Columbia University School Of The Arts Presents New Plays Festival / April 18, 2022 by David Hwang

Columbia University School of the Arts presents an expanded festival of new plays written by Columbia MFA Playwriting Students. The esteemed faculty who have nurtured these students, including Tony©, Pulitzer, and Obie Award winners such as David Henry Hwang, Lynn Nottage, Charles Mee, and Rogelio Martinez invite you to experience these innovative new playwrights.

This is the first round of our New Plays Festival presenting the work of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Playwrights of Columbia's MFA Theatre Program. The festival will run continuously throughout the summer.

From the Head of Playwriting, DavidHenry Hwang: "These plays have been created by visionary writers under extraordinary circumstances. Some were originally scheduled to be produced as far back as 2020; others were written during the pandemic itself. Like theatre itself, they have survived the shutdown of our art form to come roaring back to life. We are so proud of what our writers have achieved during these challenging and traumatic times. Enjoy the rebirth!"

Read more at Broadway World

‘Kimberly Akimbo’, ‘Assassins’, ‘Prayer For The French Republic’ Score Off Broadway Lortel Award Nominations – Complete List / April 9, 2022 by David Hwang

Kimberly Akimbo, Assassins, Prayer for the French Republic and The Chinese Lady were among the Off Broadway productions receiving multiple nominations for this year’s Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off Broadway, announced today.

Among the innovations in this year’s 37th Annual Lortel Awards are the first non-gendered performance categories, and the first-ever Lortel for Outstanding Ensemble. In the new Ensemble category, the inaugural nominees are the casts of English, Oratorio For Living Things, and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.

Kimberly Akimbo and Oratorio For Living Things scored the most nominations, with six each, while Black No More and On Sugarland received five. Assassins, Prayer for the French Republic and The Chinese Lady each have four nominations.

HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Deirdre O’Connell

Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
David Henry Hwang

‘Kimberly Akimbo’, ‘Assassins’, ‘Prayer For The French Republic’ Score Off Broadway Lortel Award Nominations – Complete List / April 9, 2022 by David Hwang

HONORARY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Deirdre O’Connell

Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee
David Henry Hwang

San Francisco Playhouse Announces 20th Season / April 7, 2022 by David Hwang

San Francisco Playhouse’s 20th Anniversary Season to feature INDECENT, AS YOU LIKE IT, CASHED OUT, CLUE, CHINGLISH, and A CHORUS LINE.

San Francisco Playhouse announced today the six plays that will comprise its 2022/23 Season. This marks the company's 20th season since its founding in 2003 and celebrates the company's commitment to producing bold, challenging, and uplifting plays and musicals for the Bay Area community. The season will begin in September 2022.

"Twenty years ago, we opened our doors and stated our purpose, 'to create a warm and nurturing environment for the sharing of dreams, secrets, fears, hopes, grief, and joy because it's safe to bring all of ourselves to this playground,'" said Bill English, Artistic Director. "Over the years, these noble goals morphed into our signature: The Empathy Gym. For this, our 20th Anniversary season, we share our joy and gratitude to be pursuing our calling to promote empathy and compassion through theatre. This season is dedicated to the resilience and relevance of the Empathy Gym, the performing arts, and the human spirit."

The San Francisco Playhouse 2022/23 Season will begin with Indecent by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, followed by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery's musical adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It. The new year will begin with the world premiere of Cashed Out by Claude Jackson, Jr., a San Francisco Playhouse commission that had its inception in the company's popular streaming Zoomlet play development series, followed by the beloved cult classic Clue, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin. Next, the Playhouse will stage Chinglish by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang, a hilarious comedy about the challenges of underlying cultural assumptions. The season will close with A Chorus Line, the legendary musical by Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood, and Nicholas Dante, a production that was originally planned for the Playhouse's 2020/21 Season.

