In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars at Moving Arts Theatre

Moving Arts Theatre presents In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars by Stephen Dierkes, directed by Jeff Liu. Ninety feet underground, an emperor is laid to rest. A revolution tries to erase his memory. A son rejects everything his father stands for. In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars asks whether there's something between venerating history and burying it.

In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars is an audacious and epic play about historical and generational change, as captured in three snapshots from China’s fraught and often bloody history: the stultification of dynastic China (1620), the upheaval and fervent idealism of the Cultural Revolution (1966), and the personal and globalist power struggles of today (2026). All of this takes place 90 feet below ground, in the tomb of the Wanli Emperor. The Noble Consort yearns to be buried with her love but lacks the status for it; a former teacher tries to survive in a time when idols and intellectuals alike are being erased; an immigrant father tries desperately to connect with his Americanized son.

The play provides parallels to today’s America: our fights over history, the destruction of statues and monuments, the overthrow of expertise, and our destructive polarization. In the fractured mirror of a different time and place, we see bits of ourselves even in opposing characters. Despite its big ideas, the play is personal and emotional, featuring four actors playing different (but thematically related) characters through the centuries, all in an intimate space ideal for the Moving Arts stage in Atwater Village.

Written by Stephen Dierkes, Directed by Jeff Liu, In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars stars Jonathan Cheung, Elaine Kao, Wayne Lee and West Liang.

Creative team:

Scenic and lighting: Justin Huen*, Costume: JJ Javier, Sound: Kyle Cunanan, Props: Dana Schwartz* *(denotes Moving Arts member)