Signature Theatre Announces Cast & Creative Team of KING OF THE YEES

Signature Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for the play King of the Yees, written by Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band, The Great Leap) and directed by Jennifer Chang (Round House's The Great Leap, LA Opera's On Golden Mountain). Performances run September 12 – October 22, 2023 in Signature's ARK Theatre. Tickets are available at SigTheatre.org.

King of the Yees is a vibrant, semi-autobiographical comedy about community, culture and the connection between fathers and daughters. Playwright Lauren Yee is rehearsing her newest show about her father (which she has not told him about), when he joyfully bursts through the doors and interrupts the actors. After he later goes missing, the younger Yee must embark on a quest through San Francisco's famous Chinatown, beyond the iconic Dragon's Gate, through a bustling maze of alleys and magical portals, to find him before it's too late. Bitingly funny, heartfelt, and imaginative, King of the Yees is an exuberant epic of rediscovering heritage and becoming a part of, instead of apart from, one's story.

“Lauren Yee is a gifted storyteller, and I am thrilled to have the work of this important voice on our stage,” said Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. “King of the Yees is a play full of heart, joy and adventure about a daughter and her father who drives her crazy and who she loves deeply. I know Signature's audiences will fall in love with this magical, hilarious and moving story in the same way that I have, and I cannot wait for you to see the incredible production that director Jennifer Chang has in store.”

“King of the Yees is a hilarious and heartfelt letter to the relationship between playwright Lauren Yee, her father, Larry, the Yees that came before, all the Yees in existence, and any Yees forthcoming,” said Director Jennifer Chang. “In all seriousness, the history of Chinatowns, the Chinese, and the Asian American community in the United States is complex, but Lauren does an incredible job of weaving multiple threads and our attention to places and people we might overlook, making us laugh along the very memorable way. In King of the Yees, Lauren takes us on a cheeky adventure down a zany proverbial rabbit-hole through the belly of San Francisco's Chinatown where she arrives at a better understanding of where she comes from and the power of remembering. I can't wait to embark on this journey with all of the exceptional artists assembled.”

The cast for King of the Yees includes Grant Chang (NYTW's Marian Jean, Round House Theatre's The Great Leap) as Larry, Sylvia Kwan (Center Theatre Group's Water by the Spoonful, East West Players' Vietgone) as Actor 2, Ashley D. Nguyen (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Olney Theatre Center's Dance Nation) as Lauren, Jacob Yeh (Studio Theatre's Vietgone, Shakespeare Theatre Company's Julius Caesar) as Actor 1, and Nicholas Yenson (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Arena Stage's Red Hot Patriot) as Actor 3.

The creative team for King of the Yees includes Scenic Design by Tanya Orellana (Mabou Mines' Shared Sentences, Pasadena Playhouse's Stew), Costume Design by Helen Q. Huang (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Woolly Mammoth's Marie Antoinette), Lighting Design by Minjoo Kim (Round House Theatre's The Great Leap, Studio Theatre's English), and Sound Design and Original Music by Matthew M. Nielson (Guthrie Theater's Shane, Round House Theatre's Radio Golf). Casey Kaleba is the Fight Choreographer and Joy Lanceta Coronel is the Accent Coach. Casting is by Jorge Acevedo. Dominik Krzanowski is the Magic Consultant and Chua Martial Arts are the Lion Dance Coach. Hope Villaneuva is the Production Stage Manager, Fior Tat is the Production Assistant, Gregory Keng Strasser is the Assistant Director, Cody Conrad Von Ruden is the Associate Costume Designer, and Elijah Thomas is the Assistant Lighting Designer. 

 

King of the Yees

September 12 — October 22, 2023 
ARK Theatre

A vibrant, semi-autobiographical comedy about community, culture and the connection between fathers and daughters.

Playwright Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band) is rehearsing her newest show about her father (which she has not told him about), when he joyfully bursts through the doors and interrupts the actors. After he later goes missing, the younger Yee must embark on a quest through San Francisco's famous Chinatown, beyond the iconic Dragon's Gate, through a bustling maze of alleys and magical portals, to find him before it's too late.

Bitingly funny, heartfelt, and imaginative, King of the Yees is an exuberant epic of rediscovering heritage and becoming a part of, instead of apart from, one's story.

By Lauren Yee
Directed by Jennifer Chang

September 12 — October 22, 2023 
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night, October 13, 2023
Post-show Discussions, September 27 and October 17, 2023
Masks Required, September 23 (2PM) and October 17, 2023

Signature has updated its policy regarding masking in performance spaces. Please visit SigTheatre.org/Safety for more details on current safety standards.

Tickets and information at SigTheatre.org or 703 820 9771

ABOUT SIGNATURE

Signature Theatre is a Tony Award-winning regional theater that broadens and brightens the region's cultural landscape with its bold productions of challenging new and established works and engaging education and outreach programs. Founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio, and currently under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, musical theater is Signature's “signature,” and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Signature combines Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and aims to be a leading force in U.S. musical theater.

Since its inception, the Theatre has produced 60 world premiere works—including 19 new musical commissions. Signature opens its doors to more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond and reaches more than 10,000 students every year through its innovative education programs, including the award-winning initiative Signature in the Schools. Signature has won 140 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 482 nominations.