Independent Arts News Reporting Pan Asian Repertory Theatre Celebrates 48th Milestone Season with Fall 2024 Reading Series: Calligraphy
Reported on Thursday, September 12, 2024
Pictured Above: TOP ROW (L to R): Amara James Aja, June Angela, Mieko Gavia BOTTOM ROW (L to R): Jully Lee, and Shigeko Sara Suga. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The Fall 2024 Reading Series CALLIGRAPHY will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The event will be at the Alliance of Resident Theatre - New York
New York, NY – Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is proud to celebrate its 48th Milestone Season with the announcement of its Fall 2024 Reading Series, featuring the poignant play CALLIGRAPHY. This year marks a significant milestone for the company, which has long been a cornerstone of Asian American artistry and storytelling. Under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Tisa Chang, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre continues to enrich the cultural landscape by showcasing diverse narratives that resonate with contemporary audiences.
The Fall 2024 Reading Series CALLIGRAPHY will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The event will be at the Alliance of Resident Theatres-New York, specifically in the Bruce Mitchell Room located at 520 8th Avenue. This reading promises to engage attendees with its rich storytelling and deep emotional resonance, inviting them to explore the complexities of familial relationships across cultures and generations.
CALLIGRAPHY, written by acclaimed playwright Velina Hasu Houston and directed by Kalina Ko, delves into the lives of two cousins and their mothers as they navigate the challenges posed by the past and the passage of time. The cast features notable talents including Amara James Aja, June Angela, Mieko Gavia, Jully Lee, and Shigeko Sara Suga, all of whom are members of the Actors’ Equity Association. The narrative unfolds in two cities: in Los Angeles, HIROMI grapples with her mother’s dementia, while in Tokyo, SAYURI faces the physical decline of her own mother, highlighting the intersection of personal and cultural struggles.
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s 48th season promises to be a compelling reflection of the diverse narratives that shape the Asian American experience. Through the Fall 2024 Reading Series, the company aims to continue its tradition of presenting thought-provoking works that resonate with audiences. More information about Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and the upcoming reading series can be found on their official website: https://www.panasianrep.org/
VELINA HASU HOUSTON, PLAYWRIGHT
Velina Hasu Houston’s literary career began Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club, expanding globally, including over 41 commissions and numerous honors. A Fulbright scholar, she’s taught at the University of Southern California and in Japan, and is on the Berklee College Board of Trustees. Honored by several organizations such as the Kennedy Center, Japan Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Theatre Communications Group, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, her archives are at the Huntington Library, San Marino, California. www.velinahasuhouston.com
KALINA KO, DIRECTOR
Kalina Ko (she/her) is a Cantonese-American theater director, dramaturg, and literary administrator. She is currently a Co-Coordinator for the Ma-Yi Writer’s Lab, Literary Associate at Roundabout Theatre Company, and part of the 23-24 Moxie Arts Incubator Cohort. Past directing experience: PINK UNICORN FRAPPUCCIONS (Chain Theatre), L’OPERA (co-dir. Jeff Liu, Pan Asian Rep NuWorks 2024), Rescues (Clubbed Thumb Emerging Writers Group). She has assisted on YOKO’S HUSBAND’S KILLER’S JAPANESE WIFE GLORIA (NAMT) and THE STRAIGHTS (JACK, Brooklyn). Dramaturgy credits include DEAR JOHN (Brick Aux), CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN (Ma-Yi Theatre), and OLA NA IWI (Roundabout).www.KalinaKo.weebly.com
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renown across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. Recently, Lea will starred in the new musical Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theater and headlined Old Friends (alongside Bernadette Peters) on London’s West End, which she will star in on Broadway in the spring. Lea is best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. On Broadway, Lea starred in the 2018 Broadway revival of Once on This Island as the Goddess of Love, Erzulie. The show’s return to the Broadway stage earned a Tony Award for “Best Revival of a Musical” and also garnered Lea and the cast a Grammy nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album.” She has also been seen on Broadway in Allegiance and Flower Drum Song. Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend”. Lea stars in the first season of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (a reboot of the popular series) now available on MAX, after starring in the critically acclaimed Sony musical-drama Yellow Rose. Lea can also be heard in the Netflix animated series Centaurworld and in FX’s animated series Little Demon. In August 2021, Lea released her single “Dream Again” and in November 2021 Lea Salonga: Live with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from Sydney Opera House aired as part of Great Performances on PBS. A live album of the performance was subsequently released by Broadway Records. Lea’s 2022 Dream Again Tour and her 2019 The Human Heart Tour saw sold-out audiences and record-breaking sales across North America and the United Kingdom. Lea has toured all over the world, performing sold out concerts in such locations as the Sydney Opera House, 02 Arena, Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok and Carnegie Hall in New York. In addition to her stage and screen credits, Lea served as a judge on the Philippines hit version of “The Voice” including the ratings juggernaut “The Voice Kids”. She has released multiple solo albums, toured the world with legendary pop-opera quartet Il Divo, and received rave reviews for her many cabaret engagements, including a record setting run at New York’s 54 Below. In her 45-year career, Lea has performed for six Philippine presidents (from Ferdinand Marcos to Benigno S. Aquino III), four American Presidents (Joe Biden, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), and for Diana, Princess of Wales and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was honored by Time Magazine as a Time100 Impact Award Recipient and received the Gold House 2023 Gold Legend Award. www.leasalonga.com
About Center Stage Records
Center Stage Records is the new label from Broadway Records founder, Grammy Award and Tony Award winner, Van Dean. The label is dedicated to the preservation of Broadway, London, Off-Broadway, new musicals in development and theater-related solo albums. Center Stage has over two dozen albums planned for 2024, which premiered with the original Broadway cast recording of How to Dance in Ohio, Steven Pasquale’s “Some Other Time”, the London cast recording of Mandela, and the original Broadway cast recording of Gutenberg! The Musical! Select highlights of the Center Stage Records back catalog include the Grammy-nominated albums of Burt Bacharach & Steven Sater’s Some Lovers and Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots, as well as the Classic Stage Company hit revival of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins, Lewberger’s The Wizard of Friendship, and the West End cast albums of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Ride. Additionally, solo albums from Patti LuPone, Norbert Leo Butz, Bobby Conte, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, Sierra Boggess, Laura Benanti, Orfeh and Andy Karl, Micky Dolenz, Michael Longoria and many more. To peruse the entire catalog, please visit www.CenterStageRecords.com. Follow Center Stage Records on all social platforms @centerstagercds.
