Oct. 10th – Nov. 5th 2016
BAGYÓ
By Rob Dario
Dramaturgy by Kim Tran
Directed by Bridgette Loriaux
A daughter is left adrift by the choices of a father on an island where suddenly everything is a mirage. The discovery of hidden ‘Others’ forces her to question her own history and the truth about the only world she’s ever known. Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Bagyó (Tagalog for storm) explores the power of myth, the bravery of personal discovery, and the puzzle of belonging.
CAST
Grace Ng / Míranda
Wes Gabrillo / Iwaski
Soren Santos / Danny
Marsha Dimalanta / Sister
Jennifer Jovez / Sister
Richard Bunker / Palarin
Krystle Piamonte / Mamai
Ed Berkeley / Lintik
DESIGN
Noelle Viñas / Scenic Designer
Kevin Myrick / Lighting Designer
Lorin King / Sound Designer
Brittany White / Properties Designer
Miyuki Bierlein/ Costume Designer
PRODUCTION
Selina Ramirez / Stage Manager
Nov. 21st – Dec. 18th 2016
VS.
By Cleavon Smith
Music by Stephanie Prentice and Reggie White
Dramaturgy by Maryam Obaidullah Baig
Directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka
During America’s revolutionary war, many fought with a motive the history books left out: liberty to slaves. VS., a folk-operetta, examines the story of Colonel Tye, a black man who escaped slavery and then joined the British to fight against the colonial patriots; the very people who enslaved him. Through Tye’s journey of defining identity, VS. sheds light on the cultural conflicts of our day, the legacy of black exploitation and the right to revolution for all.
CAST
Edward Ewell / Tye
Cameron Matthews / Salem
Tierra Allen / Tilly
KT Masala / Martha
Terry Rucker / Adjutant, Guitar
Juliet Heller / Sarah
ORCHESTRATIONS
Olive Mitra / Music Director
Grace Renaud / Vocal Arrangements
Brendan West / Charts
DESIGN
Nina Ball / Scenic Designer
Kevin Myrick / Lighting Designer
Kristoffer Barrera / Sound Designer
Brittany White/ Properties Designer
Jessica Gallegos/ Costume Designer
PRODUCTION
Ellen Boener / Stage Manager
Camden Daly / Production Assistant, Piano
Feb. 27th – March 25th 2017
BENEATH THE TALL TREE
By Adrienne Walters and Jeffrey Lo
Dramaturgy by Oona Hatton
Directed by Joy Carlin
Caught in the anti-Japanese prejudice of WWII and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s executive order 9066, Frederick Tetsuo Fujikawa, a teenage Japanese American boy, was forced from his Palo Alto home to an internment camp away from the rest of the country. Before the government imposed relocation, Fred decided to bury the family samurai sword in the backyard. To this day the sword has not been found. Beneath the Tall Tree is the story of what happens when his Fred’s archaeologist granddaughter decides to dig up her grandfather’s history and look for a connection to her culture that she fears she’s lost.
CAST
Adrienne Walters / Cass
Bonnie Akimoto / Fowler / Mom
Lucas Brandt / Tom
Sam Stark / Tetsuo
DESIGN
Randy Wong – Westbrooke / Scenic Designer
Stephanie Anne Johnson / Lighting Designer
Kevin Myrick/ Sound Designer
Devon LaBelle / Properties Designer
Miyuki Bierlein/ Costume Designer
PRODUCTION
Kristoffer Barrera / Stage Manager
May 22nd – June 17th
HELA
By Lauren Gunderson and Geetha Reddy
Dramaturgy by Lisa Marie Rollins
Directed by Evren Odcikin
HeLa, will evoke and explore the story of Henrietta Lacks, the African-American woman whose hard life and young death produced the most powerful line of immortal cells the world has ever seen. This lyrical theatrical mash up will explore the science, legacy, tragedy, poetry, and universal truths that one woman’s story and biology can offer the world.
CAST
Jeunée Simon / Henrietta
Desiree Rogers / Deborah
Khary Moye / Ensemble
Sarah Mitchell / Ensemble
Akemi Okamura / Ensemble
Richard Pallaziol / Ensemble
DESIGN
Bailey Hikawa / Scenic Designer
Stephanie Anne Johnson / Lighting Designer
Kevin Myrick / Sound Designer
Devon Labelle / Properties Designer
Maggie Whitaker / Costume Designer
PRODUCTION
Salim Razawi / Rehearsal Stage Manager
Ellen Boener / Performance Stage Manager
Kate Logan / Sound Technician
Diego Peña / Production Assistant
Tim Pham / Production Assistant