Dramaturg's Perspective: AAP Readings

by Marie-Reine Velez

The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up cast and creative team: Nadja Barlera, Julia Cho, playwright Carla Ching, Raymond Lee, dramaturg Marie-Reine Velez and director Snehal Desai

I love staged readings. I really enjoy seeing the potential of a play as I’m listening to it, no matter what stage of development the play is in. There’s something about the rawness of the staged reading that I really respond to. Sometimes, most of the time, the play will never be the same again--mostly because a rewrite is usually what follows a staged reading. And that moment, of knowing that things will change, is very exciting. 

Earlier this month, Artists at Play presented a day of staged readings: The Two Kids that Blow Shit Up by Carla Ching and Nobody’s Child by Sanaz Toossi. I always have so much fun working on our readings because the nerd in me loves to bask in the dialogue between characters, the language of the play and all of the details. All of them. And the opportunity to be in the rehearsal room for one of these readings is a real treat because everyone is going through a process of discovery. And discovery is a tangible feeling in the room. 

(Writer’s note: When I start to talk about how theatre makes me feel, I think that I sound like an addict, with how I extol the “highs” of my theatre process. See: “T.A.A.” from Artists at Play … at Play!)

I had the pleasure of being the dramaturg in the room for The Two Kids that Blow Shit Up and while our process was short (2 rehearsals, 2 weeks apart), the journey the play took felt pretty epic. Before our first rehearsal, Carla never heard the play read by actors. She wrote the play very quickly in a workshop setting, and hadn't worked on it much since then. The dialogue was fast, dirty and playful. The scenes were in non-chronological order when we began. By the end of the second rehearsal, the scenes had been rearranged and set in chronological order for the staged reading. We had big discussions about complicated relationships, the lives of the characters outside of scenes shown in the play, the slippery slope of gambling addiction and why these two kids were blowing shit up. Flushing out these details in the world of the play is what makes this part of the process really fun for people like me who enjoy the art of storytelling in different ways, including “Easter eggs” and playing with language and dialogue.

So then we get to the Reading Day, and I kind of have no idea how the play will be received. Of course, there’s a part of me that knows people will enjoy the play as much as I do, but there’s also a part of me that gets really insecure, the part of me that over thinks things, or the part of me that doesn’t truly believe that my experience is reality. Did I imagine how good the play is? (I didn't.) Did we give Carla too many notes? (We didn’t.) Will people appreciate the chronological order version? (They did.) Or should we have kept it in non-chronological order? (We did the right thing.) But these were all fleeting thoughts—I was just very, very excited to hear the play again, and to hear it with a room full of people.

The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up staged reading

Our actors did a fantastic job. I especially got a kick out of hearing Julia swear so much. There was laughter, and then more laughter. You know the sound of people listening? (Hint: It’s not really a “sound,” per se.) We had that. Our audience was awesome. And then, before I knew it, the reading was over, and there I was, on stage, leading a talk back discussion about the play we just saw. Audience feedback is tricky. It’s a vital role to the development of the play, but this isn't retail where the customer is always right. Luckily for us, our audience understood their role in this process, and it was a very helpful session to have members of the audience articulate what they just heard. Again, I can’t help but think that the play we heard will never be heard again. There will be rewrites, probably another re-ordering of the scenes. 

So now, our role is to wait and see what happens next. Carla is writing a ton, whether it be rewrites for this play, or working on the other plays she has in her drawer. I had a fantastic time and am so grateful to have had this experience to live in Carla’s world for a little while. And I look forward to see what’s to come of the two kids. 

Click here for more photos from the 2015 Artists at Play Readings.

Artists at Play Readings 2015

The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up by Carla Ching

Nobody's Child by Sanaz Toossi

Saturday, April 4, 2015

1 p.m. - The Two Kids...
3 p.m. - Dinner Reception
4 p.m. - Nobody's Child
6 p.m. - Dessert Reception

Lounge Theatre 2
6201 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

$15 Pre-Sale
$20 At the Door

As part of our 2015 spring reading series, Artists at Play will help develop and proudly showcase new work by two female playwrights. Continuing our mission to share stories of underrepresented communities, we are excited to present these plays to the Los Angeles theatre community.

