THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE Makes Its LA Premiere at East West Players

East West Players (EWP), the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, continues its 46th Anniversary Season, themed Languages of Love, with the Los Angeles premiere of THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE by Julia Cho, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. The cast of the production will feature artists of diverse Asian backgrounds: Jennifer Chang, Kimiko Gelman, Nelson Mashita, Jeanne Sakata, and Ryun Yu.

Meet George, a linguist, a master of languages, who cannot express his love for his wife-and ends up losing her. Follow this whimsical and heartbreaking look at love and language that asks, "How do we save what is dying?" Winner of the 2010 Susan Blackburn Prize. THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE will run November 3 - December 4, 2011. The LANGUAGE ARCHIVE is presented by special arrangement with Dramatist Play Service, Inc., New York. Generous support for this production is provided by the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players.

"We are excited to continue our season with this emotion-filled play," says EWP Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang. "Previous productions have had non-Asian casts, but by casting Asian Americans in the roles, there is definitely a new perspective and poignancy that the play offers from a cultural standpoint."

Julia Cho'S (Playwright) plays include THE PIANO TEACHER, DURANGO, THE WINCHESTER HOUSE, BFE, THE ARCHITECTURE OF LOSS and 99 HISTORIES. Her work has been produced at The Public Theater, The Vineyard Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, South Coast Repertory, New York Theatre Workshop, East West Players, The Theatre@Boston Court, Theater Mu and Silk Road Theatre Project among others. Honors include the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Award, the Barrie Stavis Award, the Claire Tow Award for Emerging Artists and the L. Arnold Weissberger Award. An alumna of the Juilliard School and NYU's Graduate Dramatic Writing Program, Julia is a member of New Dramatists. Her plays are available from Dramatists Play Service and www.playscripts.com.

JESSICA KUBZANSKY (Director) is Co-Artistic Director of The Theatre @ Boston Court and an award-winning director working nationally at South Coast Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, The Geffen, Illinois Shakes, Portland Center Stage, The Aurora, etc. With EWP: Dawn's Light (also at Silk Road, Chicago). With Julia Cho: the development of 99 Histories and BFE, among others. At T@BC: Camino Real, Mother Courage, world premieres of Futura, Courting Vampires, Gulls, Bleed Rail, Unfinished American Highwayscape..., Light, Cold/Tender. Recently elsewhere: Breadcrumbs, Hamlet with Leo Marks, Winter's Tale (Theater 150), Tree (EST-LA [Inside the Ford]), Mauritius (Pasadena Playhouse). LADCC Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatre.

The design team consists of set designer Francois-Pierre Couture, lighting designer Jeremy Pivnick, costumer designer Soojin Lee, sound designer Bruno Louchouarn, and property master Michael O' Hara. The stage manager is Katherine E. Haan.

Additional support for this production of THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE is provided by the California Community Foundation, Shubert Foundation, LA County Board of Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and Bank of America.
All performances of THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE opens Wednesday, November 9, 2011 and closes on Sunday, December 4, 2011. Opening night will be accompanied by a pre-performance cocktail reception and a post show reception with the cast and creative team. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Previews are Thursday - Saturday November 3 - 5, at 8pm and Sunday, November 6 at 2pm. The Pay-What-You-Can Performance will be held Wednesday, November 23 at 8 pm with a suggested $5 minimum donation.

General Admission Tickets range from $31 - $41. Preview tickets are $20 for all seats. Please call theatre for opening night ticket availability and special event pricing. For ticket purchases or more information, please call East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or visit www.eastwestplayers.org. Senior, student and group discounts are available. Dates, prices, and details are subject to change.

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