Play Review: Fayette Nam
July 2, 2009
By Annie Chan
Aurorae Khoo’ new dark comedy Fayette Nam is a rare gem, bridging cross-cultural barriers with a grace every American should observe.
The play features a first generation Chinese immigrant mother and her rebellious pyromaniac, ivy-league bound daughter’s love triangle with a young black soldier gone AWOL before he’s deported to Iraq. Their triangle love affair is the strongest mechanism used to keep the audience in their seats for these three characters’ intimate pursuit to resolve this complex relationship.
Lisa Kang, who plays the mother, pulls off an amazing portrayal of the southern belle. Kathleen Mendoza’s role is over exaggerated at times leaving audience to question her direction in the play. Jon Gentry’s representation as an Oakland native and young soldier gone AWOL lacked refinement but he manages to capture the innocence of a boy not yet a man. Kenneth Ronquillo’s small role as a mama’s boy is a well-portrayed key element of the play, representing the love and courage the other main character’s seek.
Khoo effectively challenges her audience to answer her question: “Will they discover what they are each looking for before it’s too late?” Fayette Nam’s trailer doesn’t do half the justice they should deserves. This play is a diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered.
The play is running now until July 11 at the Thick House, 1695 18th Street. For more information call 415-401-8081 or visit www.thickhouse.org
Dance Benefit for Asian Women’s Shelter
July 2, 2009
Hawaiian comedian Andy Bumatai and popular local band PULSE will be performing at the “Friends Reunited” 2nd Annual Dance to benefit the Asian Women’s Shelter. This event will be on Saturday, August 8, 2009, 8:00pm – 12:00am, at Hotel Kabuki, 1625 Post St. San Francisco.
The Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS) was founded in 1988 to provide immediate crisis services to domestic violence survivors and children, especially those who are immigrants and refugees. AWS connects these women and children to legal, medical, and long-term services, and has provided thousands of shelter bed nights to them. 100% of women and children improve their nutrition and health while residing at AWS. AWS is committed to every person’s right to live in a violence-free home. Please support and join us in creating a future free from violence.
Andy Bumatai is a Hawaii based comedian and actor. Bumatai has recorded a number of comedy albums. His first album won a Hoku award for “Most Promising Artist” and he went on to win three more for “Best Comedy Performance”. He is currently Executive Producer of Nighttime Productions, and produces and stars in his own Hawaii based online talk show, “The Andy Bumatai Show”.
The talented PULSE band started in S.F. Japantown over 25 years ago, and is still going strong playing Funk, R&B and Rock music. They are a favorite at Bay Area community events and clubs. PULSE remains true to its goal of providing exciting music with veteran musicians Billy Shen on guitar, Carey Huang on keyboards, Derrick Tong on bass, Arthur Wong on drums, and vocalists Mel Banez, Eva Chew, and Cris Dumandan-Garcia.
An AWS former resident says it best, “Since the first day I moved to AWS my world has turned from darkness, paranoia, and fear into a better life. No longer do my children and I have to cry. Now the three of us have only smiles, music, and laughter. We have learned more about human rights, law, communal living, and language. We have a second chance in life.”
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to buy tickets or sponsorships, please call June Wong at 415-271-3290 or email June at AWSdance@yahoo.com.
Tim Dang, Producing Artistic Director of EWP, Receives Irvine Leadership Award
June 29, 2009
East West Players in Los Angeles is the nation’s oldest professional theater of color in operation today. An estimated 75 percent of Los Angeles-based Asian American dramatic artists have made a presence there, including Tony Award winning B.D. Wong, Star Trek star George Takei and the Indian-American actor and House co-star, Kal Penn.
But its greatest achievements of the last decade, under the leadership of artistic director Tim Dang, have had less to do with star power on stage than with the people watching them. Dang has guided East West Players’ evolution from a 99-seat experimental theater into a full-fledged regional theater, based in a 240-seat venue. East West Players has become a multicultural hub, where diverse audiences come together for thought-provoking performances reflecting a broad spectrum of human experience.
Dang is expanding the public’s understanding of “Asian American” culture by providing a stage for Vietnamese, South Asian, Korean and Japanese American characters, among others. Dang also has infused diverse perspectives into old theater standbys such as his hip-hop and anime-inspired production of Pippin. Dang’s emerging playwrights contest has shined a spotlight on new and diverse talent within the community.
From his perspective, the theater must evolve as new generations are less tied to traditional lines of identity. After a production about the marriage of a Japanese American woman and an African American man, played by Danny Glover, biracial couples told Dang they’d never been so comfortable holding hands in public as they did in the East West Players’ courtyard. Through such productions and efforts to partner with non-Asian theaters and artists, Dang provides a space for dialogue and collaborations that reflect the multicultural population of California.
