Pan Asian Rep Kicks Off 'TWO FACES OF MODERN ASIA' Series Tonight

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre presents two new plays as part of the staged reading series Two Faces of Modern Asia: Fulfillment by Jeremy Tiang, directed by Mei Ann Teo (tonight, October 20, 2017) and UN by John Kim, directed by Flordelino Lagundino (October 27, 2017).

Both readings will begin at 7:00PM in the Bruce Mitchell Room at A.R.T. NY (520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor). Following each presentation will be a reception and Q&A with the artists. Suggested donation at the door towards refreshments. Reservations may be made at info@panasianrep.org. or by calling (212) 868-4030.

In Fulfillment, Bennett works at an Amazon fulfillment center, a dead-end job most of her co-workers dream of escaping -- except Mengru, a Chinese immigrant, who sees her path to a better life here. Can these two women survive in a system that's rigged against them, and what will they have to sacrifice? The five-member cast will feature Chun Cho, Jo Mei, Catherine Maria Rodriguez, Adriana Sananes and Jeena Yi. The Dramaturg is Xingying Peng. Stage directions will be read by Hui-Shurn Yong.

Playwright Jeremy Tiang's adaptation of A Dream of Red Pavilions was produced by Pan Asian Rep in 2016. Other plays include The Last Days of Limehouse (Yellow Earth, London), Salesman?? (LABA) and Alameda. He is also a translator of plays, novels and other books, including work by Zhang Yueran, Chan Ho-Kei and Jackie Chan. Jeremy's own novel, State of Emergency, is being published by Epigram Books this November. He is the Asia Literary Editor at the Asian American Writers' Workshop.

Director Mei Ann Teo is a Chinese Singaporean/Asian American theatre and film maker. Her credits across many genres include reimagining classics, experimental participatory work, multi-media music theatre, and documentary theatre. Her work tours internationally, including Belgium's Festival de Liege (Lyrics From Lockdown, "Truly polished, meaningful and entertaining" -New York Times), Edinburgh International Fringe (MiddleFlight, "Stunning" -Scotsman), M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (The Shape of a Bird, "Superb staging" - Straits Times), Beijing International Festival (Labyrinth - Top 8 in Beijing News). She recently directed the world premiere of Dim Sum Warriors by Colin Goh and Yen Yen Woo, composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Du Yun in Shanghai. She holds an MFA from Columbia University, and is the assistant professor of directing and dramaturgy at Hampshire College.

UN (a completely true story of the rise of Kim Jong Un) pulls back the curtain on the madman tyrant to fill the gaps between the little we know about his life and actions. Beneath the sculpted horn like hair, there was once a boy who wanted to be Michael Jordan. Meet Kim Jong Un. If we look beyond our fear of North Korean caricatures, what might we find?

Playwright John Kim hails from Brooklyn and army bases around the country. He got his start as a writer/actor in DC. He received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU. John has built tech products for companies like AOL, Conversagent, Microsoft, and Simple. He's currently Co-Founder of Presence AI, a company that builds AI for everyday businesses.

Director Flordelino Lagundino is the Artistic Director of Leviathan Lab and a company member of Theater Akimbo. He is a 2017 Drama League New York Directing Fellow. Upcoming projects include directing FOB by David Henry Hwang (Drama League DirectorFest), Trigger by Sam Chanse (Leviathan Lab). Past directing credits include: Sweeney Todd, Doubt, Yellowman, Animals Out of Paper (Perseverance Theatre); Flipzoids, True West, Shakespeare's R&J (Generator Theater Company); Sweeney Todd (Juneau Symphony); In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Much Ado About Nothing, Stone Cold Dead Serious, In the Blood (Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company). Acting credits include: Vietgone (Mixed Blood Theatre); Measure for Measure (The Old Globe); Camino Real (The Shakespeare Theatre Company); Willy Wonka (The Kennedy Center); The Long Season, Yeast Nation, Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest (Perseverance Theatre). Other: former associate producer at La Jolla Playhouse. Directing fellowships: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, Kennedy Center. Education: MFA, Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company; MFA, University of Texas at Austin. Visit www.flordelinolagundino.com for more information.

The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's staged reading series Two Faces of Asia performance schedule is: Fulfillment on Friday, October 20, 2017 at 7:00PM and UN on Friday, October 27, 2017 at 7:00PM in Bruce Mitchell Room at A.R.T. NY (520 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018). Suggested donation of $10. To RSVP, please email Frank at info@panasianrep.org or call (212) 868-4030.

Tisa Chang (Pan Asian Rep Founding Artistic Producing Director) has led the company since inception promoting stories seldom told and voices seldom heard. She is theatre professional for 5 decades as actor, dancer director and highlights include: 2015's Sayonara; 2007'sThe Joy Luck Club, intercultural epic Cambodia Agonistes which toured nationally and to Cairo and Johannesburg, Kwatz! The Tibetan Project, and Rashomon which was invited to Havana Theatre Festival in 2003. She innovated premieres, in English and Mandarin Chinese of the Peking opera, Return of the Phoenix, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, celebrating its 41st Milestone, was founded in 1977 by Tisa Chang and core artists at La Mama with the help of the late Ellen Stewart, where she used Artistry in Action to counter stereotyped casting, and to broaden the theatrical vocabulary of American theatre. PAN ASIAN REP is regarded as a pioneer for artistic excellence and service - with an Off-Broadway Season, Training/Outreach, Play Development- and is recognized by diverse communities, press and the American theatre mainstream. Mel Gussow of The New York Times described it as "A Stage for All the World of Asian -Americans" and wrote that "Before Pan Asian Rep, Asian Americans had severely limited opportunities in the theater..." The company has nurtured thousands of artists and is a "who-is-who" of Asian American theatre history, with notable alumni/ae including Lucy Liu currently seen on CBS TV's Elementary, and Daniel Dae Kim on Hawaii 5-0.