NCTC Presents International LGBTQ Love Story CARDBOARD PIANO

In October, New Conservatory Theatre Center is pleased to present the regional premiere of Cardboard Piano by Whiting Award-winning playwright, Hansol Jung, in partnership with Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) . Directed by Tom Bruett, this "deeply moving new play" (Courier Journal) is a sweeping tale of love, redemption, and the ongoing fight for international LGBTQ rights. 16-year old Chris just wants to find a safe place to live with the girl she loves- not an easy task in 1999 Uganda. Determined to be together, Chris, the daughter of American missionaries and Adiel, a local girl, meet in the village church to marry in secret. When the war outside the church walls breaks its way into their sanctuary in the form of a wounded child-soldier, all three lives become tied together forever. Cardboard Piano is a riveting testament to the power of the past to shape the future, and the bonds of love, family, and forgiveness.

Cardboard Piano runs Oct 26 - Dec 2, 2018. Opening Night is Saturday, Nov 3, 2018 at 8pm. Tickets are $25-55 and available at nctcsf.org, by emailing boxoffice@nctcsf.org or by calling 415-861-8972.

Audiences can enjoy these special events during the run of the show:

-Onstage Insight, Post-Show Discussions after the following performance featuring the cast, moderated by the play's director, Sunday, November 11 at 2pm

-New! Due to the vital subject matter of Cardboard Piano, all performances will include a post-show conversation with the audience.

-Low-cost Previews: Friday, Oct 26 - Nov 2

-Opening Night will take place on Saturday, Nov 3 at 8pm. The performance will be followed by a catered reception.

-Additional special events to be announced!

Playwright Hansol Jung is an award-winning playwright and director from South Korea. She received the 2018 Whiting Award for Drama, and her plays have been developed internationally, including Royal Court, New York Theatre Workshop, Berkeley Repertory's Ground Floor, O'Neill Theatre Center's New Play Conference, and Ma-Yi Theater Company. She holds a Playwriting MFA from Yale School of Drama and is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Theatre Writers Lab.

Director Tom Bruett returns to NCTC after directing critically acclaimed productions of Le Switch (2017) and Birds of a Feather (2013). Other directing credits include the Marriage Equality Plays at Fort Mason, Playground and a season as the Acting Director of New Works and producer of the annual New Works Festival at TheatreWorks. As a writer, Tom has had work produced in San Francisco, New York, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma. As an actor, Tom has performed at Arkansas Rep, Springer Opera House and the national tour of Irving Berlin's I Love a Piano.

The Cardboard Piano cast includes Howard Johnson (Pika/Francis), Gabriella Momah (Adiel/Ruth), and Megan Timpane (Chris), and Dane Troy (Soldier/Paul).

Cardboard Piano will feature scenic design by Devin Kasper, costume design by Corrida Carr, lighting design by Sophia Craven, props design by Daniel Yelen, fight coaching by Kristen Matia, dialect coaching by Patricia Reynoso and stage management by Toni Guidry.

For the regional premiere of Cardboard Piano, NCTC is proud to partner with the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD). Our upcoming press release will announce special MoAD sponsored events, including an in-depth post-show conversation about human rights in Africa.

New Conservatory Theatre Center has been San Francisco's premier LGBTQIA performing arts institution and progressive arts education conservatory since 1981. NCTC is renowned for its diverse range of innovative, high-quality productions, touring productions and shows for young audiences; its foundational anti-bullying work with youth and educators through YouthAware; and its commitment to developing new plays to continue expanding the canon of Queer and Allied dramatic work.