Jennifer Shin as a short basketball phenom who activates her Zulu DNA (Anthony Peeples) in Elizabeth Wong's "Finding Your Inner Zulu." Photos courtesy of Silk Road Theatre Project. CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS.
HELLO THERE! Here you'll find the latest on the work of ELIZABETH WONG, author of such critically-acclaimed plays as CHINA DOLL, LETTERS TO A STUDENT REVOLUTIONARY, KIMCHEE & CHITLINS, and DATING & MATING IN MODERN TIMES.
ALSO FEATURED -- her work as a theatrical director, screenwriter, sitcom writer, social essayist, AND visiting professor/guest lecturer.
SELECT (links on left) to view the following...
BIOGRAPHY to see a short program bio, headshot, candid playwright photos, list of publications and essays, and the all-important "play-ography."
UPCOMING for a quick peek on newly-released publications, new commissions, works-in-progress, and upcoming productions.
SPOTLIGHT to view a rotating gallery of playbills, cast photos, production stills, set and costume designs, reviews, text revisions...AND MORE!
HAPPY 2012!!! YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!!
Harvard University in April 2012.
Elizabeth Wong, author of the play "Kimchee & Chitlins," has accepted an invitation from a new, interdisciplinary faculty initiative at Harvard University to participate as a speaker at a daylong symposium examining the topic of social unrest.
The discussion panel will look back at - and forward from - the L.A. riots/uprising, 20 years later. The conversation will be a critical retrospective of the riot/uprising with questions about Democracy and inequity today, a time of financial crisis and revolution in much of the globe.
The symposium, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots, will take place Saturday, April 28 in Cambridge.
"This gathering of leading artists, activists and scholars will afford us new opportunities to connect previous instances of civil unrest to the present in the U.S and beyond. The recent riots in London and France, the murder of Oscar Grant, an unarmed African-American man by Bay Area Transit police last year, the uprisings across Africa and the Middle East collectively termed "the Arab Spring," and the encampments like "occupy Wall Street" all urge us to consider how a comparative analysis with the L.A. Riots might stimulate insights into new forms of civic engagement and courage us to imagine possible political futures," wrote Juyon Kim, in the invitation. Kim, an assistant professor of English, will teach "Kimchee & Chitlins" in the spring session, a class entitled, "Interracial Encounters in Contemporary Ethnic American Narratives."
"In the spirit of the diverse groups in Los Angeles who united with each
other to fight against racial oppression and the scapegoating that
followed the 1992 uprising, this symposium has invited guest speakers
and Harvard University faculty and students across different academic
fields to discuss the legacy of this event. Other invited speakers
include Mike Davis, Henry Louis Gates Jr., William Julius Wilson, Ruth
Wilson Gilmore, Barbara Browning, Judith Butler, Paul Chan, Dai-Sil Kim,
Anna Deavere Smith, and Patricia Williams," Kim wrote. "We would be honored to have you participate."
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OKLAHOMA BOUND!
During the month of February!
WONG INVITED AS VISITING GUEST ARTIST to meet with students and campus community at The University of Tulsa & Oklahoma State University.
ON SKYPE!!!
EMORY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN ATLANTA, GA VISIT WITH ELIZABETH WONG VIA SKYPE
ELIZABETH ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF COLLABORATION, AND ABOUT WRITING AND DIRECTING HER OWN PLAY "DATING N' MATING IN MODERN TIMES," ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONED BY THE PLAYWRITING CENTER FOR THEATRE EMORY AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/PROFESSOR VINCENT MURPHY, BRAVE NEW WORKS FESTIVAL.
FROM IN HER CLUTTERED BOOKS-TO-CEILING HOME OFFICE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
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REMEMBERING 9/11...
In Memoriam....new readings of ...
RETURN TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION
An online text collaboration
Conceived and edited by Caridad Svich
written by Cusi Cram, Mitchell Gossett, Julie Hebert, Llysa Holland, Julie Jensen, Jennifer Maisel, Julia Pearlstein, Brad Rothbart, Greg Romero, Caridad Svich, Ann E. Taylor, Elizabeth Wong, Michael Wright and Allison Eve Zell during the six months after September 11th, 2001. With special thanks to the participation of Glen Skip-Newell
Readings that took place this year, included:
Factory 449 Theatre Ensemble - Edmund Burke Theatre - Washington DC Directed by Lisa Hodsoll.
Right Halcyon Theatre & Caffeine Theatre - Chicago Directed by Terry Adams. Dramaturgy by Dan Smith.
University of Tulsa, Oklahoma Organized by Michael Wright included a food bank and special presentation by Ellen Findlay, Tibetan Buddhism professor.
Michigan State Department of Theatre In rep with another 9/11-themed play "WHAT HAPPENED." LANSING CITY PULSE SAYS...“Return To The Upright Position” is the dream journal, weaving reality and smoky metaphors into a staged nightmare. “Return” asks the still-controversial questions, such as “Are the first-responders, firefighters and police really heroes if they were just doing their jobs?” and “Were the terrorists cowardly for what they did?” The diversity of voices and perspectives offer more for all audiences to connect with, especially in the Midwest." -- Paul Wozniak. (See link for entire review)
RETURN TO THE UPRIGHT POSITIONwas written just months after the 9/11 attacks; and later received simultaneous nationwide readings at Cherry Lane Alternative and The Women's Project In New York City, theater simple in Seattle, Rm 120 Productions in Austin, University of Glasgow and Harvard University. It received a workshop at Perishable Theatre in Providence, RI. An excerpt was presented as part of Brave New World Fest in New York City. A short piece on the text's creation was published In American Theatre.
