There's been a lot going on in the UK recently about race, specifically about East Asians (or just Asians, as they're known in the US) in the media. Recently, the Royal Shakespeare Company put on a show often called 'the Chinese Hamlet,' set in China, but with very few East Asian actors (here's an article in the Guardian UK about it: http://bit.ly/WKiR0p). In the UK, there just aren't a lot of East Asians in the arts industry, and to add to it, there aren't very many role models for younger East Asians trying to get into the biz.
That's why we're very excited to be bringing to the UK the European Premiere of the play "Yellow Face," by Tony-award winning playwright David Henry Hwang. David Henry Hwang is the first (and only?!) Asian-American playwright to be produced on Broadway and is a role model for all minorities looking to get into the arts. This play is a fast-paced, hilarious pseudo-autobiographical romp through the last two decades, which prompts discussion on the role race plays in the arts but also in society in general. We're excited to be able to bring it to London and to offer discussions with the playwright about race and these East Asian struggles.
Putting on plays in London is an expensive and challenging affair! As you may know, London's one of the most expensive cities in the world, and we've got to pay for a theatre, a cast of seven, and a full crew behind it - producers, directors, designers, stage managers, etc - not to mention the sets, the lights, the marketing, and more! After a year of searching and pitching, we've found a great space in London - the brand new Park Theatre, an exciting new BEAUTIFUL theatre in London (www.parktheatre.co.uk), and we're so excited to be a part of its inaugural season!
Of course a high quality production comes with a pretty steep price tag, and the production's going to run us about $60,000! While we're hoping to make a lot of it in ticket sales, your support will allow us to showcase East Asian role models - our playwright, David Henry Hwang, and one of our stars, David Yip (who you might recognize from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the James Bond film A View to Kill). Your donation will help us pay everyone involved and hopefully pay for David's flight out to London from NY!
Even more exciting is that “Yellow Face” UK is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of “Yellow Face” UK thus are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
"YELLOW FACE is that rarity in theater, a pungent play of ideas with a big heart. Picaresque tale brings to the national discussion about race three much-needed commodities: a sense of humor a mile wide, an even-handed treatment and a hopeful, healing vision of a world that could be." - Variety