Read more at Broadway World

2022 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Announced Live on Playbill April 7 / April 7, 2022 by David Hwang

POTUS stars Lilly Cooper and Lea DeLaria will announce nominees for the Off-Broadway honors.

Nominees for the 37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards, honoring the best in Off-Broadway theatre, will be announced live on Playbill April 7. Watch POTUS stars Lilli Cooper and Lea DeLaria announce the nominees above from 12 noon ET.

Produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre with additional support provided by TDF, the awards will be handed out May 1 at NYU Skirball Center beginning at 7 PM.

Deirdre O'Connell will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's ceremony, following her 2020 Lortel win for Outstanding Solo Show for her performance in Dana H. at the Vineyard Theatre; she subsequently reprised her role for the work's 2021 Broadway run. David Henry Hwang will also be added to the Playwrights' Sidewalk. Located in front of Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre on Christopher Street, the sidewalk-embedded stars are New York's only permanent monument to Off-Broadway playwrights.

Cooper and DeLaria are currently preparing to bring POTUS, Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive to Broadway along with co-stars Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, Suzy Nakamura, Julie White, and Vanessa Williams. Directed by Tony winner Susan Stroman and written by newcomer Selina Fillinger, the comedic play centers on a PR nightmare that befalls the White House, with seven female support staff risking everything to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. POTUS begins at Broadway's Shubert Theatre April 14, with opening night set for April 27.

‘Indecent,’ ‘Chinglish’ and ‘A Chorus Line’ among SF Playhouse’s 2022-23 season / April 7, 2022 by David Hwang

The Union Square company's 20th-anniversary season comprises six shows including works by Paula Vogel and David Henry Hwang.

Chugging ahead with pandemic recovery, San Francisco Playhouse is producing six shows, including works by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel and Tony Award winner and Stanford graduate David Henry Hwang, in its 2022-23 season.

The 20th anniversary lineup, which the Union Square company announced Monday, April 4, commences with Vogel’s “Indecent” (Sept. 22-Nov. 6), which ran on Broadway in 2017. The play dramatizes the 1923 Broadway production of Sholem Asch’s “The God of Vengeance,” which was blasted at the time as “indecent,” among other epithets, for its portrayals of lesbian love and Jewish prostitution.

Lilli Cooper and Lea DeLaria Will Announce 2022 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Live on Playbill April 7 / April 7, 2022 by David Hwang

Established in 1986, the awards honor the best in Off-Broadway theatre.

Broadway POTUS stars Lilli Cooper and Lea DeLaria will announce the nominees for the 37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards in an exclusive live stream on Playbill April 7 at 12 PM ET. The awards, established in 1986, honor the best in Off-Broadway theatre.

Produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre with additional support provided by TDF, the awards will be handed out May 1 at NYU Skirball Center beginning at 7 PM.

Deirdre O'Connell will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's ceremony, which follows her 2020 Lortel win for Outstanding Solo Show for her performance in Dana H. at the Vineyard Theatre, a role she reprised for the work's 2021 Broadway run. David Henry Hwang will also be added to the Playwrights' Sidewalk. Located in front of Off-Broadway's famed Lucille Lortel Theatre on Christopher Street, the sidewalk-embedded stars are New York's only permanent monument to Off-Broadway playwrights.

The Lucille Lortel Awards to Make Live Return May 1; Honorees Announced / March 25, 2022 by David Hwang

Actor, Deirdre O'Connell, will receive the Lifetime Achievement with playwright, David Henry Hwang is this year's Playwrights' Sidewalk inductee.

The Lucille Lortel Awards, the preeminent honor presented exclusively to recognize Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway, have confirmed their return to a LIVE in-person celebration on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at 7:00PM at NYU Skirball. All New York University guidelines regarding COVID-19 at the time of the event will be enforced. It was also announced that Deirdre O'Connell will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award an

d David Henry Hwang will be inducted onto the famed Playwrights' Sidewalk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF.

Read more at Broadway World

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."

Read more at Broadway World

'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.

Read more at Broadway World