Pan Asian Rep Opens 'Missing Woman' Tonight, 4/7

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in association with The Institute for Vietnamese Culture & Education (IVCE) announces the North American premiere of THE MISSING WOMAN, a Vietnamese folk tale examining the lives of women in Vietnamese society.  Written and directed by Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc and music by TRAN Vuong Thach and Hai Phuong, THE MISSING WOMAN is performed in Vietnamese with English narration and plays April 2nd - April 12th at the West End Theater, 263 West 86th St. Opening night is Monday, April 7th at 7:30 PM. For more information please visit www.PanAsianRep.org.
 
In THE MISSING WOMAN, an artist's renderings of historical Vietnamese heroines materialize after the painter's wife leaves him for a better life.  Through narrative, music and dance the painter journeys through legendary fables discovering the endurance and contributions Vietnamese women have made for their lovers and their country. 
 
The cast includes award-winning Vietnamese actors Thanh Loc (Painter), Hai Phuong (Wife), My Hang (Woman from Painting), Ngoc Dang (Lady General/Fox Woman), and writer/director NGUYEN Thi Ming Ngoc (Mother); as well as LE Leon and veteran Pan Asian Rep actor TRAN Thuc Hanh (Poet). The scenic and costume designs are by Kim B; with lighting design by Joyce Liao and production coordination by Elis C. Arroyo. 
 
"We are thrilled to host the North American premiere of The Missing Woman at the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre," said artistic director, Tisa Chang.  "It's a rare moment for New York theatre to have a work that shows the beauty and mystery of Vietnamese culture."
 
Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc (Writer, Director, Mother) is a writer, theatre director, playwright, filmmaker, and educator. She graduated with a degree in Theatre, specializing in directing and actors' training from the Film & Theatre College of Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen has also been trained in traditional acting at the Tran Huu Trang Theatre. At the Ho Chi Minh City College of Theatre and Cinema, Nguyen has taught acting and drama. Along with the pen name Ngoc Minh, Nguyen co-founded the Experimental Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City.  Her prolific body of work includes 70 traditional and contemporary plays, 30 screenplays (including documentary and feature films), as well as a few essays about theatre and Vietnamese traditional opera. Nguyen has attended numerous festivals and symposiums to write and research about theatre and education in Australia, England, France, Germany, Tanzania, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the U.S. In 2004, Vietnamese television voted her as the "Face of Theatre." In writing, Nguyen's desire is to help those who cannot express themselves and to present a correct understanding of the present for later generations. At the Vietnamese International Film Festival 2007, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc recently presented Living in Fear, a film in which she co-wrote the screenplay.
 
Thanh Loc (Husband) was born in 1961 in Ho Chi Minh City into a family with an artistic tradition.
He is the son of People's Artist Thanh Ton and Huynh Mai, a classical drama artist.  At 8, Loc became familiar with the stage when he joined a dancing troupe of the City Children's House, and later joining the children's drama troupe of HCMC Television.  Over the past two decades Loc has performed on large or small stages, and at television studios, in hundreds of roles in plays for adults and children, in foreign theatrical works and in performances arranged from Vietnamese fairy tales, becoming a familiar and popular artist to all theatre-lovers.  Thanh Loc has won the Best Drama Actor award at the HCMC Television station's HTV Awards, which aims to honor local artists who have made a great contribution to cultural development.  In recent-years, Loc has become known not only as an excellent stage actor but also as Deputy Director of Thai Duong Art and Stage Company Ltd.
 
Hai Phuong (Wife) became acquainted with the Dan Tranh (zither) at the age of five and was admitted to the Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City two years later. After nine years of study she passed her Dan Tranh Diploma and her Superior Diploma five years later. A "Silver Medalist" at Ho Chi Minh City's 1989 Festival of Singers, Dancers and Professional Musicians. She won first prize at the Vietnamese National Young Talent Competition in 1992 on the Dan Tranh, and for her interpretation of new compositions. Hai Phuong has performed in many concerts in Japan, China, Thai Land, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, among others. Besides, her CD with Prof. Tran Van Khe, recorded in 1993 in Paris, was awarded a special prize; judged by prestige musician group of the world. Hai Phuong got married in Sep 2000 and had her first daughter in May 2004.  She is currently a teacher of Tranh Zither at the HCMC Conservatory.
 
Tisa Chang (Artistic Director) is a performer, director and producer, and founded Pan Asian Repertory Theatre to empower Asian American artists and to expand the repertoire of American Theatre. Directing highlights include the recent recreation of The Joy Luck Club by Susan Kim based on the novel by Amy Tan; Rashomon by Fay & Michael Kanin which was invited to the Havana Theatre Festival in 2003, Cambodia Agonistes the opera-theatre work which toured to Egypt and South Africa and the benchmark bilingual production of A Midsummer Night's Dream for  Ellen Stewart's La MaMa Chinese Theatre Group. Honors include: Lifetime Achievement Award from OCA L.I. Chapter and 1991 Medal of Distinction from Barnard College. She is on the Executive Board of SSDC, the union of stage directors & choreographers.
 
In 2007 the PAN ASIAN REPERTORY THEATRE celebrated a 30th anniversary milestone as the premiere producer of Asian American theatre, East of the Rockies, with a New York season, international and national touring and expanded Educational Programs. Pan Asian Rep is renown for intercultural productions, which provide unique opportunities for its Senior Artist ensemble core working with the next generation of younger actors, to uphold the highest standards of professional theatre. 2007 began a cycle of Masterpiece Seasons including iconic works from the repertoire, The Joy Luck Club, as well as the upcoming Shogun Macbeth. 

THE MISSING WOMAN runs April 2nd - April 12th at the West End Theater (263 West 86th).  Opening night is Monday, April 7th at 7:30PM.   Via Subway, take the 1 train to 86th St. **Performances are Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinees Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6th at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $20-40. Senior tickets are $30. Student tickets are $20. For tickets, call Theatermania at (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com. Discounted rates available for groups of 15 or more are available by calling 212-868-4030.
 
STUDENT MATINEES: School matinee is available for booking on Thursday, April 3rd at 11:00AM. For bookings or more information, call (212) 868-4030 or e-mail PanAsian@aol.com.