David Henry Hwang to write Anna May Wong Biopic With Working Title Films / March 25, 2022 by David Hwang

Gemma Chan, Nina Yang Bongiovi Developing Anna May Wong Biopic With Working Title Films (Exclusive)

Tony winner David Henry Hwang is writing the screenplay, adapted from Graham Russell Gao Hodges' biography of the cinematic pioneer.

Hollywood’s first Chinese American movie star is finally getting the spotlight, a century after her heyday.

Gemma Chan and producer Nina Yang Bongiovi are teaming with Working Title Films to develop a biopic of Anna May Wong, the golden age icon whose career brought her international recognition even as she continued to face opportunity limitations in the industry and other forms of prejudice and discrimination.

The Eternals and Crazy Rich Asians star (whose 2021 Met Gala look, seen above, was an homage to Wong) will portray the legend and also executive produce. Yang Bongiovi, whose Significant Productions was most recently behind Passing, will produce alongside Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.

Photos: THE CHINESE LADY Opens Off-Broadway at the Public Theater / March 11, 2022 by David Hwang

Ma-Yi Theater Company is presenting THE CHINESE LADY, which officially opened last night, March 8, at The Public Theater. The Chinese Lady is written by Lloyd Suh and Directed by Ralph B. Peña. Performances have extended through April 10.

We're taking you inside opening night with all new photos below!

The full cast includes Daniel K. Isaac (Atung) and Shannon Tyo (Afong Moy). Both are reprising their roles from the 2018 Ma-Yi Theater Company production at Beckett Theater (Theater Row).

Read more at Broadway World

Opening night photos from The Chinese Lady at The Public Theatre of New York.

‘Written in Stone,’ four monumental mini-operas, debuts at Kennedy Center / March 10, 2022 by David Hwang

The new Washington National Opera work is provocative, sweeping, intriguing, and chockful of some of the best voices and creatives of the 21st century.

For the past 20 years or more, the challenge that opera companies face is getting bodies in the seats. With an aging audience and waning interest in opera by younger generations, opera has had to reimagine itself and present stories that speak to contemporary times or dust the cobwebs from recent history. The Washington National Opera accomplishes this in its world debut of four works presented as Written in Stone, which moves partially away from the tropes of unrequited love and conflicts among nation-states and focuses on American monuments.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera commissioned works by four different composers and librettists highlighting an iconic Washington, DC, monument that resonates with them. The results are Chantal by Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, Rise by Kamala Sankaram and A.M. Homes, it all falls downby Carlos Simon and March Bamuthi Joseph, and The Rift by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang.

David Henry Hwang: The Rift tells story of earlier era of anti-Asian hate / March 10, 2022 by David Hwang

*(L-R) Karen Vuong (soprano), Rod Gilfry (baritone), Nina Yoshida Nelson (Mezzo Soprano) and Christian Mark Gibbs (Tenor) Kennedy Center Photos*

David Henry Huang’s latest work The Rift presented by the Washington National Opera premieres tonight, running from March 5-25. This short operatic work, with the libretto by Hwang and music composed by his long-time collaborator Huang Ruo, is one of four works commissioned from different artists that comprise Written in Stone, prepared in celebration of the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary.

The Rift explores the controversy surrounding the Vietnam War Memorial, featuring four main characters – Maya Lin (who won the competition to design the memorial) as she faces questions of her “Americanness,” Robert McNamara (who escalated the U.S.’s involvement in the war as Secretary of Defense), a Black American Vietnam War veteran, and a Vietnamese refugee whose husband died fighting in Vietnam but whose name would not appear on the memorial (which only lists U.S. citizens who perished during the war).

David Henry Hwang and Adam Gwon to Join Dramatists Guild Council / March 10, 2022 by David Hwang

The Dramatists Guild of America has welcomed Adam Gwon and David Henry Hwang to its Council. The Guild is governed by a board of directors (Council) elected from its membership. These writers, in various stages of their theatrical careers, meet monthly to decide policy for the Guild.

"We are thrilled to welcome Adam Gwon onto Council and David Henry Hwang back onto Council," shared DG President Amanda Green in a statement. "They are both longtime Guild members: David joined in 1979, was first elected to Council 10 years later and stepped down in 2014. Adam has been a member for 16 years, was a DG Fellow, has taught several semesters of lyric writing for The Dramatists Guild Institute and for the past 9 years has served on The Dramatist Committee. David and Adam's illustrious careers, years of service to The Guild, and dedication to improving the lives of writers make them both wonderful additions to the Council."

