Announcement
- "... a deeply astute performance as Raymond... intelligent, conflicted, humorous, obsessive, in love and out of love..." — KIM VOYNAR, cinematical.com
My blog
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"Dragonball Evolution" screening with Director James Wong - April 6
Friday, Mar 20, 2009 3:30AM / Event / Los Angeles Screening
SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT At the beginning of this year I was elected co-chair of the Asian American Committee at the Directors Guild of America (DGA). I will be serving a two-year term, with co-chairs, Ron Dempsey and Babu Subramaniam. Our first big event will be happening early next month: A special pre-release screening of "Dragonball Evolution" followed by Q&A with director James Wong. This event will be open to non-DGA members, so if you are in Los Angeles, come out and hear director James Wong discuss the making of this big-budget studio flick. The film opens in the U.S. April 8 so this will be a sneak preview, in addition to a chance to hear from the director.
DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION
A special presentation by the DGA Asian American Committee
Monday, April 6 • 7:30 PM
Directors Guild of America • Theater 1
Screening will be followed by a discussion with Director James Wong, moderated by DGA Director Sandy Tung
Children under the age of 16 may attend the screening
This event is open to non-DGA members, but RSVP is required
RSVP list has reached capacity
SPECIAL NOTE: NO CAMERA/VIDEO DEVICES WILL BE ALLOWED IN THEATER
Because this screening is taking place prior to the theatrical release, 20th Century Fox has announced that they will have security at the screening to check all guests for any recording devices. Cameras or cell phones with camera/video recording will not be allowed
SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT * SOLD OUT
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NOW CASTING: SEEKING 'BRUCE LEE' FOR BROADWAY MUSICAL - L.A. auditions March 19
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 3:50AM / Standard Entry / Theatre Casting
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"Visas and Virtue" Screening in Mumbai
Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 8:24AM / Event
I am honored that my Academy Award-winning short film, "Visas and Virtue" has been selected to screen in Mumbai, India, at the 7Islands International Film Festival, on Closing Night, January 30, 2009.
The 7Islands, in its 4th Edition, has a mission of Non-Violent Resistance, Global Disarmament, Human Rights & Peace.
My film will screen following the Closing Ceremony, with the feature film, "Seven Days Sunday," by Niels Laupert. Screening begins at 6:30 pm. Here are details:
4th 7Islands International Film Festival
"Visas and Virtue"
showing with
"Seven Days Sunday"
6:30 pm to 8:16 pm
Friday, January 30, 2009
S.P.JAIN AUDITORIUM
BHAVAN'S COMPLEX
ANDHERI (W)
MUMBAI, INDIA
For details about the program, [click here].
For full festival schedule, [click here] (www.7islands.in)
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Passing of Mrs. Yukiko Sugihara
Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 6:26AM / Information
As many of you know, perhaps my biggest claim to fame is my 1998 Oscar win for my short film, Visas and Virtue, inspired by the true story of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara and his wife, Yukiko. Chiune passed away in 1986, but I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Sugihara in 1998 when former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan hosted a reception honoring her at the Mayor's residence in Hancock Park. She was the most elegant, gracious lady, with the kindest eyes, and having known, studied and worked so diligently at honoring her Humanitarian work, the experience of just being in her presence was the most humbling I have known.
Though most of the Humanitarian honors have been bestowed on her husband – for it was his work that allowed many thousands of Polish Jewish refugees to escape the impending Holocaust in 1940, via his consulate in Lithuania – I have always felt that it was her urging that was a major influence in Mr. Sugihara's decision to risk his career, and his life, and defy his government, and proceed to write transit visas 16 hours a day for three weeks. When making our film, we made a conscious effort to include her in the story, oftentimes taking dramatic license to do so, as our way of honoring her along side her husband.
She was a Humanitarian, and a warm Human being.
Mrs. Sugihara passed away three days ago, at age 94.
Below is an announcement from Nobuki Sugihara, youngest son of Chiune and Yukiko.
I am grateful to have been a small part of honoring them both.