Playwrights Sanaz Toossi and Carla Ching have each crafted deceptively simple stories that focus on the interpersonal relationships among family members, either bound by blood or by circumstances. Whether we're traveling through Iran on a train with a trio of sisters, or jumping through time in the lives of two step-siblings, we hope you'll join us on these respective journeys that are messy yet poignant and altogether modern.

The readings will be presented on Saturday, April 4 at the Lounge Theatre. The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up will be presented at 1 p.m., and Nobody's Child at 4 p.m.

Each reading will be followed by a talkback. A $15 ticket includes dinner, hosted bar and dessert reception. (Price will go up to $20 at the door.)

Get Your Tickets!

2014: Year in Review

As we now plan for our fifth season, Artists at Play will continue to present shows created by Asian American artists, stories of those underrepresented in Los Angeles theatre. Won't you make an online tax-deductible donation to join us in our mission? 

At the start of the new year, Artists at Play will host a January kick-off event and announce our next mainstage production. Along with the spring readings and summer fundraiser, our 2015 season will include a partnership with Center Theatre Group, plus some other events in the works. And as a new board member of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists, we will be working on a national level to improve diversity and inclusion in American theatre.

We hope you will help Artists at Play in 2015 with a tax-deductible donation, making you our partner in curating quality theatre in Los Angeles.

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In 2014, Artists at Play was able to contribute to Los Angeles theatre with various readings and our fourth L.A. premiere production. Here’s a recap of the year…

In the spring, we shared with you two new plays as part of the Artists at Play Readings: She Kills Monsters: Adventurer's Edition by Qui Nguyen, a fun new version of an already published/produced work, along with the still-in-development Marabella by local playwright Boni B. Alvarez.

In the summer, we had a special benefit reading of The Parisian Woman by Beau Willimon (creator/executive producer of House of Cards). Hosted by Randy and Mari Tamura, the event featured Francois Chau, Amy Hill, Tamlyn Tomita and Trieu Tran. Attendees loved the diverse casting of a mainstream play, and those who saw the production at South Coast Repertory remarked how they preferred our cast!

In the fall, we produced the Los Angeles premiere of 99 Histories by the writer Julia Cho (not to be confused with founding member Julia Cho, who starred in the production). We were honored to present the "homecoming" for this play, which is set in Los Angeles and written 10 years ago.
 

This year, Artists at Play attended the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) national conference in San Diego as well as the 4th National Asian American Theater Festival & Conference in Philadelphia. Expanding on our local theatre presence, we are proud of our recent appointment to the board of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists and excited to help organize the next gathering of Asian American theatre professionals in 2016!

Artists at Play will continue to build upon the artistic quality and diversity of our past shows: Ching Chong Chinaman by Lauren Yee, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them by A. Rey Pamatmat, Cowboy Versus Samurai by Michael Golamco, and our most recent production, 99 Histories. You can offer your support here or here.

Thank you for another great season, and here's to 2015!

Artists at Play Readings 2014

Marabella by Boni B. Alvarez

She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen

Continuing our mission to present stories of underrepresented communities, Artists at Play will develop and showcase two new works to the Los Angeles theatre community for our second springtime reading series.

Expanding upon our mainstage fall production, Artists at Play hopes to develop talented writers whose works deserve to be shared with our local audience. Also, in the midst of a national discussion on the lack of diversity in American theatre, we are proud to present plays that feature hugely diverse casts including an eclectic array of female characters.

Playwrights like Boni B. Alvarez and Qui Nguyen provide unique voices that shed light on the complexities of relationships and humanity. This is why we find their plays so dynamic, stories that both intrigue and excite us.

The readings will be presented on Sunday, April 6, at the Women's Club of South Pasadena. Marabella will be presented at 2 p.m., and She Kills Monsters at 5 p.m.

