The Asian American Theater Company (AATC) completes its 2010 Season with the world premiere of BEIJING, CALIFORNIA a new play by Paul Heller, based on a story developed with and directed by Duy Nguyen. BEIJING, CALIFORNIA opens July 1, 2010, and runs for three weeks, through July 17, 2010, at the Thick House, 1695 18th Street, San Francisco.
BEIJING, CALIFORNIA is an unflinching study of one nation’s invasion by another–but this time, the victim is not Iraq or Afghanistan; rather, it is America, and the invader is China. As playwright Paul Heller noted in his January 29, 2009 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle’s 96 Hours, “I hope the audience members will look at their own values and their perceptions of other countries–and how those might change if we were the ones being invaded. What I think we’ll see is that Americans would act like everybody else in the world if they became citizens of a Third World country.”
The play’s futurist scenario takes place in 2050, when Katrina-like disasters and a series of financial meltdowns lead to America’s collapse. The audience follows a series of characters and stories in the Bay Area over a span of 50 years, and discovers what happens to American values in the aftermath of foreign occupation.
Beijing, California’s cast includes acclaimed actors Stephen Hu, Lisa Kang, Tom Lazur, Wayne Lee*, JanLee Marshall, Garth Petal*, Erika Salazar, and Jennifer Vo Le. (*Denotes members of Actors Equity Association.)
Beijing, California is generously funded by CA$H, a grants program of Theatre Bay Area, in partnership with Dancers’ Group; Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund; the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation; and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
AATC is part of the Thick House Presenting Program.
Beijing, California is the fourth production under AATC’s Co-Artistic Directors, Alan S. Quismorio and Duy Nguyen; Executive Director, Darryl D. Chiang; and Managing Director, Pearl Wong.
WHAT: Asian American Theater Company’s world premiere of BEIJING, CALIFORNIA by Paul Heller
WHERE: Thick House Theater, 1695 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
WHEN: Preview: June 28, 2010 at 8pm (Monday)
Opening Night: July 1, 2010 at 8pm (Thursday)
Performances: July 2-17, 2010 (Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 5pm)
TICKETS: $15 – $25 sliding scale
Discounts available for students, seniors, and Theatre Bay Area members
On sale at www.asianamericantheater.org
INFO and VIDEO TRAILER: www.asianamericantheater.org