Dang also creates opportunities for socializing among his multicultural audience, nearly half of whom are non-Asian. One successful strategy has been his implementation of social hours before performances that feature music, drinks, food and the opportunity to discuss cultural themes. Under Dang’s leadership, East West Players has brought theater to diverse student groups, both through a touring company and intensive school workshops, aimed at bridging the gap among students of different racial backgrounds.
Dang is currently preparing for a 2011 national conference of Asian American theater groups, the second he has helped organize. Through such convenings, he hopes to inspire new partnerships that will expand possibilities for and exposure to Asian American theater.
For increasing understanding of and appreciation for California’s diversity and creating new opportunities for Asian American artists, Tim Dang is a recipient of a 2009 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.
Quest Crew Wows San Francisco Clubgoers
June 26, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO - Clad in purple, the seven cute and stylish members of Quest Crew - the winners of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew season 3, strut on to the dance floor of Club NV eliciting a frenzy of flashes from the audience’s digital cameras and cell phones.
The boys sprawl on the ground and gracefully rise at the sound of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” kicking off an energetic five minute hip hop routine full of head spins, handstands, and other highlights from the show.
Quest Crew’s special performance was organized by CenterStage, a new promotions company focused on providing unique, upscale ages 18 and up events within the Bay Area.
“Quest Crew is the hottest performance crew in the U.S., and as CenterStage is gunning for the title of best 18+ entertainment group in San Francisco, it was a natural pairing,” said Kingston Wu, CenterStage founder.
Prior to their performance the popular group from one of TV’s hottest shows, hosted a meet and greet, signing autographs and posing for pictures with adoring fans on June 19.
While previous America’s Best Dance Crew winners - JabbaWockeeZ and Super CR3W featured Asian members, Quest Crew on Mar. 5, became the first dance group to feature all members of Asian descent. Hokuto “Hok” Konishi and Steve Terada are Japanese, Ryan Feng is Taiwanese, Victor Kim is Korean, Ryan Conferrido is Filipino, Brian Hirano is Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese, Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval is Filipino, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.
Formed in 2005, the crew has been working together with Quest Learning Center, a community facility located in Artesia, CA. Out of their desire to represent and promote the multi-purpose center which provides tutoring sessions, music lessons, dance classes, and social events, the group decided to name themselves Quest, says Feng.
The boys of Quest are no strangers to television. Conferrido, Konishi, Terada, Kim, and Sandoval all appeared on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, with Conferrido becoming a finalist in season one and Konishi and Sandoval reaching the finals in the third season. Crew members each have substantial dance experience and have appeared on music videos, stage shows, movies, and television. Terada, notably, is an internationally acclaimed martial artist with nearly 30 world titles and says a lot of martial arts elements are relevant dance.
“We all have worked as dancers individually and it was always a dream for us to work together on a show like America’s Best Dance Crew,” said Feng, in an interview at Horizon Restaurant and Lounge prior to their club performance.
That dream came true this past January. During the two month competition, the crew consistently did well garnering praise from judges JC Chasez, Lil’ Mama, and Shane Sparks.
“When [host] Mario Lopez announced our names as the winners it was an out of body experience,” recalls Kim. “It was definitely one of the highlights of my life.”
Terada says that Asian males have long been portrayed in mainstream media as being “nerdy” and he is glad that the success of America’s Best Dance Crew has helped created a positive and “cool” image of Asian Americans.
Since winning the competition and the $100,000 grand prize, the group has been performing throughout the country and the entire crew is set to appear in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, due to be released on Christmas 2009. Konishi and Kim are also set to appear in the upcoming film Boogie Town.
For those aspiring to be dancers, Konishi advises, “if you love what you’re doing, never give up, keep going and you’ll get there.”
East West Players Creative Play program for children 10 - 14
June 24, 2009
East West Players, the nation’s premier Asian American theater, opens its doors once again to young growing artists. The Creative Play program offers children ages 10 - 14 an opportunity to develop strong teamwork skills, build self-confidence and help stretch their imagination.
“There are so many children who need a safe environment to allow them to express themselves freely and creatively,” says Arts Education Director Marilyn Tokuda. “By participating in group exercises and interacting with other children, they develop team building skills and confidence. Creative Play is the perfect playground to allow them to not only learn but to have fun. It’s been really rewarding seeing several of our students grow not only creatively but on a personal level.”