Each play will be followed by a talkback. All readings are complimentary. Pre-sale $15 ticket includes dinner, hosted bar and dessert reception. (Tickets are $20 at the door.)

Get Your Tickets!

The Plays, Playwrights and Directors

As part of our second reading series, Artists at Play will present Marabella by Boni B. Alvarez along with She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. Learn more about the respective playwrights and directors below, then join us for the readings on Sunday, April 6. Tickets available here.

Marabella
When her baby's father loses his wife, Marabella returns to her beloved Jason and his two sons whom she once nannied... and the attractive new tutor. A contemporary adaptation of Medea that leads a multi-ethnic cast in a thrilling and provocative journey.

Boni B. Alvarez (Playwright) is a Los Angeles-based playwright whose plays include Dallas Non-Stop, Dusty De Los Santos, The Special Education of Miss Lorna Combonga, Poke Back, and Ruby, Tragically Rotund. His plays have been produced/developed by Playwrights’ Arena, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Chalk Rep, Skylight Theatre, The Vagrancy, and Second Generation (2g). He won a 20/20 Development Award from InterAct Theatre and has been a finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award, Aurora Theatre’s Global Age Project, and Clubbed Thumb’s Biennial Commission. He attended Sarah Lawrence College (BA), ART/MXAT Institute at Harvard University (MFA), and USC (MFA).

Peter J. Kuo (Director) is a co-founder of Artists at Play, and an L.A. based theatre artist and administrator. His written plays, The Amazing Wedding Race and Three Steps Back, were developed in East West Players' David Henry Hwang Writers Institute. He wrote the book for The Antique Shop with composer Nathan Wang. Commonly known as a director, his directing credits include: Ching Chong Chinaman, Ordinary Days, Songs for a New World and Letters to a Student Revolutionary. As an arts administrator he's worked at South Coast Repertory, East West Players and LA Stage Alliance, among others.

Tiffany Moon (Dramaturg) is a dramaturg and theatre manager devoted to the development and production of new works. She is a member of the reading committee and the general manager of the Ojai Playwrights Conference, and is currently associate-producing Alice Tuan's Hit with Los Angeles Theatre Center. In addition, she leads post-show conversations and guides audience members through lobby engagement activities at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Tiffany will graduate with her MFA/MBA in Theatre Management from CSULB in May, where she serves as the general manager of California Repertory Company.


She Kills Monsters
After the passing of her younger sister, Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons & Dragons notebook. What follows is a journey of self-discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge. An homage to the geek and warrior in all of us.

Qui Nguyen (Playwright) Originally from Arkansas, Qui Nguyen is a Brooklyn-based writer, fight choreographer, and co-artistic director of the OBIE award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. His scripts include Krunk Fu Battle Battle (East West Players); Bike Wreck (produced at Youngblood and Metropolitan Playhouse); Trial By Water (produced at Ma-Yi Theater/Queens Theatre in the Park); Aliens Vs. Cheerleaders (Keen Teens); and the critically acclaimed Vampire Cowboys productions of The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, Alice in Slasherland, Fight Girl Battle World, Men of Steel, Living Dead in Denmark, Stained Glass Ugly, A Beginner's Guide to Deicide, Vampire Cowboy Trilogy, and Soul Samurai. Additionally, he is a resident playwright of New Dramatists, a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, co-director of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, an alumnus of Youngblood, and an advanced actor/combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. He has an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Andy Lowe (Director) Finalist of the California Young Playwrights (1994), Founding Artistic Director of the Asian American Repertory Theatre ('95-'05), Andy Lowe has been a producer of events and writer, director and/or producer of over 50 theatrical productions throughout San Diego. Receiving two mayoral commendations, he was recognized as one of 2001's "Top 30 Most Influential Asian Americans Under the Age of 30" by Political Circus Magazine. From 2007–12, Andy served as “Theatre-in-Residence Program Coordinator” for the La Jolla Playhouse, while developing projects as producer/director of ChinesePirateProductions.com including a nationally recognized stage adaptation of Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog” (2011).  Andy is an advisor for Gam3rCon San Diego and current Production Manager for East West Players.


