Empress Mei Li Lotus Blossom tells the story of a Teaneck-born Asian American actress who poses as an exotic Hong Kong movie star in order to get her shot on Broadway. The play takes place in a Zoom meeting between the actress, a Broadway producer, and the playwright's assistant. Featuring Rin Allen, Rebecca Hirota and Deborah Lew. Running time: 20 minutes.
A "virtual lobby" will happen immediately following the performance allowing audiences to chat directly with the playwright! The link to that will be made available during the performance.
Playwright/Director
Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning writer, actor, director, filmmaker, and advocate for inclusion. Her plays and libretti have been developed with the Roundabout Theatre Company, The O'Neill Theater Center, Prospect Theater Company, Village Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, Leviathan Lab, Diverse City Theatre Company, Barrow Group, Weston Playhouse, Gorilla Rep, CAP21 etc., and are included in the Library of Congress Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection. In 2016, she won a fellowship in the Meryl Streep/IRIS Screenwriting Lab. Member: Dramatists Guild (Council), ASCAP, AEA (Council), SAG-AFTRA, Asian American Musical Theater Writers Project (founder), BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop (alum). Christine was the Executive Producer and Co-Director with her husband, filmmaker Bruce Johnson, of
Transcending - The Wat Misaka, the award-winning documentary feature film about Japanese American basketball star Wat Misaka, the first person of color to be drafted into what is now the NBA by the 1947 New York Knicks. As a performer, she has been breaking the color barrier for over 30 years and has been featured extensively on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country, in film, television, and concerts worldwide. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild Council, chair of the DEI committee, and member of the Publications and Archives committees. She is the host of the Guild's podcast "The Dramatist Presents: Talkback" distributed by the Broadway Podcast Network.
RIN ALLEN (Ashley)
Regional Theatre: Sherwood at The New Theatre;
Jane Eyre at Cincinnati Playhouse and Milwaukee Rep;
Dracula at Actors Theatre of Louisville;
Treasure Island and
The Three Musketeers at Cincinnati Playhouse;
Urinetown and
The Mikado at Weston Playhouse.
Off-Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac at The Theatre at St. Clements.
Television: stunts in
Gotham on FOX Network (five episodes).
Other Theatre: As You Like It and
The Tempest at New York Classical Theatre;
Chicago,
Grease! and
Cats at Cortland Rep;
Other World developmental LAB at Baryshnikov Arts Center; workshop of
On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle; or Owed at The Lark. Allen received her B.F.A. from New York University. She is actively seeking industry representation.
www.rinallen.comREBECCA HIROTA (Roberta) Selected New York:
Vietgone (Manhattan Theatre Club),
Romeo & Juliet (Classic Stage Company)
Bullet Catchers (Judson Memorial) and
The Tower (HERE Arts Center). Selected Regional:
Caviar on Credit (The Guthrie),
The Most Deserving (The Denver Center),
Junk (Milwaukee Rep),
Jane Eyre (Cincinnati Playhouse & Milwaukee Rep),
Vietgone &
Fault (TheatreSquared) and
36 Views (The Huntington and Quantum Theatre). Television:
Law & Order, Elementary, Unforgettable and
Gossip Girl. Education: MFA Acting, Columbia University, BA Psychology, Boston University.
DEBORAH LEW (Lo-An) Broadway: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Belle), THE THREEPENNY OPERA (Vixen), and she performed the role of Liat in Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed revival of SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center. New York City Opera: CANDIDE (Pink Sheep) and CINDERELLA. Off-Broadway: CUPID AND PSYCHE (Psyche) at the Houseman; NO, NO, NANETTE (City Center Encores). Regional: Sujata in UP IN THE AIR (Kennedy Center), Maria in WEST SIDE STORY (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Cosette in LES MISERABLES (Atlanta TOTS, Wolf Trap Theatre), Isabelle in AMOUR (Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre), title role in CINDERELLA (North Shore), Kim in MISS SAIGON (WBT), Elizabeth in MYTH (O’Neill Theatre Center), Tuptim in THE KING AND I (Weston Playhouse). Deborah currently resides with her family in Los Angeles.
NOTE: All WTFringe shows are unticketed/donation-based.(Suggested Donation: $10).
WTF will split all contributions 50/50 with WTFringe producers. Make your suggested donation to https://Paypal.me/wtfestivalnc and put show name in memo.This performance will begin at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, July 11th, 2020.
View at:
https://www.twitch.tv/wtheatrefestivalnc