—CT
Mrs. Yukiko Sugihara joins Chiune, Hiroki and Haruki.
09/10/2008
Dear Friends,
My mother Mrs. Yukiko Sugihara passed away peacefully on the 8th of October 2008.
She was 94 years old. Family funeral was taken care by my brother Chiaki Sugihara today in Fujisawa Japan. Yukiko's cremated ashes and bones will be buried in Kamakura where Chiune, Hiroki and Haruki are buried, 30 days from today.
I would like to thank all of you who gave my mother warm support and love in her dramatic life with Chiune Sugihara.
Yukiko is now joining my father Chiune and my brothers Hiroki and Haruki in the hereafter with happiness.
My family and I would like to invite you for Yukiko Sugihara's farewell meeting at Aoyama Sougisho in Tokyo on the 9th of November at 13:00 o'clock. Link for address and map: www.aoyamasougisho.jp/map.html
I would like to request not to wear funeral suits as this way Yukiko would feel more comfortable and joyful with you.
Thank you.
Nobuki Sugihara and Family.
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Profile on Playwright DAN KWONG (and myself) on "Be Like Water"
Saturday, Sep 20, 2008 8:00AM / Press Release
Ghost of Bruce Lee Appears in Dan Kwong's "Be Like Water"
By Soji Kashiwagi
Over 35 years ago, solo performance artist Dan Kwong remembers the moment martial arts legend Bruce Lee entered his life, and changed him forever.
It was 1972 at the historic Biograph movie theater in Chicago. Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" was on the big screen and Kwong, a 20-something Asian American male who grew up in the 1960s with no Asian male heroes to call his own, sat there with his eyes popped out and his mouth wide open. When Bruce Lee entered and threw his first punch, Kwong's world, at that moment, was turned upside down.
"He was magnificent!" said Kwong.
So magnificent that when Bruce Lee proceeded to punch and whirl and kick and take out all these bad guys all by himself, and just stood there, as Kwong remembers, "With this wild look on his face, like he's gonna explode from the inside," the audience, made up of mostly young, white males, started to cheer.
And Kwong sat there, crowd going bananas, Bruce Lee blazing hot on screen, and he started to cry.
Thirty six years later, Kwong, now 53, writes about this moment in his first play entitled "Be Like Water," which is currently receiving its world premiere at the East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles.
"Be Like Water" playwright DAN KWONG at work – EWP • Aug. '08 (photo by: LILIA HUANG)
"If you were an Asian guy," says Frank Fong, the Asian American father character in the play, "There was nothing out there to look up to. Nothing! Until Bruce Lee. It was like growing up in a dry, empty desert. Then one day you walk over a hill—and there's the Pacific Ocean. That was Bruce. He was the ocean."
Kwong, the playwright, added: "Bruce Lee was international. He was global. He went beyond only a single group of people. But he did have a very specific impact for a specific group of people, which is guys like me, and I wanted to shine a light on that."
So with Bruce Lee as his inspiration, Kwong added in a mother/daughter conflict, disco dancing teens, Gung Fu fighting and the ghost of Bruce Lee presiding over the entire proceedings while appearing in various forms of water—and a full-length play was born.
Presented in association with Cedar Grove Onstage and directed by Academy Award winner Chris Tashima, "Be Like Water" is set in Chicago, 1978, where we meet 13-year-old Tracy Fong, a Gung Fu fanatic tomboy who is challenged by school bullies, airhead rivals and a controlling mother who just wants her to be a "normal" girl.
Throughout the play, as Tracy's life spins out of control, the ghost of Bruce Lee appears on stage to teach Tracy the true meaning of strength and the power of water.
SAYA TOMIOKA as Tracy with CESAR CIPRIANO as Ghost of Bruce Lee
in "Be Like Water" (photo by: MICHAEL LAMONT)
"There's two inspirations for this story," said Kwong. "One, I wanted to express some things I believe about family and relationships and what happens to people who don't fit in. The other main inspiration was I wanted to say something about the very specific impact Bruce Lee had for Asian American men."