Come enjoy the readings on Sunday, April 6 and stay for dinner, drinks and dessert! Get your tickets now: http://bit.ly/AAPReadings14

Falling for Iggy Woo

A Conversation Between  
Director Rena Heinrich & Dramaturg Marie-Reine Velez

MARIE: Rena, thank you so much for being a part of this process for Alice Tuan’s Iggy Woo as the director for this reading. Before we started rehearsals for the Iggy Woo reading, what were you most looking forward to exploring in this process?

RENA: I was really looking forward to working with Alice. I knew of Alice's work but had never formally met her nor worked with her before. Then I read the play and loved it. Iggy Woo has a specific rhythm and tone, and I was looking forward to exploring this in a rehearsal process, to seeing and hearing it filtered through live bodies and seeing what that looked like. 

MARIE: Have there been any discoveries during rehearsal that have surprised you so far?

RENA: Alice leaves no stone unturned. Everything in the narrative is literally or metaphorically connected to something else. It's beautiful, gorgeous writing. She's written three movements (or acts)  inspired by No Doubt songs. At one point, I realized that there are No Doubt references sprinkled in the dialogue, and I had to smile. The play is like Alice. Playful and wickedly intelligent.

MARIE: I fully agree. There’s a specificity in the characters’ speech patterns and word choice that affects how the story moves forward--it constantly amazes me when those moments are revealed in rehearsal. What makes Iggy Woo stand out to you?

RENA: Iggy Woo is a bit Beckett meets Ionesco meets No Doubt. It has an absurdist, otherworldly quality that's grounded in a very real, modern day Los Angeles. It's about cravings and creativity amidst consumerism. But, at the end of the day, it's also a sweet love story about simply looking for that one person who gets you. Marie, I'm curious as to what drew you to the play? 

MARIE: As you mentioned, the play has a specific rhythm and tone--and I immediately fell in love with the language of the play, the exploration of the smoke break, the endless possibilities of the smoke break conversation and the bonds that form because of the five or ten minutes that smoke breakers give themselves throughout the day. Those five-to-ten minutes can be casual, intimate, cathartic, what have you; Alice really goes there. And that was my reaction to just the first movement! Her writing has a way of taking you on a journey of so many feels, laughs, surprises and revelations.

RENA: How did Artists at Play decide to pick Iggy for this event?

MARIE: We’re all very interested in Alice’s work, her voice is so strong and the play has a great sense of humor--witty, sarcastic and a little offbeat. We find ourselves more drawn to Asian American theatrical narratives that go beyond the identity crises on just an ethnic/cultural level, but who we are as humans living in today’s world. Factors like consumerism, pop culture, sexuality and social awkwardness are just as apparent as cultural identity is in our lives. What I find so funny is that some of the first notes Alice got when this play was shopped around was that it wasn’t “Asian American” enough, and I have three reactions to that: 

1. yeah, sort of
2. no, not really
3. that’s BS 

I mean, what does that matter? Who's to say what's "Asian American"? Like other theatres and organizations, all of us with Artists at Play want to support new plays, and Iggy is a great fit with our sensibilities while also pushing the envelope on what theatre can explore. I can keep going, but we can continue this conversation at the readings on Sunday, either at the Q&A session after Iggy Woo, or at dinner before the reading of Three Steps Back by Peter J. Kuo!

Iggy Woo by Alice Tuan will be presented as part of Artists at Play’s reading series on Sunday, March 24th. Get your meal tickets now for dinner and hosted bar!

Photos: (1) Alice Tuan and Rena Heinrich in rehearsal; (2) Carla Vega, Justin Huen and Brittany Lau in rehearsal. Photos by Marie-Reine Velez.

