Unbroken Blossoms - AAPI Playwrights Panel
By Philip W. Chung
Directed by Jeff Liu
A World Premiere
Moon, an idealistic family man, and James, a cynical, aspiring filmmaker, are hired as the Chinese American consultants for Broken Blossoms, Hollywood's first onscreen interracial love story... between a white actress and a white actor in yellowface makeup. If the circumstances weren’t already questionable enough, the consultants must contend with the outsized ego of the film's director D.W. Griffith, who is attempting to belie criticisms of racism after the release of his controversial film The Birth of a Nation.
Presented by East West Players, Philip W. Chung's play Unbroken Blossoms is a historical reimagining of the making of a boundary-breaking Hollywood classic that shines a light on the collateral damage in the search for "authentic" representation, and asks what price we pay for our art. Based on actual events, this world premiere production illuminates a historical conflict just behind the silver screen.
Originally presented in 2015 by Visual Communications in partnership with East West Players.
After the show, we'll have a conversation moderated by Playwright, Prince Gomolvilas (The Brothers Paranormal) and 3 Los Angeles based, AAPI playwrights on their experiences.
Roger Q. Mason (they/them) is a Blasian writer and performer who uses the lens of history to disrupt the biases that divide rather than unite us. Their playwriting has been seen on Broadway (Circle in the Square Reading Series and 24 Hour Plays at Town Hall); Off and Off-Off-Broadway; and regionally. Mason's World Premiere of Lavender Men was lauded by the Los Angeles Times as "evoking the mingled visions of Suzan-Lori Parks, Jeremy O. Harris and Michael R. Jackson." They are a recipient of the McKnight Playwriting Fellowship, Lucille Lortel Commission, DGF Catalyst Grant Award, Primary Stages Access Grant Award, Kilroys List Nod, and the Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award. Mason holds degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University. They are a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and an alum of the Ma-Yi’s Writing Lab, Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writers Group and Primary Stages Writing Cohort.
Lisa Dring's play Kairos was recently seen at East West Players in a 3-stop NNPN Rolling World Premiere. Her play SUMO was produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi Theater Company in 2023, and will be receiving its New York premiere at The Public Theater with Ma-Yi next year. Lisa has won an Edgerton Award, a Broadway World Award for Best New Play, and the PLAY LA Stage Raw/Humanitas Prize. They have been a finalist for the Relentless Award, the O'Neill Playwrights' Conference (2x), the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and a 2x finalist (one honorable mention) for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, a piece she co-wrote with Chelsea Sutton and was produced by Rogue Artists and East West Players, was nominated for 7 Ovation Awards including Best Production (winner of 5).
Nicholas Pilapil is a Filipino American playwright. His play "God Will Do The Rest" makes its world premiere with Artists at Play & Latino Theater Company this fall at The Los Angeles Theatre Center (August 29-September 29). Other plays include "The Bottoming Process" (world premiere with IAMA Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Ignition Festival of New Plays) and "if all that You take from this is courage, then I've no regrets" (winner of the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival). His work has also been developed with Geffen Playhouse, Playwrights Foundation, American Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, The Workshop Theater, Theatre Rhinoceros, and The Fountain Theatre, among others. His plays and essays are published by Samuel French, Smith and Kraus, Astringent Press, and Kuwento Co. Nicholas is an alum of The Writers’ Room at the Geffen Playhouse, IAMA Theatre Company’s Emerging Playwrights Lab, The Vagrancy Playwrights Group, and artEquity.
Hear from these visionary writers!