Courtesy of the Hermitage. On the Monday of a new arrival, a welcome dinner awaits. "A shoutout to Playwright John Guare, who recently received the Greenfield Prize from the Hermitage. Congratulations, Mr. Guare. I'm a big fan!" -- Elizabeth Wong.
Surprise Nomination!
Prestigious Hermitage Residency invites Elizabeth Wong to Florida Retreat
What is the Hermitage Retreat? A description from www.hermitageretreat.org
"The
Hermitage residents are comprised of writers, painters, composers,
playwrights, poets, choreographers, performance artists, sculptors, and
other artists whose work defies categorization. They have distinguished
themselves by virtue of having been selected by some of America's finest
directors, curators, and artists who sit on our National Artist
Advisory Committee.
World-class artistic creators of all disciplines are invited to work
at the Hermitage Artist Retreat with a "bank" of six weeks of time and
two years to "spend" that time in any increment they choose. Our artists
live and work in, and are inspired by, five "Old Florida" buildings
that have been lovingly restored into living space and studio space.
Fifteen miles of Gulf of Mexico beach stretch north and south and
endless miles of aquamarine water reach to the western horizon where the
sun sets in glory each and every night."
"I'm very honored to be nominated, and surprised to be selected. Thank you Board Member and advocate Michael Bigelow Dixon!" -- Elizabeth Wong
APAFT HONORS WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS:
ELIZABETH WONG AND JULIA CHO
The Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theatre (APAFT) awarded Elizabeth Wong and Julia Cho with an "Outstanding Playwright" trophy and dinner. Over 50 people, including the honorees attended the event, held in the Wells Fargo Building at Taipan Restaurant in downtown, Los Angeles. Superior Court Judge and APAFT Chair Ernest Hiroshige (a former child star himself) presented the award. Playwright Prince Gomolvilas moderated a lively post-dinner discussion with the playwrights. Julia Cho is a writer on the tv show "Fringe" and "Big Love." Her award-winning play DURANGO was recently produced by Silk Road Theatre Project in Chicago. Wong is a former staff writer of the ABC/Disney Margaret Cho show "All-American Girl." Her short comedy FINDING YOUR INNER ZULU premiered last year in "The DNA Trail," a collaborative project about ancestry, in Chicago.
Los Angeles, CA -- Playwrights Julia Cho, Elizabeth Wong (center) and Prince Gomolvilias at APAFT event/panel.
WONG RECEIVES SPECIAL COMMENDATION
...FOR HER HUMAN-RIGHTS THEMED PLAY
LETTERS
TO A STUDENT REVOLUTIONARY
FROM SUPERVISOR ZEV YAROSLAVSKY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
SPECIAL 2009 PRODUCTIONS AT THE CENTER FOR NATIONAL PRESERVATION OF DEMOCDRACY, LITTLE TOKYO LOS ANGELES and at Cal State University, Los Angeles.
DIRECTED BY PETER KUO PRODUCED BY ADDWORD PRODUCTIONS AND METAMORPHOSIS THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE VISUAL ARTS GUILD AND THE CENTER FOR THE NATIONAL PRESERVATION OF DEMOCRACY
A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS BENEFITED AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Albany, NY -- Dress Rehearsal of Elizabeth Wong's play "Letters to a Student Revolutionary," directed by the playwright at the Albany Performing Arts Center, SUNY campus.
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WONG HONORED -- TANNE FOUNDATION AWARD FOR ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
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Thank you Vincent Murphy and the Tanne Foundation board of trustees!
Other recipients of the Tanne Foundation Award are:
Chris Byars, Bronx, NY, a composer/arranger Abinadi Meza,
Minneapolis, MN, a sound artist Mobius Inc., Boston, MA, producers
of performance art and art installations and Elizabeth Wong, playwright/director, Los Angeles, CA
The Tanne Foundation is a private nonprofit organization based in New
Hampshire, administered by Grants Management Associates in Boston,
Ma., dedicated to recognizing artists and arts organizations.
Nominations for the award are made by the foundation
trustees. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded 49 artists
and 9 organizations in recognition of outstanding achievement.
From the Tanne Foundation:
"Art extracts a price. It
demands that you listen, see, learn, be both adventurous and willing to
fail. It asks that you venture towards what is not known, but is there,
and reveal it to the community which needs to know but is not able to
make the journey." -- John Gale, trustee.
***SPECIAL WEBSITE FEATURE***
SEE A SPECIAL ROTATING GALLERY OF BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS BY CLICKING
ON SPOTLIGHT...
FEATURED THIS MONTH:
SWEAT THE WRITING: MINI WORKOUTS WITH THREE NEW BOOKS!!
CHRISTOPHER DURANG, ARTHUR KOPIT AND ELIZABETH WONG ARE AMONG THE 32 PLAYWRIGHTS OFFERING PLAYWRITING ADVICE IN THIS AWESOME NEW SMITH AND KRAUS TEXTBOOK
CHECK OUT ELIZABETH'S CONTRIBUTION AND THE INSIDE SCOOP ON WHY SHE SHARED WHAT SHE SHARED AND WHY SHE WROTE WHAT SHE WROTE
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CLICK ON ANNA MAY TO GO TO BIOGRAPHY.
THANKS FOR VISITING...
...AND PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK BACK AGAIN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ELIZABETH WONG'S PROVOCATIVE AND EXCITING WORK.
