Cast Revealed for the Off-Broadway Premiere of THE RICE EATERS By Yide Cai
A new AAPI-led play set in a Chinese replica art factory opens this August.
The cast and creative team have been announced for the New York Off-Broadway premiere of The Rice Eaters, a new play by Chinese playwright Yide Cai, running August 7, 8, 10, 2025, at AMT Theater (354 W 45th St) as part of the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival.
Set in a factory town in Shenzhen, China, where workers mass produce Van Gogh replicas for export, The Rice Eaters draws inspiration from Cai's visit to Shenzhen's infamous Da Fen Village - a refuge for artists and copyists, where the playwright spoke with artists about their lives and labor.
The play follows Fan Gao, a worker who claims his son's painting as his own and begins an affair with a German manager. As exploitation turns inward, the story examines artistic ownership, generational ambition, and the economic forces that shape identity and power.
The cast includes Ronald Kuang as Fan Gao, Karen Li as Starry Night, Bryan Chan as Sunflower, Jonon Gansukh as Night Cafe, Sydney Lo as Ms. Huang and Louise Heller as Frau Katrin Bürgermann.
The Rice Eaters is directed and co-produced by Gregory Keng Strasser, with Christie Chang also serving as co-producer. The creative team features Qingan Zhang (scenic design), Angela Zhang (costume design), Xiangfu Xiao (lighting design), Jake Eisner (sound design), Kimi Handa Brown (Intimacy and Violence Director), Zoe Feng (production stage manager), and Sherry Wang (stage manager).
Performances will take place at AMT Theater on Thursday, August 7 at 8:00 PM; Friday, August 8 at 2:00 PM; and Sunday, August 10 at 5:00 PM.
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