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'The Rift,' A New Opera by Professor David Henry Hwang, to Premiere in March 2022 / March 1, 2022 by David Hwang

Associate Professor David Henry Hwang’s new opera, The Rift, will premiere as a part of the Washington National Opera’s Written in Stone program for the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Written in Stone, which will run March 5–25, 2022, seeks to explore the stories our monuments tell, the legacies they embody, and the memories they cement. Inspired by Washington D.C.’s iconic monuments and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, Written in Stone is a series of interwoven short works presented together in a single evening. The program will feature four world premieres from some of the most renowned and exciting artists working today.

Hwang collaborated with creative partner and award-winning composer Huang Ruo for The Rift. The piece takes its title from a phrase used by artist and architect Maya Lin in her original description of her proposed deisgn for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as “a rift in the earth.” It is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which is at the heart of the piece. The RIft dives into the memorial’s controversial origin, featuring interconnected yet conflicting characters: Maya Lin, the Chinese American student architect of the memorial’s design; a Vietnam War veteran; a Vietnamese refugee; and a government official. Hwang penned the libretto for The Rift while Ruo served as composer. The two have previously collaborated on M. Butterfly and An American Soldier.

A rededication to the grand experiment of democracy / February 19, 2022 by David Hwang

Kelly Marie Tran (center) joined original castmembers of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER, Paul HeeSang Miller, Kyra Smith, John Yi, Austin Ku, Kristen Faith Oei, Raymond J. Lee, Francis Jue, Kendyl Ito, Billy Bustamante, Jaygee Macapugay, Jon Hoche, and Emily Stillings, to sing ‘Democracy’ in the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert on September 14, 2021. Photo by Scott Suchman

In September 2021, the cast of the musical “Soft Power” performed their climactic song "Democracy" at the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration concert.

The performance was a reminder of the important role theater can play in bringing us together as Americans.

Tony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang introduced the performance with these words:

“‘Soft Power’ takes a hard look at the role Asian and Pacific Islander Americans can play to address the challenges facing our nation today. In the show’s finale we rededicate ourselves to the grand experiment of democracy itself.”

Enjoy this moving performance and reflect on the diversity that defines who we are as a nation.

Nine best bets for Presidents Day weekend: ‘Assassins,’ ‘Slave Play,’ Frieze and more / February 19, 2022 by David Hwang

**East West Players remounts its pandemic-postponed 2020 production of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Assassins” this Presidents Day weekend. (Steven Lam)**

A revival of a darkly comic Stephen Sondheim musical and the return of our fair city’s buzziest art fair lead our shortlist of cultural offerings this Presidents Day weekend. Before you go, remember to call or check online for reservation requirements and other COVID-19 protocols.

‘Assassins’
East West Players returns to live performance with a staging of the late, great Stephen Sondheim’s darkly comic musical about John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald and other, lesser-known killers and would-be killers of U.S. presidents. David Henry Hwang Theater, Union Center of the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo, downtown L.A. Previews: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; opening night: 5 p.m. Sunday (sold out); pay what you can, 8 p.m. Monday only; other dates through March 20. $25-$75.

Comedian Alaudin Ullah showcases his unique American experience in his one-man show ‘Dishwasher Dreams’ at Hartford Stage / February 19, 2022 by David Hwang

Alaudin Ullah, foreground, tells his life story in "Dishwasher Dreams," accompanied by tabla player Avirodh Sharma, at Hartford Stage Feb. 24 through March 20. (Hartford)

If you spent much time in New York comedy clubs in the 1990s, you likely remember Alaudin Ullah. At the time, he went by the stage name “Alladin,” but traveling to Bangladesh after his mother died he reclaimed that part of his identity.

“Every time I was in the Middle East, everyone pronounced my name properly. Here, people wouldn’t get it. My mother used to say ‘Why not make them pronounce it?’”

Years ago, he left the full-time, late-night grind of comedy clubs and turned his talents to playwriting.

“Comedy is cute when you’re 22, but when you’re in your 30s it’s different,” says Ullah, now in his 50s. “I didn’t want to end up bitter and cynical.”

