Leviathan Lab Announces Work-in-Progress Showing Of Ariel Estrada's FULL CONTACT In Residency At BRIC

Leviathan Lab, a creative studio for Asian American Pacific Islander theatre artists, will present two work-in-process showings of FULL CONTACT, a new solo performance work written and performed by Ariel Estrada (Producing Artistic Director, Leviathan Lab; BIPOC Leadership Circle, artEquity) and directed by Ariel Estrada (Producing Artistic Director, Leviathan Lab; BIPOC Leadership Circle, artEquity,) directed by Gaven Trinidad (Rising Leader of Color, Theatre Communications Group.)" target="_blank">Gaven Trinidad (Rising Leader of Color, Theatre Communications Group) with mentorship by Chay Yew. The showings are the culminating events of Leviathan's participation in BRICLab, a multi-disciplinary residency program at BRIC created to advance opportunities for visual artists, performers, and media makers.

FULL CONTACT runs for two performances at 7:00 PM on Thursday, April 28 and 7:00 PM on Friday, April 29. Tickets for Leviathan Lab's workshop production of FULL CONTACT are free with RSVP. Reserve tickets at https://bit.ly/full-contact-bric.

Each showing will be followed by a Liz Lerman Critical Response Process led on Thursday by actor, singer, and teaching artist Lydia Gaston (FILM: Easter Sunday) and on Friday by actor, writer, and teaching artist Claro de los Reyes (Founder & Director, Atlantic Pacific Theatre.)

FULL CONTACT is writer/performer Ariel Estrada's journey to reclaim his body and spirit as a 20-year survivor of a brutal martial arts cult. In the play, Estrada embodies his late father and himself as boys and young men, and discovers how the history of colonialism in Southeast Asia affected them both. Through their stories, he brings to life the emotional conflict between father and son, his coming-of-age at the height of the AIDS crisis, and his ongoing battle to take pride in himself as a gay Filipino American man against all odds.

The two work-in-process showings feature lighting design by Leslie Gray, sound design by Christopher Darbassie, projection design by Cinthia Chen, and videography by Just Bein' Productions (Nyseli Vega and Bianca DiSarro.) Stage management is provided by Mars Neri, and is produced by Leviathan Lab Assistant Producer Jennifer Ogasian.

FULL CONTACT was a 2020 finalist for the National New Play Network Commission Grant. The play has also received residencies at The Orchard Project, Space on Ryder Farm, and Barn Arts Collective, as well as work-in-progress showings at The Tank and Cloud City.