ASIAN-AMERICAN THEATER SYMPOSIUMEast West Theater, Princeton University’s Asian-American theater company — presents a symposium about Asian-American artists and representation of Asian-Americans in theater featuring Peter Kim, Christine Mok, Erin Quill, and Lloyd Suh with moderator Brian Eugenio Herrera in conjunction with the production of Charles Francis Chan Jr’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery. Free and open to the public

Saturday, February 11 from 2-6 p.m. Marie and Edward Matthews ’53 Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St.

LEWIS CENTER FOR THE ARTSChair Michael CaddenAdministrative Director Marion Young

PROGRAM IN THEATERDirector Jane CoxProducer Darryl WaskowProduction Manager Chloe Z. BrownProduction Stage Manager Carmelita BecnelResident Musical Director/Composer Vince di MuraTheater Operations Specialist Rob Del ColleCostume Shop Manager Keating HelfrichCostume Shop Assistant Julia KosanovichCostume Technician Caitlin BrownTechnical Director Timothy GodinAssistant Technical Director Jesse FroncekTheater Technician Torrey DrumProp Master Alexandra Geiger Scenic Artist Melissa RiccobonoMaster Carpenter Michael SmolaAcademic Support Joseph FonsecaDirector of Communications Steve RunkVisual Communications Specialist Tracy PattersonWeb & Multimedia Strategist Justin GoldbergCommunications Assistant Hope VanCleafCommunications Associate Jaclyn SweetMultimedia Specialist Zohar Lavi-Hasson

For more information about the Lewis Center for the Arts visit arts.princeton.edu Or contact: Director of Communications, Steve Runk at srunk@princeton.edu

CAST Frank Chan, As Hastings ...................................................................Tri Le ’20Kathy Ching, As Linda ............................................................ Kathy Zhao ’17*Suzy Takigayama, As Eleanor ................................................ Nancy Xiao ’17Sergeant David Fitzwallace, As Charlie ................................Ross Barron ’17*Charles Sr. Chan, As Cop, Bartender And Alfred .....................Carl Sun ’20Monkey ................................................................................Changshuo Liu ’19

MusiciansDemi Zhang ’19, Hannah Yang ’17, Matthew Smith ’16, Meaghan O’Neill ’17, Shuhui Yin GS

Production TeamDirector ................................................................................................Peter KimMusic Director and Composer .................................................Vince di MuraFight Choreographer .................................................................Rocio MendezSet Designer ......................................................................Casey Ivanovich ’17Costume Design and Craft .....................................................Julia Peiperl ’17*Lighting Designer ................................................................. Hannah Yang ’17Sound Designer ............................................................... Njuguna Thande ’19Stage Manager ................................................................. Graham Cousins ’18*Assistant Stage Manager .......................................................Nathan Phan ’19Costume Stitchers ......................................... Jessica Sanders, Lisa Raymond Remi Shaull-Thompson ’19, Chris Snider ’17Run Crew...........................................Patrick Boroughs ’18 , Julia Peiperl ’17* Emma Watkins’18 , Lydia Watt’18*Composer of “Hand Dance” & “Monkey’s Journey, Part 2” ....Adam SchmucklerActing Adviser ................................................................................Elena AraozSet Design Adviser .......................................................................Jesse FroncekProduction Adviser ...................................................................Suzanne Agins

director’s noteIn the fall of 2015, at the close of the Obama Era, I had the good fortune to be an actor and producer of The National Asian American Theatre Company’s world premiere of this play, lovingly referred to as CHAN. Now, a little more than a year later, CHAN feels more dangerous, relevant, and reflective of the current political climate. With the rise of xenophobia and white America’s insecurity over losing their privileges, it’s crucial to remember the history of Asians in America. Conversations about racism, stereotypes, and entitlement have become more strained, but I hope that this play allows us to see these issues more clearly. Perhaps even soften our hearts and egos so that we can continue those conversations. And through them, focus on the thing that really matters...how we are going to make things better for future generations.

Kathy’s statementLast year, I played a Chinaman in Zoyka’s Apartment. Gandzalin was a cocaine-peddling laundry shop owner who spoke with a Chinese accent and broken English. I didn’t understand my confusion and hurt until it coalesced into shame; I felt ashamed of playing a character who represented Chinese people in a degrading way and reduced my heritage to a bunch of stereotypes. I am Asian American, and Gandzalin was a misrepresentation of who I am.

CHAN is my response to Gandzalin. This is a show about Asian Americans and the Asian American experience. CHAN shows that Asian Americans are more than just laundry shop owners and cocaine peddlers, that we are three-dimensional human beings, full of wants and needs and hopes and dreams and despairs. I play Kathy, a performance artist who tries to effect positive change on the world with her art. In this way, we are the same. CHAN is a show about the Asian American identity, but it speaks to a broader experience of exclusion and discrimination resulting from xenophobia. Stereotypes have enormous destructive power, because they dehumanize people. Perceived differences enable people to become capable of enormous hate. The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882 and not repealed until 1943. Today, history may be about to repeat itself.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who worked and helped to make this show happen, to my courageous and wonderful cast and production team, and to all my professors and advisers who have advised and supported East West Theater, our show and our symposium. I’m so so grateful.

Special thanksJoshua Friedman, Matthew Smith, Beth Blickers, Brian Herrera, Stacy Wolf, Jane Cox, Bob Sandberg

* Denotes a certificate student in the Program in Theater

Run time is approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.There will be haze, loud thunder and firework sounds, sword fighting

and knife stabbing in the play.

1967, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

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No video recording, audio recording, photographing or use of flash photography. Please turn off all electronic devices including cellular phones, beepers and watches for the duration of the performance. Please refrain from text messaging during the performance.

Originally commissioned and produced by NAATCO, Mia Katigbak, Artistic Producing Director

Charles Francis Chan Jr.’s

Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery

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