Los Altos Stage Company Presents YELLOW FACE

Fresh off its production of the Obie Award-winning Circle Mirror Transformation, Los Altos Stage Company lines up another Obie recipient (2008 for playwriting) with David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face. Yellow Face opens January 26 and runs through February 19 at the Bus Barn Theater in Los Altos.

Based on events in Hwang's life, Yellow Face takes the audience on a journey with DHH, a playwright who is struggling with the complex and ever-changing role that "face" plays in modern American society. Yellow Face takes the claims and counter-claims that mark America's transactions with minorities and deftly explores them in a farcical faux-documentary that is both laugh-out-loud funny and a poignant odyssey of self-discovery. It tackles the often-difficult discussion of race in our country with three essential elements: even-handed treatment, hope for what the world can be, and a sense of humor a mile wide.

David Henry Hwang has been a driving force in American theater for over 35 years and his work has left a profound effect on the mediums of television, film, musical theater, and opera. Perhaps best known for his Tony Award-winning masterpiece M. Butterfly, Yellow Face earned Mr. Hwang his third Obie Award.

Los Altos Stage Company's production of Yellow Face is directed by Jeffrey Lo, who is returning to LASC following his successful 2015 production of Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone. Mr. Lo's directing work has also been seen at the Pear Theatre (Uncle Vanya), Palo Alto Players (Eurydice), and the Dragon Theatre (Some Girl(s)). Jeffrey Lo is the recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award and the Theatre Bay Area TITAN Award. He has been named an Emerging Artist Laureate by the Arts Council Silicon Valley. He also currently serves as Casting Associate and Company Manager with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.

Yellow Face stars Lawrence-Michael C. Arias, Caitlin Evenson, Wes Gabrillo, Christine Jamlig, Judith Miller, Akemi Okamura, Drew Reitz, Phil Wong, and Todd Wright. This production features scenic design by Christopher Fitzer, costume design by Mae Matos, lighting design by Tanya Finkelstein, sound design by Chris Enni, and property design by Ting-Na Wang.

Performances for Yellow Face run Wednesday through Sunday, January 26 to February 19. Wednesday through Saturday performances begin at 8pm. Sunday performances start at 3pm. Please note there will be no performance on Sunday, February 5. Ticket prices range from $18 (student) to $36. Opening night tickets (January 27) include an artists' reception following the performance. Tickets can be purchased online at www.losaltosstage.org or by calling the Box Office at 650-941-0551.

Los Altos Stage Company is a quintessential American neighborhood playhouse, serving Los Altos and the greater South Bay area, and paying tribute to the full canon of American musicals, comedies, and dramas. This 21-year-old theater company strives to bring together a diversity of theater enthusiasts, practitioners, and supporters to create, explore and celebrate the rich tapestry of American culture and experience through live theater. Los Altos Stage Company produces five to six shows annually at its intimate 99-seat theater located on the Los Altos Civic Center campus.

Photo Credit: Richard Mayer

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