When not working on a slew of writing projects, as well as the forthcoming documentary “Bengali Harlem,” he works for the New York Department of Education giving young performers advice on how to start their careers.

As a playwright he’s studied with some of the greats: David Henry Hwang (”M. Butterfly”), Lynn Nottage (”Sweat”) and Paula Vogel (”The Baltimore Waltz”).

VIDEO: Works & Process at the Guggenheim On Washington National Opera's WRITTEN IN STONE / February 13, 2022 by David Hwang

Inspired by iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, "Written in Stone" is a series of intimate short works interwoven into a single evening celebrating the Kennedy Center's fiftieth anniversary.

For one night only at Works & Process at the Guggenheim, prior to the March world premiere, select creators of "Written in Stone," including Huang Ruo, David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram, and A.M. Homes discussed their creative process with Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. Cast member also performed highlights illuminating the intimate stories that celebrate diversity and acknowledging the struggles of today's America.

Read more at Broadway World

Theatre Communications Group Partners With Drama Online On Digital Script Collection / February 13, 2022 by David Hwang

110 titles are available today, with more to follow throughout 2022.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced that the TCG Books Play Collection is now live on Drama Online. 110 titles are currently available, and will be joined by a further 90 titles later in 2022.

This collection of 200 plays joins Drama Online’s award-winning digital library, an online research tool for drama and literature students, professors, and teachers. TCG Books is the largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature in North America, with 18 winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama on its list. The collection includes work by Nilo Cruz, David Henry Hwang, Tony Kushner, Richard Nelson, Dael Orlandersmith, Naomi Wallace, and Anne Washburn, among others.

“TCG Books has always believed that plays are literature, deserving of the same care and attention as novels, poetry, and other forms of the written word,” says TCG Executive Director and CEO Teresa Eyring. “By partnering with Drama Online, we can help bring the extraordinary work of these writers to new generations of theatre students and scholars, expanding the dramatic canon.”

San Francisco Opera's 99th Season Continues at The War Memorial Opera House in June / February 12, 2022 by David Hwang

San Francisco Opera's 99th Season continues June 4-July 3 at the War Memorial Opera House. The 2022 Summer Season includes a new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni; a return engagement of Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang's Dream of the Red Chamber; and Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Chorus and soloists in a one-night-only concert featuring the music of Giuseppe Verdi.

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Works & Process to Present Washington National Opera: Written in Stone / February 12, 2022 by David Hwang

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, is set to present “Washington National Opera: Written in Stone” on Feb. 6, 2022.

The event will take place in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and will show a sneak peek of the work inspired by iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy.

“Written in Stone” is a series of intimate short works interwoven into a single evening celebrating the Kennedy Center’s fiftieth anniversary. During the event select creators of “Written in Stone,” including Huang Ruo, David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram, and A.M. Homes will discuss their creative process with Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. Cast members also perform highlights illuminating the intimate stories that celebrate diversity and acknowledge the struggles of today’s America.

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power and Attitudes Toward Asians | Sundance 2022 / February 9, 2022 by David Hwang

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is an expanded form of Nina Menkes’ presentation Sex and Power: The Visual Language of Oppression. While feminist pioneer Menkes doesn’t focus on Asian stereotypes in her film, the points she brings up are important in the analysis of minorities in films.

Menkes gives an example of a Black man objectified in a way similar to how women are commonly treated. Asian Americans will likely remember that more than three decades ago, in 1988, playwright David Henry Hwang suggested that the so-called Orient and people perceived as Oriental were considered the subordinate weaker part of humanity. In the yin-yang or the East-West dichotomy, the Orient is the feminine side of nature and is contrasted by the powerful, wise, and intellectually superior masculine side of nature represented by Western nations, and particularly Western White men.

Works & Process to Present Washington National Opera: WRITTEN IN STONE / February 8, 2022 by David Hwang

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, will present Washington National Opera: Written in Stone on February 6, 2022 at 7:30 pm. Taking place in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, all programs invite audiences to embrace artistic process and uniquely blend performance highlights with insightful artists discussions.

Inspired by iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, Written in Stone is a series of intimate short works interwoven into a single evening celebrating the Kennedy Center's fiftieth anniversary. For one night only, prior to the March world premiere, select creators of Written in Stone, including Huang Ruo, David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram, and A.M. Homes discuss their creative process with Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. Cast members also perform highlights illuminating the intimate stories that celebrate diversity and acknowledging the struggles of today's America.