Some might suggest that these are two separate plays. Kwong disagrees.
"It turns out Bruce Lee had a lot to say about family and a lot to say about relationships. He was just as much a philosopher as he was the greatest martial artist of his time. So to combine these two ideas was actually very natural."
Tashima, the play's director, agrees.
"It's really a show about Asian American identity and family," said Tashima, who himself grew up inspired by Bruce Lee. "But Dan is using one of our most recognizable heroes in Bruce Lee, and he brings him back as a ghost who helps a young girl who's going through family issues. It's a really interesting idea," said Tashima.
Playwright DAN KWONG (LEFT) with director CHRIS TASHIMA (photo by: LILIA HUANG)
As the show's director, Tashima knows he has a lot of theatrical elements to play with, but has been focusing most of his energy on the mother/daughter relationship.
"That's the human story," said Tashima. "We've been spending a lot of time in rehearsal making sure that this relationship rings true."
Kwong knows that many will be able to relate to the 13-year-old daughter rebelling against the high expectations of her mother, especially those that grew up in traditional Asian or Asian American households.
"Growing up with a relentlessly demanding, critical parent is pretty common in our cultural tradition," said Kwong, who is of Chinese and Japanese ancestry. "It's part of what has made our community successful and functioning in society. But that comes at a cost."
Asian Americans, growing up in this "pressure cooker" environment, often lose their sense of self acceptance and mutual acceptance, according to Kwong. "That becomes very elusive because nothing is ever good enough. We cannot accept ourselves and we cannot accept each other," he said.
So in the play, we see what happens to 13-year-old Tracy as she nears her boiling point.
"She gets it from her mom. She gets it from the school bully, Jeremy—this racism, sexism and homophobia. It's very raw and ugly," said Kwong.
Since 1989, Kwong has been best known to local audiences for his autobiographical solo performance pieces such as "Secrets of a Samurai Centerfielder," "Tales From the Fractured Tao," "The Dodo Vaccine," and his latest work, "It's Great 2B American."
As a solo performer, he has written, acted and directed his own works, created his own props, built his own costumes, designed and constructed his own sets and hung his own lights at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica and at venues across the country and around the world.
"As a soloist, I can write something and immediately bring it to life," said Kwong. "But with a multi-character piece, it takes longer and it's more complicated to do."
But it's an experience he's learning from and enjoying.
"To see the characters and scenes actually coming to life on stage has been incredibly exciting. And having this creative team of expert specialists—from dance and fight choreographers, to costumes, to props, to lighting and set design…that's been a real treat to have these incredibly talented specialists contributing to the vision."
(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT), SHAWN HUANG as Bruce Lee, MICHAEL SUN LEE as Frank, PAM HAYASHIDA as Kimiko, ARIEL RIVERA as Tina and SAYA TOMIOKA as Tracyin "Be Like Water" (photo by: MICHAEL LAMONT)
"And it's been a real pleasure to watch Chris working with the actors," said Kwong. "The way he supports them and encourages their creativity in finding the truth in each scene and in each moment. And it's been really delightful to work with these teenage actors. They're energy is refreshing and reminds me of a certain kind of innocence."
And when this innocence gets threatened in his play by a bigoted bully, enter Bruce Lee, Kwong's superhero, who guides and comforts Tracy with his words and philosophy instead of with punches and kicks.
"He's the helping hand we all wish we had in our time of need growing up," said Kwong. And in the end, says Kwong, Tracy learns that the act of opening her heart—something she had once considered a weakness—actually makes her stronger.
As for his overall message, Kwong wants people to see the "preciousness of family. Sometimes the obstacles that look so overwhelming between people are not as permanent or formidable as you think they are. And that Bruce Lee was something special."
"Be Like Water" is currently running at the East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso Street in downtown Los Angeles. The show runs until October 12, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 Orchestra, $30 Balcony.
For tickets and information, call the East West Players at 213/625-7000 or purchase tickets online at EastWestPlayers.org.