The classes, taught by working professional artists, Marilyn Tokuda & Kerry Carnahan, will focus on improvisation, movement and basic singing skills.
The Creative Play program will be held August 10 - 14, 2009 with classes Monday - Friday from 10 am - 2 pm at East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Theater located at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in the Little Tokyo District of Downtown Los Angeles. After four days of workshops, the week culminates into a live demonstration for friends & family during the final hour of class on the fifth day. The program fee is $300 per student. Special discounts are available for siblings who enroll together. For more information about Creative Play, contact Arts Education Director Marilyn Tokuda at mtokuda@eastwestplayers.org or (213) 625-7000 x15.
World Premiere of “Fayette Nam”
June 18, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO - Celebrating its 36th Anniversary Year, the Asian American Theater Company (www.asianamericantheater.org) proudly announces its world premiere production of “Fayette-Nam,” a new play by Aurorae Khoo, at the Thick House, 1695 18th Street, San Francisco, from June 25 through July 11, 2009.
Khoo’s dark comedy takes place on one fateful night in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on the fringes of the US Army Base known as “Fayette-Nam.” A young African American soldier (Jon Gentry) goes AWOL on the eve of being deployed to Iraq and hides out with the Asian American woman (Lisa Kang) who runs the army town’s donut and eggroll shop—only to discover that the woman’s Goth-punk daughter (Kathleen Mendoza) is holing up at the shop as well, after having just burned down the dorm of her Ivy League college in New York.
Fresh Meat Festival Features Bold Transgender and Queer Performance
June 17, 2009
By Dia Vergados
On Thursday June 18th, the nation’s best and boldest transgender and queer performers will kick off the 8th annual Fresh Meat Festival. This year’s Festival lineup includes some of the nation’s finest Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT artists including Taiko Ren, D’Lo and Ryka Aoki de la Cruz.
The Fresh Meat Festival is an annual festival of transgender and queer performance - the first and only event of its kind in the nation. The Fresh Meat Festival has received national attention for its cutting-edge lineup and standing-room-only audiences - and for its celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community.
This year, Fresh Meat is bringing its biggest lineup ever to Project Artaud Theater from June 18-21. Artists from the leading edge meet artists on the cutting edge: from taiko to roots rock, ballroom to hip hop, freestyle to folk, this year’s Festival offers a top-notch roster of transgender and queer trailblazers. Sri Lankan, Japanese American, Appalachian and Mexican-American voices come together in the acclaimed Festival that is still the only event of its kind in North America.
Fresh Meat Productions’ Artistic Director Sean Dorsey curated this special lineup and says, “We really pushed ourselves this year to find the best of the best, the trailblazers and the history-makers. You won’t find a lineup like this anywhere else.” Read more
Quest Crew To Perform in S.F.
June 16, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO - Quest Crew, the adorable and talented winners of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew season 3 - will be making a special appearance in San Francisco on Friday June 19 to perform for CenterStage, a new ages 18 and up promotions company.
The popular group from one of TV’s hottest shows will be hosting a meet and greet, followed by a choreographed as well as freestyle dance performance shortly before midnight at Club NV located at 525 Howard St.
The members: Steven Terada, Victor Kim, Brian Hirano, Ryan Conferrido, Ryan Feng, Hok, and D-Trix each have substantial professional dance experience, performing on television shows like So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol to touring with the likes of Gloria Estefan and Sheila E.
Their rare local performance is organized by CenterStage, a new promotions company focused on providing unique, upscale ages 18 and up events within the Bay Area. The company is mainly staffed by undergrads from Berkeley and SF State. Their events will feature popular DJs and unique performance by Bay Area and nationally recognized artists.
For more about Quest Crew visit http://www.questcrew.com. For more about CenterStage visit http://www.sfcenterstage.com.
31st Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
June 10, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO– From the temples of India to the village squares of Mexico, the 31st Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival is your first class ticket to an unforgettable journey around the world. San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts comes to vivid life in a swirl of sublime gesture, exuberant energy, and soul-stirring rhythms as 37 companies representing dance traditions from more than 20 cultures and featuring more than 500 of Northern California’s most acclaimed dancers and musicians take to the stage Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on June 13 & 14; 20 & 21; 27 & 28, 2009 with a special Gala hosted by the legendary Rita Moreno on Saturday, June 13 at 6 p.m.
Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha!
May 27, 2009
What is that? A new candy or power bar? Well, it’s something of a musical version of that. Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha is the title of the new Random Ninjas EP by the band that makes a name for itself by bringing hard-to-categorize sounds to the ears of unsuspecting listeners—ninja style. This new 5 song EP is not for those in the mood for some boring, monotone, mono-genre music where you can’t tell where one song ends and the next one begins. For those of us tired of the same old same and looking for a little more spice and originality in music, this new recording is definitely a breath of fresh air.
Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha is planned for release sometime in May 2009, and the first song, Madness, is already available for a full listen on their My Space. This particular piece is able to transition from slow to fast and from hard to soft in the blink of an eye while staying integrated at the same time. Its hyperactive pace captures the essence of this song’s lyrics about an obsessive addiction to the game Scrabble while showing off the strength and agility of the lead vocalist Soozanna and the back up vocals of bassist Agent Katchu.
Tomorrow is an inspirational piece about not letting old dreams die, and the overall ambience of the piece is hopeful. Musically, it is probably the easiest listen for cross-over fans of other genres, but it sticks out from the crowd because it has a wonderfully catchy drum track that sounds electronic but is actually organically recorded, a testament to the skill of their drummer, Caliginous Ninja.
Yellow Number 5 starts out with something totally unexpected in an American heavy rock band—a taiko drum played by the group’s taiko drummer, The Yusuke. This initial percussion sounds like a traditional Chinese dance beat that is followed by thoroughly surprising yet pleasant smooth jazzy guitars courtesy of lead guitarist Full Metal Ninja. It’s a danceable incorporation of what were once disparate sounds.
Virus is reminiscent of a late night drive in the city, aurally highlighting the possibility that jazz grooviness can indeed blend with heavy metal guitars. Lyrically, it cleverly captures the real fears of our modern society threatened with new diseases, pandemics and biological warfare while at the same time maintaining a metaphorical mood which allows for multiple interpretations.
Breakaway allows you to feel the full force and range of lead singer, Soozanna, as you hear her volubly climbing those scales, and just when you expect her to drop the note, she takes it to the top with an attack deserving of the ninja name. Lyrically, the song captures the cold and harsh reality that hits when you first take that step out to face things on your own.
Random Ninjas will be hitting SOCAL ROCK REVOLUTION 2009, a music festival sponsored by KROQ and held at the Irvine Lake. There’s no news that the new EP will be available there, but fans have got their fingers crossed! www.randomninjas.com
Real life hero from “Heroes” honored on Asian Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
May 22, 2009
Los Angeles - Actor James Kyson Lee, who plays “Ando” on NBC’s “Heroes”, was called a real-life hero May 19, for encouraging members of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities to get tested for HIV.
Lee was just one of the honorees at the 5th Annual Asian and Pacific Islander National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Luncheon in Los Angeles. He received the “Unsung Hero Award” for serving as the national spokesperson for the Banyan Tree Project.
“He plays a hero on television, but James Kyson Lee is a real-life hero for helping erase the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS in our Asian and Pacific Islander communities,” said Jury Candelario, executive director of the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT).
Also honored at the luncheon was Stephen Simon, AIDS Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles. Martha Chono-Helsley, Executive Director of REACH LA presented Simon with the 2009 Banyan Tree Project “Public Health Leadership Award.”
Additionally, the Banyan Tree Project honored “IMRU,” the long-running gay and lesbian radio show on KPFK. Rita Gonzales, executive director and co-host, accepted the 2009 Banyan Tree Project “Media Award” on behalf of the show.
The Banyan Tree Project, a community program supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local HIV and AIDS outreach organizations across the United States, commemorates national Asian Pacific Islander HIV Awareness Day annually.
Candelario said the goal of the Banyan Tree Project is to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination in Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities that delays or prevents access to critical HIV prevention and care services.
“HIV/AIDS continues to spread in communities of color, including Asians and Pacific Islanders,” he said. “Among A&PIs as a population, AIDS diagnoses increased by 34 percent from 1999 to 2003 in the United States; the only statistically significant increases in HIV/AIDS diagnoses among all racial groups in the US, with A&PI women having the largest increase of all.”
Photo Caption: (Pictured from left to right) Stephen Simon, LA City AIDS Coordinator; Rita Gonzales, “IMRU” Radio Host; Tamlyn Tomita, Mistress of Ceremonies; James Kyson Lee, Actor; and Jury Candelario, APAIT Division Director.
Fast As Nascars, Iced like J’s Cars
May 14, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — Although our passion for auto-powered goods may have run out of steam, J’s Gathering suggests our soft spot for fully-loaded import cars and ice cream paint jobs has accelerated. Year-in-year out, J’s Gathering brings fans from across the state for the Asian Heritage Street Celebration to honor the “Tuner Community” Asian Americans helped forge. Read more