Read more at Broadway World

Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Will Honor Founder George C. White / January 27, 2022 by David Hwang

Michael Douglas will present White with the Monte Cristo Award at the April gala.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center will honor its founder George C. White with the 21st Monte Cristo Award at the organization's spring gala, to be held at the Gotham Hall in New York City April 11. Oscar winner Michael Douglas, who helped build the O'Neill (literally—he was on the work crew that built the amphitheater), will present White with the award.

The O'Neill was founded in 1964 and remains one of the country's most distinguished organizations for new works development. Programs at the O'Neill include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and National Theater Institute. White served for 37 years as president of the O’Neill and chairman of its Board of Trustees.

The gala's Honorary Committee will include Congressman Joe Courtney, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, David Henry Hwang, Michael R. Jackson, Judith Light, John Logan, Senator Chris Murphy, Robert O’Hara, Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders, John Patrick Shanley, Jeanine Tesori, Preston Whiteway, Constanza Romero Wilson, and George C. Wolfe.

Kennedy Center & Washington National Opera to Present World Premiere of WRITTEN IN STONE / January 27, 2022 by David Hwang

A surveyor ponders the meaning of memory and monuments. A young girl scout seeks a place for herself in history. A Black father and son find themselves on opposite sides of a same-sex marriage rally. And the vision of 22-year-old Asian American undergraduate Maya Lin is the catalyst for a reappraisal of the Vietnam War. Their stories come together on March 5-25, 2022, when the Kennedy Center presents the Washington National Opera (WNO)'s world premiere production of Written in Stone. A jewel in the crown of the center's landmark 50th anniversary season, this evening-length experience comprises a prologue and three short one-act operas, inspired by some of Washington, D.C.'s iconic monuments to ask timely questions about the ways we memorialize history, the stories we tell, the voices we amplify, and what our choices tell us. Commissioned by WNO from the creative pairings of Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran, Kamala Sankaram and A.M. Homes, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Carlos Simon, and Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang, these compelling new works celebrate the diversity of contemporary America while confronting some of its most divisive fault lines and offering the hope of catharsis.

Read more at Broadway World

Sasha Cooke to Release ‘How Do I Find You’ / January 27, 2022 by David Hwang

Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke is set to release and perform from a new album “How Do I Find You” at the end of January 2022.

The album, which will be released on Jan. 28 by Pentatone, will be followed by Live World Premiere at the San Francisco Symphony just two days later.

The showcase features new music by such composers as Caroline Shaw, Kamala Sankaram, Matt Boehler, Missy Mazzoli, John Glover, Rene Orth, Christopher Cerrone, Gabriel Kahane, Andrew Marshall, Huang Ruo, Timo Andres, Nico Muhly, Hilary Purrington, Lembit Beecher, Frances Pollock, Joel Thompson, and Jimmy López Bellido, set to words by Caroline Shaw, Mark Campbell, Todd Boss, Royce Vavrek, Kelley Rourke, Colleen Murphy, John K. Samson, Gabriel Kahane, David Henry Hwang, Lola Ridge, Thomas Traherne, Liza Balkan, Emily Roller, and Gene Scheer.

Conrad Ricamora on His Bumpy Road to ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ / January 23, 2022 by David Hwang

The actor reflects on continuing the Off Broadway revival’s hot streak, and fighting against the stereotypes facing Asian American actors.

Since it opened in October 2019, Michael Mayer’s well-received “Little Shop of Horrors” revival has drawn quite the handsome string of leading men: Jonathan Groff was the first to step into Seymour Krelborn’s Converse sneakers, and he was followed by Gideon Glick and Jeremy Jordan. This reflects the casting evolution of the character, a painfully shy plant geek. Not many roles have been played by both Rick Moranis (in the show’s 1986 movie adaptation) and Jake Gyllenhaal (in a 2015 concert production).

When asked about joining this, ahem, hot streak, Conrad Ricamora burst out laughing. “I played a nerdy IT guy for six years on ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ so I don’t know if there’s a full consensus that I’m in the Jake Gyllenhaal Hall of Fame of Hot Actors,” he said.

Kennedy Center & Washington National Opera Presents / January 16, 2022 by David Hwang

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