Pan Asian Repertory Theatre to Present World Premiere of CITIZEN WONG

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre has announced, today, the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Citizen Wong, a new play by Richard Chang, Co-Directed by Ernest Abuba (Kwatz! The Tibetan Project) and Chongren Fan (The Emperor's Nightingale). The six-member cast will feature Bonnie Black, Shing Chung, Scott Klavan, Nick Jordan, Whit K. Lee(/people/Whit-K-Lee/) & Malka Wallick. The world premiere engagement is set to begin performances on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 and will continue through Sunday, May 1, 2022 at Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street). Official Opening is set for Sunday afternoon, April 17, 2022 at 2:30pm.

Citizen Wong, set in the 1870s-90s, introduces Wong Chin Foo, the pioneering 19th century activist and journalist known as "the first Chinese American" who tirelessly championed the rights of Chinese in America in a time of deep racial animus relevant to the current situation of renewed animosity. Epic themes from the Gilded Age are reflected in Wong's fictional romance with the liberal minded daughter of a railroad tycoon-politician inspired by the real life Leland Stanford. Other historical characters include the Irish-born labor leader Denis Kearney, socialite Alva Vanderbilt and "citizen" Wong Kim Ark, to re- examine Asian and American collision and co-existence. The world premiere engagement commemorates Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May.

Playwright Richard Chang stated "Citizen Wong is an unusual blend of genres developed organically, extending the spirit of the 19th century forerunner of social justice Wong Chin Foo, a Gilded Age pioneer who wielded pen and pulpit to fight the first U.S. law to ban any race from the country, and claim the rightful place for Chinese Americans in New York's Chinatown to America today." He added, "I wanted to tell a story to make people laugh and cry, and to care for this flawed hero and his dreams." He closed by saying, "As anti-Asian bigotry and xenophobia resurfaces, I hope that Wong's vision and words will help us to transcend tribalism and become the "more perfect union" conceived by our founding fathers."

The creative design team includes Set by You-Shin Chen (Acquittal), Costumes by Karen Boyer (Romulus the Great), Lights by Leslie Smith (Acquittal, No-No Boy), Sound by Joseph Wolfslau (Romulus the Great), and Projections by Lacey Erb (Matilda). The Stage Management team is Kristine Schlachter and Sabrina Morabito.

Citizen Wong will play the following performance schedule: Tuesday - Saturday at 7:00pm; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm.

Tickets for Citizen Wong are priced at $60 with Student Tickets at $25. $30 Rush Tickets are available at the Box Office 1 hour prior to the performance. Beginning March 1, tickets may be purchased by visiting Ovation Tix online at ovationtix.com.

GROUP SALES: Tickets for Groups of 10+ are priced $45. Reservations made be made by visiting Ovation Tix online at ovationtix.com, or by calling the Pan Asian office at (212) 868-4030, or via email at info@panasianrep.org.

For more information about Pan Asian Rep, visit www.panasianrep.org.