Cast Announced for CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND at Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, a Signature Theatre production, performing at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre (2015 Addison St., Berkeley) beginning Saturday, February 25 and continuing through Sunday, April 2, 2023. Press night will be held on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Tickets ($49-$123) for Cambodian Rock Band are on sale now and can be purchased online at berkeleyrep.org/shows/cambodian-rock-band/ or by phone at 510-647-2949 (Tue-Sun, 12-7 p.m.). Ticket prices are subject to change without notice.

Guitars tuned. Mic checked. Get ready to rock! This darkly funny, electric new play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in 30 years, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this thrilling story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. Directed by Chay Yew, and featuring songs by Dengue Fever, this intimate rock epic about family secrets is set against a dark chapter of Cambodian history.

Cambodian Rock Band was developed in The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work in 2016. This production is presented in association with Alley Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, and Center Theatre Group.

"I am so pleased and proud to finally be welcoming Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band back home to the Bay Area," said Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer. "This has been in the works for a long time, and I can't wait to have Chay Yew's brilliant production in our theatre. This has been a labor of love for all theatres involved, and a testament to organizations coming together in this moment to support artists and ensure that ambitious projects like this can reach audiences in cities across the country."

"Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band is a work of incredible theatrical deftness, brutal honesty, pure heart, and wit," adds director Chay Yew. "Her play breathes life into the timely issues in our divided nation: immigration, race, genocide, and human rights abuses; the rights of refugees and emigres; the consequences of apathy when a country shifts under a brutal regime; and the destruction of freedom of expression in the midst of political transitions and upheavals. In Lauren's astute eyes, one thing remains consistent throughout our temperamental world: the constancy, the resilience, and enduring power of art and artists. Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band celebrates the indomitable legacy of art and music; how artists capture our individual and national spirit and hopes; and the uncanny ability of art to inspire, to affirm our humanity, and to bring us together."

The cast of Cambodian Rock Band includes (in alphabetical order) Francis Jue (Duch), Abraham Kim (Rom/Journalist), Jane Lui (Pou/S21 Guard), Obie Award winner Joe Ngo (Chum), Geena Quintos (Neary/Sothea), Moses Villarama (Ted/Cadre/Leng), and Kelsey Angel Baehrens (Understudy), Alex Lydon (Understudy), and Vi Tran (Understudy).

Directed by Chay Yew, the creative team of Cambodian Rock Band includes Takeshi Kata (Scenic Designer), Linda Cho (Costume Designer), David Weiner (Lighting Designer), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Designer), Five Ohm Productions with Luke Norby (Projection Designer), Tom Watson (Wig Designer), Matt MacNelly (Music Supervisor and Co-Music Director), Jane Lui (Music Supervisor and Co-Music Director), Graham Schmidt (Associate Director), Merrick A.B. Williams (Stage Manager), and Caroline Duffin (Assistant Stage Manager).

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