(NEW YORK, NY) -- The hungry tiger roars! Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (Tisa Chang, Founding Artistic Director), continuing their educational initiative to serve elementary grade students and families with children, presents the family-friendly virtual return engagement of the acclaimed 2018 production of The Emperor’s Nightingale by Damon Chua. The Emperor's Nightingale is produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences.

On-demand performances for in classroom and public viewing via Zoom begins April 19, 2021 continuing through May 2, 2021. Reservations for in-classroom viewing may be made via email at srogers@panasianrep.org Tickets for public viewing access will be announced shortly.

Directed by Chongren Fan, the six-member cast features Leanne Cabrera, DeAnna Choi, Dinh James Doan, Jonathan Frye, David Huynh, and Brian Kim.

The Emperor’s Nightingale by Damon Chua, directed by Chongren Fan, is a family-friendly Zoom adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Nightingale,” set in 18th century China, and brings to light the youthful exploits of the future Emperor Qianlong. This 45-minute virtual version employs traditional puppetry, folk songs and new illustrations teaching the art of Chinese calligraphy. Nominated by the Off-Broadway Alliance for “Best Family Show”, this TYA production emphasizes the importance of leadership guided by a moral compass, through the story about two rival teen brothers competing for the throne.

“Chongren Fan’s staging, for Pan Asian Reparatory Theatre, uses shadow puppets, playful costumes, and goofy humor to bring the story to life,” said Elizabeth Vincentelli of The New Yorker. “It is refreshing to be able to bring kids to such a show, rather than to one of the corporate monoliths crowding the holidays.”

The creative design team for the original stage version included set by You-Shin Chen (Acquittal), costumes by Karen Boyer (Romulus the Great), lights by Leslie Smith (Acquittal, No-No Boy), and sound by Joseph Wolfslau (Romulus the Great). For the virtual adaptation, additional illustrations by You-Shin Chen and video editing by Brian Kim. The Stage Management team is Kristine Schlachter and Sabrina Morabito.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Damon Chua (Playwright), a member of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group 2014–15 and Ma-Yi Theater Company’s Writers Lab and is the recipient of an Ovation Award (Best World Premiere Play) for Film Chinois, which made its Off-Broadway debut with Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 2015 and Incident at Hidden Temple in 2017. His TYA play, The Emperor’s Nightingale recently made its world premiere at Adventure Theatre MTC. A National Endowment for the Arts, Dramatists Guild Fund, UNESCO and Durfee Foundation grant recipient, Damon’s plays are published by Samuel French, Smith & Kraus, Plays for Young Audiences, and the Proscenium Journal. He is also a published poet and short story writer.  

Chongren Fan (Director) is a New York-based stage director who was born and raised in Shanghai. Directing credits: Romulus the Great by Friedrich Durrenmatt (Yangtze Rep), Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre), 410[GONE] by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig (Yangtze Rep), Lost in Shanghai by Angel Lam (Pan Asian Rep), and The Final Kiss by Maurice Level (The Flea). He was a Resident Artist at Mabou Mines and Jonathan Alper Directing Fellow at Manhattan Theatre Club. He is the Artistic Director of Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America and Production Supervisor for China Arts and Entertainment Group’s ‘Image China’ Series.  

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, celebrating its 44th Milestone Season, is the most veteran Asian American theatre company on the East Coast. Tisa Chang founded Pan Asian Rep in 1977 at Ellen Stewart’s La Mama ETC with the vision to promote equity and access that Asian Americans artists can equally follow, focusing on stories of probing social justice issues with distinctive Off-Broadway Productions, Tours, National Outreach, and Community Service. Mel Gussow of The New York Times described it as "A Stage for All the World of Asian –Americans” and wrote that “Before Pan Asian Rep, Asian Americans had severely limited opportunities in the theater....” The company has nurtured thousands of artists and is a “who-is-who” of Asian American theatre history, with notable alumni/ae: Ako, Ernest Abuba, Tina Chen, Philip Gotanda, Wai Ching Ho, David Henry Hwang, Daniel Dae Kim, Lucy Liu, Ron Nakahara, R.A. Shiomi, Lauren Yee, and Henry Yuk.

Pan Asian Rep Programs are made possible, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; City Council member Margaret Chin; and major support from Howard Gilman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, NY Community Trust COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels, Lucille Lortel Foundations; and many generous individuals.