THE SHANGHAI GESTURE Comes To The Mirror Rep 4/21

The Mirror Repertory Company will present John Colton's THE SHANGHAI GESTURE, an epic story of love and revenge -- and the Culture Clash of blood and ethnicity, April 21, 2009 thru May 17, 2009 at the Julia Miles Theatre, 424 West 55th St. Previews begin April 23rd and the official opening will be on April 30, 2009 at 7PM.

Written in 1918 and last produced in New York on Broadway in l926 THE SHANGHAI GESTURE is a 100-year-old historic American play that has always been controversial for its bold confrontation of still-relevant issues. It will star an ethnically correct actress, Tina Chen, playing the lead role of Mother Goddam. Under the direction of Robert Kalfin, THE SHANGHAI GESTURE confronts issues of women's rights, the sex trade, child abuse/slavery, and what happens when one country imposes its culture upon another.

THE SHANGHAI GESTURE was first given to Mirror Repertory Company in 1985 by the late actress Geraldine Page, who was interested in the legendary role of Mother Goddam, a part so coveted by Bette Davis that she entitled her autobiography by that name. It takes place in China in the roaring twenties when Shanghai was a truly cosmopolitan city filled with Russian refugees, its people exploited by opium traders and adventurers from all over Europe and Great Britain, and visited by American entrepreneurs. Played by Tina Chen, Mother Goddam is a Manchu princess shamed and discarded by an aristocratic English merchant and sold into sex slavery who can never return to her home. A survivor, she has risen to great power and reputation within a complex society where she runs an elegant brothel frequented by governors, mandarins, and princes who chose amongst women who are beautiful and tastefully dressed. Tonight there is great excitement, for she is having a dinner party - and society folk, the British and other European aristocrats and their wives are coming to dinner. What transpires during the dinner is hypnotic, humorous, erotic, terrifying, shocking, surprising, sad, and utterly fascinating. Many secrets - those of each guest - are revealed, and the ultimate secrets - those of Sir Guy Charteris - literally change lives. Even Mother Goddam must face an unanticipated revelation of a secret of her own.

Unlike Madame Butterfly, Mother Goddam chooses not to view herself as a victim. Instead she outwits and punishes her male oppressors. This single fact made this play (produced so soon after women had gotten the vote) a great favorite with female audiences as well and it was taken up as a popular feminist tract. It played the Martin Beck (now the Hirschfeld) for an extraordinary 210 performances and then moved to the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers) where it continued to play for many months more.

John Colton was the author of the equally long-running Rain which starred Jeanne Eagels and which was an adaptation of Somerset Maugham's short story, Miss Sadie Thompson. Colton wrote THE SHANGHAI GESTURE from personal experience during his Grand Tour of the Orient following his matriculation from Oxford. A classicist, he wrote THE SHANGHAI GESTURE to take place within twenty-four hours, and intended it to be a serious tragedy. To his surprise, a post Victorian world was shocked by the open sexuality and a strong plot in which a woman defeated a powerful, educated man, and critics of the time reacted in a variety of ways. Some, like the famed Alexander Wolcott and the popular Walter Winchell responded with acclaim, and some, like the esteemed Brooks Atkinson, with grudging admiration, but audiences loved THE SHANGHAI GESTURE and kept it running for three years and many more on the road.

Director Robert Kaflin is founder of New York's Chelsea Theatre Center, [winner for it's work of 5 Tony Awards, 4 Tony nominations and 21 Obie Awards], Mr. Kalfin has directed over 150 productions and workshops in venues that include Broadway, Off-Broadway, major American regional theaters, internationally in Europe, the Middle East and as far abroad as Siberia. His Broadway credits include STRIDER, HAPPY END [starring Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd], YENTL [starring Tovah Feldshuh], TRULY BLESSED [A Celebration of Mahalia Jackson]; and as Chelsea Co-Producer of Harold Prince's production of CANDIDE. Other productions include RASHOMON and THE MISTRESS OF THE INN [starring Tovah Feldshuh] for the Roundabout Theatre Company, and the television production of THE PRINCE OF HOMBURG starring Frank Langella for PBS Great Performances "Theatre in America" Series.

Tina Chen (who plays the role of Mother Goddam) is herself descended from an aristocratic Chinese family whose ancestry can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history, which dates from 770-476 BC. A Golden Globe, Obie, and Emmy nominee, you can see her in Three Days of the Condor in which she plays Robert Redford's beautiful girlfriend. In The Hawaiians she plays Charlton Heston's love interest and ages from sixteen to eighty. For this role, Variety termed her "a Chinese genius." Veteran actor Larry Pine will be playing Sir Guy Charteris, and the rest of the cast will be announced soon.

Michael Anania is the Set Designer, Gail Cooper Hecht is the Costume Designer, Margaret Pine is the Sound Designer/Composer, Paul Hudson is the Lighting Designer and Manny Kladitis is the General Manager.

Tickets to THE SHANGHAI GESTURE are $67, $52 and there is a student and senior ticket price of $21. They can be ordered by calling Telecharge at 212.239.6200. Group Sales are handled by Carol Ostrow at 212 265 8500.

Performances are Wednesday through Sundays. Wed - Sat at 8PM. Matinees are at 2PM on Saturday and 3PM Sundays, with additional Sunday performances at 7PM.

 

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