Taking a Step Forward with Three Steps Back

A Conversation Between 

Director Skyler Gray & Dramaturg Kimberly Colburn

KIMBERLY: It's great to be working with you, Skyler. We've had a lot of conversations about THREE STEPS BACK with Peter already, but it's great to have a chance to hear your thoughts. I'm curious, what were your first impressions when you read the play? What drew you in?  

SKYLER: It really is great to get to work with you and Peter on THREE STEPS BACK. When I first read Peter's play I was struck by his use of perspective. You might have heard that the most exciting parts of some plays happen offstage.  

KIMBERLY: Like in ancient Greek plays. 

SKYLER: Right! I love how Peter has turned that idea upside down and shown this story from three different angles. I found myself entranced with finding clues from one act that came to fruition in the following acts. I was also struck by Peter's ability to create revelations that surprised both me and the characters within his play through exciting plot twists.  It really is a play that keeps you guessing what will happen next. 

KIMBERLY: I agree, the structure of this play is unexpected--it's three acts, but the action isn't continuous. Each act covers the same period of time, but in a different location. I love the puzzle of putting the pieces together, and I think audiences will really respond to the challenge of figuring out how the characters relate to one another. It will be a challenge for you, as a director, to help communicate some complicated twists and turns with only a short rehearsal period and with actors confined to music stands. Peter is also a director--what's it like to work with a playwright who's also got a directing background?  

SKYLER:  It is a short rehearsal period isn't it?  I bet the Broadway production of Noises Off had a bit more time to fine tune all the entrances and exits.  Game on!  Peter is indeed a man of many talents.  I am finding that Peter's keen eye as a director only strengthens his work as a playwright.  Throughout the piece Peter has dropped clues about the way the staging works in his mind.  As a director, this is very helpful as I am able to piece together the playwright's intent and fill in the blanks along the way. The playwright is setting pen to paper and it is my job to bring that to life. 

KIMBERLY: Plus, this cast looks pretty great.  

SKYLER: They really do.  I hear they are pretty talented too. 

KIMBERLY: It's exciting to have so many talented people gathering together. I'm glad to get a chance to play with Artists at Play. This is a great play to help kick off their new reading series (along with Alice Tuan's IGGY WOO)--smart and funny but complicated. There's a lot of interesting themes Peter's grappling with: a dysfunctional family, a teenage girl exploring religion, parents navigating the balance of their own needs versus the needs of their offspring.  

SKYLER:  This play really does pack quite the punch. I am excited that we get to not only work on this play with Artists at Play, but we get a chance to work together again. This play also takes me back home as it is set in Fresno, which is where I was born and raised. 

KIMBERLY: That's right! You've got the Fresno connection! And just like you, many of these characters are trying to find their way OUT of Fresno.  

SKYLER: I mean, once you leave Fresno, the only thing left to do is direct a play about Fresno. But in all seriousness, I can't wait to jump into rehearsals and work with Peter to make this play come to life.    

KIMBERLY: Me too. Only one more week until we've got an audience. 

SKYLER: In that case, people should stop reading this enthralling interview and buy their tickets now!


Three Steps Back by Peter J. Kuo will be presented as part of Artists at Play's reading series day on Sunday, March 24th.  Get your meal tickets now!

Enter the World of Alice Tuan’s Iggy Woo and the New Wave of Asian American Plays

by Alice Tuan

When I wrote Iggy Woo back in 2002, I was pretty sick of the usual Asian-American themes—alienation, immigration, cultural misunderstanding, historical injustice, cute foods, perpetual becoming—yes of course, that’s part of the experience, but what about the Asiatics who have been in the U.S., shop in malls, smoke cigarettes, are addicted to sugar and fall in love with people who don’t love them back?  It’s better now with the 4th wave of Asian-American playwrights—Lauren Yee, A. Rey Pamatmat, Michael Lew, Mia Chung, Michael Golamco and bunches of others—but back then, in the early naughts, I wanted to write just regular folks who happen to be of Asian descent.

