North Korean Refugee Story to Make Philadelphia Premiere at InterAct Theatre Company

Why would you run from the "greatest country in the world"? InterAct Theatre Company presents Mia Chung's expressionistic and intensely relevant story of two sisters' perilous journey as they flee oppression in North Korea. You for Me for You is a harrowing, poetic, and satirical tale that creates metaphorical context for larger questions of immigration, assimilation, and human connection, casting a light on the Culture Clash between American values and North Korea's notoriously inscrutable regime.

Chung's play has been produced to great acclaim in Washington DC, Boston, Minneapolis, and in London. It will be directed by Rick Shiomi, the Barrymore Award-nominated director of InterAct's hit 2014 production of Caught and 2015 winner of the prestigious McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. The production will also feature choreography from celebrated Korean dance artist Jungwoong Kim following his 2016 residency with Asian Arts Initiative.

"You for Me for You is an incredibly moving and magical piece that truly captures the hopes, fears, and tribulations of all those who seek asylum in our country at a time when the issue is particularly poignant," says InterAct's Producing Artistic Director, Seth Rozin. "What is most surprising to me is how the humor and beauty of Mia's writing mixes perfectly with the tragic elements, deepening the emotional story."

Chung's quixotic play features Philly favorite Bi Jean Ngo (2016 F. Otto Haas Emerging Theatre Artist Award winner) and rising star Mina Kawahara as North Korean sisters Minhee and Junhee. The cast of local actors also includes Hillary Parker, Dwayne Thomas & Justin Jain.

Performances are March 24 - April 16 at InterAct's new home at The Drake - in The Proscenium Theatre, located at 302 S. Hicks Street in Center City Philadelphia. Tickets cost between $23-$39 and are available online at interacttheatre.org, at the box office at boxoffice@interacttheatre.org, or by phone at 215-568-8079. Limited "INTER-HALF" half-price tickets are available after previews, purchased same day in-person, at the box office (credit card fees apply).

The trees are listening, gossip spreads faster than germs, the frogs will tell on you. In You for Me for You, because of a perceived slight against "Dear Leader", sisters Minhee and Junhee are in grave danger. They must immediately make "The Crossing", a hazardous journey that takes more than money from those that attempt it. When torn apart at the border, Junhee is forced to navigate the perilous "Land of the Free" where language is garbled and time runs amok, while Minhee, trapped in a well, undertakes a labyrinthine expedition into her consciousness. The sisters must traverse the mercurial terrain of cultural expectations and personal beliefs to find each other again. Chung's visionary tale is filled with raw humor, pathos, and affecting drama set within a magical realist landscape worthy of Murakami and Marquez.

Consistent with the themes of You for Me for You, InterAct will be hosting a community-based events and happy hours supporting causes for immigrants and refugees. The events will be supported by visiting representatives from local non-profits to promote a spirit of community action. Attendees will receive half-price tickets to that evening's performance (as available) as well as discounts on wine and beer. Staff at InterAct will also compile resources to inform our audiences about further socially positive action steps and performances surrounding themes of social justice.

During the run, InterAct presents a number of post-show audience conversations and events. Coffee Conversations occur on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, featuring informal discussions with the artists and complimentary treats from Insomnia Cookies as well as coffee. Speaker Sundays, which follow Sunday matinee performances, are curated conversations led by invited scholars, community leaders, and experts in the themes of the play. In addition, this season features [ET1] Audience Discussions after every other performance during the run (not including previews). These will be facilitated by local community members to foster conversation after the show, connecting the themes and events of the play to our larger community. #AllAreWelcome.

Schedule for YOU FOR ME FOR YOU:

Friday, March 24, 2017

8:00 PM

Preview

Saturday, March 25, 2017

4:00 PM

Preview

Saturday, March 25, 2017

8:00 PM

Preview

Sunday, March 26, 2017

2:00 PM

Preview

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

7:00 PM

Preview

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

7:00 PM

OPENING NIGHT

Thursday, March 30, 2017

8:00 PM

First Thursday/Young Professionals night

Friday, March 31, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show interview w/ Director's Gathering

Saturday, April 1, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Sunday, April 2, 2017

2:00 PM

Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

7:00 PM

Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

7:00 PM

Coffee Conversation

Thursday, April 6, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Friday, April 7, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Saturday, April 8, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Sunday, April 9, 2017

2:00 PM

Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

7:00 PM

Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

7:00 PM

Coffee Conversation

Thursday, April 13, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Friday, April 14, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Saturday, April 15, 2017

8:00 PM

Post-show Audience Discussion

Sunday, April 16, 2017

2:00 PM

Speaker Sunday

Rick Shiomi (director) has been a leader in the Asian-American theater movement since the 1980s. He received The McKnight Distinguished Artist Award in 2015, The Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012 and the Sally Ordway Irvine Award for Vision in 2007. He was a co-founder of Mu Performing Arts in 1992 in Minnesota and the Artistic Director for twenty years. His plays include Mask Dance, Journey of the Drum and Yellow Fever which played Off Broadway, around North America and in Japan. His directing includes productions of Flower Drum Song (The David Hwang version), Into The Woods and Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Most recently he directed Caught by Christopher Chen at InterAct Theatre Company in 2014 and received a Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Direction. He is currently the co-artistic director of Full Circle Theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul and is working in Philadelphia on a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, in the "Building Demand For The Arts" (Implementation) program.

Mia Chung (playwright) is the author of You for Me for You, Catch as Catch Can, This Exquisite Corpse, Skin in the Game, an adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao, and We Spend Our Lives. You for Me for You had a UK premiere at The Royal Court Theatre in December 2015. The play premiered in 2012 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC (in association with Ma-Yi Theatre Company and supported by an NEA grant), with a second production at Company One in Boston and performances at Portland Playhouse and Mu Performing Arts Center. She has received awards and fellowships from Southern Rep, RISCA, TCG, and others; and her work has been developed by the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Civilians' R&D Group, Doorway Arts Ensemble, Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, Inkwell, Kennedy Center, LAByrinth Theatre Company, Magic Theatre, Mu Performing Arts, Page Salon, Playwrights Realm, and Stella Adler Studio. She is a member of New Dramatists, a playwriting fellow of the Huntington Theatre, and an emeritus member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab. She attended Yale (BA); the University of Dublin, Trinity College (M.Phil.); and Brown (MFA).

Celebrating its 29th year and first full season at The Drake, InterAct is a theatre for today's world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. Founded in 1988 by Producing Artistic Director Seth Rozin, InterAct seeks to entertain audiences by producing world-class, thought-provoking productions, and to use theatre as a tool to foster positive social change and civic discourse.