Peter Kim George's Empire Liquor at ArtYard

Empire Liquor. Los Angeles, 1991. The tragic murder of a young black girl by a Korean shopkeeper ignites deep racial divisions, fueling the LA riots.

A manor house. Scotland, 2021. Armed with cushy TV development money, a group of actors quarantine themselves to tell the Empire Liquor story.

A caustic satire about race, colonial violence, bad water pressure, and the absurdity of making art.

Join us for the culmination of playwright Peter Kim George’s ArtYard residency for a staged reading of Empire Liquor, directed by Nana Dakin. A brief talkback with the playwright and creative team follows the reading. Theatergoers are encouraged to share their responses.

This daring play was the 2022 recipient of the Dr. Kerry English Award at the Ojai Playwrights Conference and was also developed at La Jolla Playhouse’s DNA New Work Series.