Wai Ching Ho, James Chen, and Jon Norman Schneider Lead INFLECTIONS from Second Generation Productions

Wai Ching Ho ("Marvel's The Defenders"; ENDLINGS, New York Theatre Workshop), James Chen ("FBI"; "The Walking Dead"), and Jon Norman Schneider (Bitter Melon; HENRY VI, PARTS 1-3, National Asian American Theatre Company) lead the cast and program of Second Generation Productions' (2g's) INFLECTIONS, five short new works about the undulations of the Asian American life, curated by Executive Producer Victor Malana Maog (Disney, American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theater, Cal Shakes). Jonathan Castanien (The Sống Collective, Atlantic Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club) produces.

The free online premiere will broadcast on Howlround TV as well on CAATA's Facebook video page on Monday, June 28 at 7PM ET | 6PM CT | 5PM MT | 4PM PT | 3PM AKT | 1PM HT, and will be available free and on-demand through Wednesday, June 30.

The 2g commissioned pieces of INFLECTIONS will be presented as part of the Consortium of Asian American Theatres & Artists' (CAATA's) "Healing Over Hate" Virtual Series, in partnership with Howlround Theatre Commons. The plays and casts of INFLECTIONS include:

Body of Eyes

Text by Philip Kan Gotanda (Legacy Playwright Initiative Award, Yankee Dawg You Die, The Wash)

Music by Shinji Eshima (RAKU and Swimmer, San Francisco Ballet)

Directed by Victor Malana Maog.

With Nicole Takesono Flowers (San Francisco Opera, Opera San Jose), Kevin Gino (West Edge Opera, San Francisco Opera), and Brenda Vahur (Earplay, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra).

A couple wonders about their decision to not have children.

Darwin's Arch

By Jade Wu (Disney/ABC Writing Fellow)

Directed by Margaret Lee (Drama League Directors Project; Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow).

With Kate Rigg (Dogeaters, Public Theater; BFE, Playwright's Horizons), Virginia Wing (Chu Chem, original Bway cast; NAATCO), Jeff Biehl (Machinal, Roundabout/Bway; New Group), and Oscar Cabrera (NYC Latinx Playwright Circle).

Everything changes yet remains the same because invisibility exists only in darkness, but if light shines a spot on the unseen fear that keeps reinventing hate in the dark, it will erode, collapsing its foundation, proving that only the truest of the fittest survive.

Distanced Abandoned

By Max Yu (Nightwatch, 2019 Relentless Award)

Directed by May Liang (Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Director's Lab).

With Jon Norman Schneider (NAATCO, Actors Theatre of Louisville), James Chen (Ian Lim on CBS's "FBI", "The Walking Dead"), Wai Ching Ho (Endlings, NYTW), and Katharine Chin (Coriolanus, Shakespeare in the Park).

Zhaofei encounters the conflict between his father and uncle when he returns to Nanchang after learning of his grandmother's death.

Same Shadow

By Ren Dara Santiago (The Sibling Play, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater).

Directed by Jesca Prudencio (Julie Taymor World Theater Fellowship; Steppenwolf).

With Francesca Fernandez McKenzie (Gloria: A Life, Daryl Roth Theatre) and Geena Quintos (Soft Power, Public Theater).

Same Shadow follows two Fili-Rican sisters in their late twenties living on opposite ends of the East Coast as they unfold a pattern of rediscovering themselves together through a series of FaceTime calls about food, career goals, racism, dream interpretations, trauma, and family.

Story, a Play in Twenty Measures

By Mashuq Mushtaq Deen (Draw the Circle, 2019 Lambda Literary Award)

Directed by Mei Ann Teo (Musical Theatre Factory; Josephine Abady Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women).

With Futaba Shioda (Rent Tour; 2020 Paul Robeson Award, Actors' Equity Association), Riti Sachdeva (National Hispanic Cultural Center, PopUp Theatrics), Kenneth Lee (The Machine, Park Ave Armory, Donmar, and Manchester Int'l Fringe), and Sushma Saha (Interstate, NYMF; The Wolves, Actors Theatre of Louisville).

A story about the families we make, sometimes out of thin air, but always out of full hearts.

Through INFLECTIONS, 2g will also spotlight two NYC-based organizations, GAPIMNY: Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders and The Buddy System NYC - who are providing much needed services to the Asian American community. GAPIMNY is an all-volunteer, membership-based organization which provides a safe space for support, visibility and action among NYC's community of queer and transgender Asian American and Pacifc Islander people. The Buddy System NYC is an organization geared to help the AAPI/API community get around NYC safely with accompaniment services from trustworthy volunteer allies.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. For more information, please visit 2g.org and caata.net.

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