Horse Trade to Present Spookfish Theatre's THE ABC'S GUIDE TO GETTING FAMOUS, 1/16-19

Horse Trade Theater Group will present Spookfish Theatre Company's critically acclaimed theatrical documentary, The ABC's Guide to Getting Famous written by Ming Peiffer, directed by Kat Yen, and featuring Sai Somboon (Sleep No More). The show will play The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery) for a limited engagement, Thursday, January 16, Friday, January 17, Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19 at 8pm. Tickets ($18; $15 students & seniors) are available online at www.horseTRADE.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Part documentary and part solo-show, The ABC's Guide To Getting Famous is a raw satire that investigates the real lives of Asian American artists trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Funny, heartbreaking, and, at times, downright offensive, this hybrid film/theater piece is an honest investigation of race in casting.

"What the FringeNYC Festival is all about, at its best. By intercutting a satirical solo performance with earnest documentary-style interviews, co-creators, writer Ming Peiffer and director Kat Yen, pack a solid double punch in their first FringeNYC show." nytheatre.com

"Any fan of New York theater, large or small, and anyone who enjoys pondering knotty questions should see this show. Ms Peiffer argues, convincingly, for a more inclusive culture created by minorities working together, a vision which is much more American than the system she is struggling against." The Local East Village
"Ming Peiffer and Kat Yen's messy, brilliant new show...combines elements of documentary, anthropology, and old skool agit prop to represent the plight of the Asian-American actor in New York." Cultural Capital

MING PEIFFER (Playwright) is a critically acclaimed playwright based in NYC and a current Columbia University MFA Playwriting Candidate ('16). Works include: The ABC's Guide To Getting Famous (FringeNYC, The Red Room), Pornography For The People (HERE Arts Center, Kraine Theater, Theater for the New City), ADVANCE GUARD (The Kraine Theater), RELAX! ALICE (June Havoc Theater, Nominated for 5 Midtown International Theater Awards including "Outstanding New Script"), WABI SABI! Not Wasabi (Theater For The New City, described by the New York Times as "Aware...")The Privilege of Death (Co-Writer, Gene Frankel Theater). Ming was 1 of 6 female playwrights selected for New Perspectives Theater Company's 2012-2013 Women's Work Project where she developed the play CEREAL, and a Guest Artist at the Lincoln Center Director's Lab (Summer 2013). Upcoming plays include: #cerulean (Columbia Stages), and HEAVEN WAS HERE (The Wild Project).

KAT YEN (Director) is the Co-Artistic Director and Resident Director of Spookfish Theatre Company as well as a Resident Director at The Flea Theater. Recent NYC directing credits include (all World Premieres with Spookfish): Advance Guard (Horse Trade), Pornography for the People (Theater for the New City, The Kraine, HERE Arts), The ABC's Guide to Getting Famous (The Red Room, C.O.W. Theater - FringeNYC), Relax! Alice (UNDER St. Marks, June Havoc Theater), WABI SABI! Not Wasabi (Theater for the New City). Other projects by Kat include Homeless Kitty, a guerilla puppet show performed on NYC subways. She is also a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. SPOOKFISH THEATRE COMPANY is a group of diverse young artists committed to making inventive and explosively theatrical artwork that exposes underlying issues concerning self-identity and the human condition that are continually underrepresented or misrepresented in our society. By providing a multicultural lens through artistic collaboration in which mixed media and original text serve as the forefront, we explore issues of race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economics with a unique style and voice that challenges audiences to explore their own volatile worldview.

As multi-ethnic theatre artists, we believe in exploring our art as a true reflection of the world we live in, and thus, actively seek gender and race equality concerning our casting, subject matter, and hiring opportunities.

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work that has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade's Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York - the first and only festival of its kind in New York City. In 2011 Horse Trade received the New York Innovative Theatre Ellen Stewart Stewardship Award for demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.