smith County is home to a whopping 5,300 people and a crime rate of one violent offense per year.  The demographic of Smith County is 100% white.

When is the play set? We decided to set the play in 1993 to be exact. 1993 is the year Bill Clinton took office and the year Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” reached the top of the Billboard Top 100 Chart. A time of Walkman tape players, landline phones, and gas prices under $2.  Remember the time before texting when passing notes in class was the best way to communicate?

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them first premiered at The Actor Theater of Louisville’s 2011 Humana Festival. For the LA premiere, Jennifer Chang has crafted a fierce group of actors to bring Pamatmat’s words to life. No matter how many times I re-read this play, there is always something new to be discovered about these characters. Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them will resonate with anyone who has ventured through the twisting maze of adolescence and learned a thing or two along the way. 


Skyler Gray is the dramaturg for Artists at Play's production of Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them. He graduated with Honors in both Directing and Stage Management from the University of California, Irvine with a minor in Education. Skyler is currently the Literary Assistant for South Coast Repertory Theatre and is the Festival Assistant for the Pacific Playwright Festival of New Works.

A Poem for EDITH by Alison M. De La Cruz

On the occasion of the forthcoming production by

Artists at Play

of

EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM

I love plays about Asian Americans.

I love plays starring, written, directed and PRODUCED by Asian Pacific Americans.
I love plays with complex story lines and overt gestures to humanize people like me.
People who are Filipino, people who are gay
People who are women, people who are daughters trying to protect their siblings.

I love plays about complex Asian American women and girls
who are trying to make sense of the world at a time in our development
when our parents should be… a lot things
And sometimes they fall short. Or sometimes they mess up that overtly
That one could begin to question whether safety can be created by families.

I love plays about fucked up, crazy Asian Americans

Who mess with the stupid model minority myth
Or racist notions of exotified otherness
I love plays set in the reality that there are Asian Americans living here in the US today.
Shit, I even want to see a play about Asian Americans in the 1990s and the 80s and 60s and 1860s and 1640s and 17-hundreds.

Now, I am not an advocate for fire arms

Or things that harm
Like violence or bullying or words that hit bodies like bricks and bats
I am not an advocate for things like that.

But that is not what a play is always about.

Though sometimes, and often, I think for the Artists at Play
A Play can actually be about things that harm
Or boyfriends who charm
Or little frogs that stand by as wisdom is chanted from the mouth of a babe like a blaring alarm.

See, a play, is a way to share a whole new world

Or to shine the light microscopic
On a culture
Or a time
Or a character who brings you a breath of fresh air.
And I think that you know this
If you are here today, shit we’re here today
Because of a play,
Or this amazing group of artists who want to make a play
That tells a story worth listening to
Explores a world we shouldn’t shrink from
And shoves characters in my face that require, actually that beg the question:
Why does Edith shoot and hit things?
Where is brother Kenny? And who is Benji?
And does pre-calc actually hold the key……. To….
Well you’ll just have to see.
See that’s the thing about a play,
It’s a reason to go, it’s a reason to stay
Stuck in a seat, from the time the curtain goes up
Till the time the last bow from head to feet.
It’s a way for us to stay engaged and exploring
Exaggerated and exhaustive in our search for the humanity in all of us.
And me,
I love a play that is written and directed, produced and costumed;
Set designed and sound designed, light designed and house managed
Produced and attended by Asian Pacific Americans and our allies

I’m here today because I believe in the power of a play

Hold a mirror up to society and say….
… well anything you want.
And once you meet Edith and Kenny and Benji and crew…
Well I wonder what things they will say… to you.

Alison M. De La Cruz is a multi-disciplinary, community-based theater artist, producer, and arts educator currently living in Los Angeles, CA.  You can follow her on Twitter (@TweetsByDeLa) or visit her blog here.

EDITH 10-for-10 ticket special

Tickets on sale now for the Los Angeles premiere of Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them!  As part of our 10-for-10 special, we have $10 tickets but only 10 per performance (10/18-11/09). Get them now before the end of September or until tickets run out! http://bit.ly/AAPEdith

Artists at Play
presents the Los Angeles premiere of

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them 
By A. Rey Pamatmat
Directed by Jennifer Chang
 
Edith and her brother Kenny are two Filipino American kids living in Middle America, abandoned by their parents. Kenny watches the money and makes sandwiches, while Edith goes on adventures with her stuffed frog and BB gun. When Kenny and Benji begin to explore a relationship beyond friendship, Edith realizes she will have to stand guard to protect her newfound family.

Featuring Amielynn Abellera, Brian Hostenske, and Rodney To.

Understudy performance on Sunday, November 4 at 7 pm featuring Jaime Barcelon, Rudy Martinez and Joy Regullano.

Groups of 10+ please e-mail ArtistsAtPlayLA@gmail.com for information about discounted tickets.

View and share our Facebook event page here.