Iggy Woo is described as “a play about unrequited love, quitting smoking and creating amidst consumption.” How did you see these coming together, and what were your inspirations?
 
Yeah, I was trying to quit smoking.  And quit a guy.  And yeah, I grew up in the Valley.  Where the true cathedral is the mall.  And yeah am obsessed with gift wrapping.  And ate pho, like, every day.

Jimmy Choo designs shoes.  Iggy Pop is punky cool.   What if there were two mall workers who snuck cigarettes and created new designs on their break?

I gave myself the challenge of writing 8 pages a day for 9 days.  Would not get out of bed until I knew what the first 2 pages were.  Day 7 was killer—just so tired and bleary but wanted to get through. That’s when I went and sat in Macy’s gift wrap to inspire the last 3 scenes, and what a shot of metaphor for American consumption it was, down to beautiful, empty boxes and 15 second samples of Christmas favorites, the tease of sentimentality.

When my agent first sent the play around, someone said it wasn’t ‘Asian’ enough.  Ugh.  Are Asiatics forever gonna be unfun melodrama?  I say let’s have some mad joy and tear up all the pretty boxes to find that one cig during a furious nic fit.


Iggy Woo by Alice Tuan will be presented as part of Artists at Play's reading series day on Sunday, March 24th.  Get your meal tickets now!

Discovering THREE STEPS BACK with Playwright Peter J. Kuo

Photo by Michael C. Palma

What are some of the themes you explore in Three Steps Back?

As a writer, I’ve always been fascinated with assumptions and revelations. When audiences or characters make assumptions about someone, I love to take those assumptions and blow them out of the water by revealing something completely different about that person. It challenges first impressions and stereotypes. I’ve always hated the idea that because someone is “this” then they must also be “that.”

Because of the way Three Steps Back is structured -- where you see the same 30 minutes but played out in three different locations; the house, back alleyway and the garage that connects them -- you only get bits of pieces of each character’s story. I’m amazed at how people take those bits and pieces, fill in the gaps and suddenly think they know everything about someone. The play challenges audiences to look back at their own personal moments, relationships, and people in their lives and rethink them.

The play is riddled with schadenfreude. It also allows people to laugh at the misfortunes of others. The characters are cruel, pitiful, conniving, and very wicked in their humor with each other. And in the end, they get what they deserve, so it’s rather fulfilling.

What do you hope to accomplish through this reading?

I’m really excited to be working with Kimberly Colburn as a dramaturg and Skyler Gray as a director. With their insight and theatrical expertise, they are helping me smooth out some of the imperfections in the script and make the structure more logically sound while bringing more depth to the characters. When I first approached this show, it was all about the plot. I knew what I wanted to happen, what to reveal, when and how I wanted to “trick” the audience, and how it would all come together. But the characters served more as tools to fulfill a plot. With my artistic team’s help, I’ve already started reshaping more dynamic characters, with more background and depth. Their guidance is showing me that what the characters reveal about themselves is just as important to the overall story.

What is the history of Three Steps Back?

I first thought of the concept of this play in 2007. I was in the middle of writing another play The Amazing Wedding Race, when an idea for what I thought was an “edgy” drama popped into my head. So I just sat down and started hammering it out. Within one night I had already written the first two acts. But I shelved the project, and in 2008 my computer crashed and I lost everything. In 2009, an opportunity to apply for East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Writers Institute came up, and so I knew I wanted to dig up this story again and work on it. Again, in one night I retyped the whole thing from memory. I would say it was exactly the same in plot points, but fluctuated in dialogue.

It was written as a drama, because I had already written a comedy with Amazing Wedding Race. In class, the instructor Prince Gomolvilas dropped the bomb, “Why don’t you turn this into a comedy?” And so I did, and it’s certainly better as a result. When I spoke to my Artists at Play cohorts about wanting to develop one of my plays, there was interest in reviving Three Steps Back. And now here we are.


Three Steps Back by Peter J. Kuo will be presented as part of Artists at Play's first reading series day on Sunday, March 24th. Get your tickets now!