Trieu Tran & Amy Shu Star In THE CHINESE LADY At Greenway Court

Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) and Artists at Play (Julia Cho, Stefanie Lau and Marie-Reine Velez, Producing Artistic Leaders) announced today that rehearsals are underway for the Los Angeles Premiere of Lloyd Suh's THE CHINESE LADY at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles).

Rebecca Wear (Lauren Yee's Samsara - Coeurage Theatre) directs the Los Angeles premiere featuring Amy Shu (Susan Soon's He Stanton's We, the Invisibles - Cal State L.A.) as "Afong Moy" and Trieu Tran (LADCC Nominated for "Alan Strang" in Equus - East West Players) as "Atung."

Performances play from September 5 - 29, 2019, with the official press opening on Saturday, September 7 at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue) in Los Angeles.

Inspired by the true story of America's first female Chinese immigrant, The Chinese Lady is a dark, poetic, yet whimsical portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman. Afong Moy (Shu) is 14 years old when she's brought to the United States from Canton in 1834. Allegedly the first Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil, she has been bought and put on display for the American public as "The Chinese Lady." For the next half a century, she performs for curious museum-goers, showing them how she eats, what she wears, and the highlight of the event: how she walks with bound feet. As the decades wear on, her celebrated sideshow comes to define and challenge her very sense of identity. The Chinese Lady blurs the line between the observed and the observer, and gives us new eyes on the history of American entitlement and immigration.

Named a New York Times Critic's Pick in November 2018, the Times said of The Chinese Lady, "Extraordinary play...piercing...heart-rending..." and "...gently comical drama..."

"Greenway is dedicated to presenting plays that represent Los Angeles' landscape, we believe it's important to provide a platform for diverse stories to be told," said Whitney Weston, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Greenway Arts Alliance.

Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Greenway Arts Alliance added, "Producing theater is expensive. It's critical that the theater community comes together to share resources and to present the best work possible. Artists at Play have a long history of great work and we are pleased to welcome them, along with their audience, to Greenway Court Theatre."

"Artists at Play aims to add new narratives and stories to Los Angeles theatre, and we're thrilled to partner with Greenway Arts Alliance. After spending more than a year searching for the right play to collaborate on, it will be a joy to see The Chinese Lady and its personal, intimate portrait of Afong Moy on the Greenway stage," said Stefanie Lau, Producing Artistic Leader of Artists at Play.

Rebecca Wear, director of THE CHINESE LADY shared, "In yet another news week where the President has mocked Asian leaders in a derogatory accent, it is vital to learn Afong's story, the first recorded Chinese woman to set foot in America. Though Afong was almost lost to history, her experiences are more prescient than ever, and I am thrilled to dig into Lloyd Suh's intricate and compelling work along with the luminous cast and team we've assembled. By fearlessly presenting Afong Moy's past in this current moment, Suh invites us to consider how cultural expectations shape our conceptions of the future and our understandings of the self."

Joining Wear,THE CHINESE LADY creative team also includes: Set and Property Design by Austin Kottkamp; Costume Design by Hyun Soon Kim; Lighting Design by Wesley Charles Chew; and Sound Design by Jesse Mandapat.

THE CHINESE LADY will play at Greenway Court Theatre, 544 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 from September 5 - 29, 2019; with the official press opening on Saturday, September 7 at 8:00 p.m. Preview performances are on Thursday, September 5 at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m. All preview tickets are $15 with general admission seating. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Regular ticket prices are $34 with general admission seating. Special discount prices include: senior (65+) and student tickets for $25. All discounted tickets are general admission seating. Tickets are available online at GreenwayCourtTheatre.org/TheChineseLady. For more information call 323-673-0544 or visit GreenwayCourtTheatre.org. Free parking is available in the Fairfax High School parking lot on Fairfax and Clinton, directly adjacent to the theatre.

Since its 1997 inception, the Greenway Arts Alliance has united communities through the arts, education and social enterprise. Through Greenway Court Theatre's professional theatre productions, Greenway Institute for the Arts' education programs and the Melrose Trading Post's weekly art-based open market, Greenway Arts Alliance builds a vibrant artistic community in the heart of Los Angeles. GAA has modeled an innovative partnership with the Fairfax High School campus to leverage community resources to connect the professional artistic and public education communities around a commitment to learning and creation in the arts. Greenway Arts Alliance was Co-Founded by artists-activists Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, both of whom serve as Co-Artistic Directors for the organization.

Artists at Play is a collective of Asian American creative professionals who curate quality theatre in Los Angeles. Their artistic programming tells the stories of communities underrepresented in media and entertainment, with a focus on the Asian American experience. Through Artists at Play's mainstage productions, new play development and other events, they advocate for and collaborate with diverse communities of artists. Founded in 2011, Artists at Play's productions have achieved box office success and critical acclaim including "Critics' Choice" by numerous news outlets, and earned Ovation Recommendations and a GLAAD Media Award nomination. Artists at Play has developed artistic partnerships with Center Theatre Group, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, East West Players, The Latino Theater Company and The Comedy Comedy Festival. They have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, KPCC, Angry Asian Man, Hyphen Magazine and @This Stage Magazine, among others. Artists at Play is a member of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists.

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