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2013 Works in Progress |
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Nakano Theatre
Torrance Cultural Arts Center 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance |
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Coming of Age |
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2013 Works in Progress ~ Celebrating the Korean American experience |
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Rise Up! by Nic Cha Kim |
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Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 PM |
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Admission is FREE but reservations are required for early seating. RSVP to info@torrancelive.us |
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This stage reading is sponsored by Torrance City Council and Torrance Historical Society & Museum |
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NIC CHA KIM is a writer, video artist, and cultural activist. His plays Trapezoid, RE:verse, and Rise Up have been produced by Lodestone Theatre Ensemble and Company of Angels. Artistic Director of Niche.LA Video Art since 2005, Nic curated more than 40 digital/video art shows showcasing more than 75 international artists. He is the editor of the Niche.LA Blog featured in the Tumblr Art Spotlight. Nic is best known as the Founder of Gallery Row, a creative district in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles which inspired the monthly Downtown LA Art Walk. Most recently, Nic is the executive producer and writer of Art Battle LA and currently works as a segment producer for KCET's Artbound. He would like to thank John Powers, Jully Lee, City of Torrance, Torrance Historical Society & Museum, Company of Angels, and the hardworking and talented cast for this wonderful opportunity. |
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Cast |
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ALICIA BENAVIDES has produced plays in New York and Los Angeles. She majored in Film/Media at New York University and has trained and worked as an actress for more than 10 years. She had a co-star role in Sarah Connor Chronicles-The Terminator, recurring roles in various daytime television series, and a supporting role in feature film Black Limosine, directed by Carl Colpaert. She produced an event for the Pain Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing awareness to abused women and children. And she played the lead in the short film, Unseen Hands, directed by Don Johns, that was screened at a recent event. Alicia graduated from a two-year Meisner actor training program at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio. See more at Alicia Benavides |
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Directed by J-Powers |
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J-POWERS (a.k.a. John Powers) is a writer-director-producer of many stage and video productions, as well as a producer of various performing and cultural arts events and an instructor at various educational organizations. See more at PowerPlayz. |
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Gina Oh, a Los Angeles weather girl on a local network affiliate, gets a big break to cover a live news event. From the seat of a helicopter, she witnesses the outbreak of violence following the Rodney King verdict. What she discovers surprises even her. |
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For its 10th consecutive year, Works in Progress presents dramas of compelling contemporary events in the intimate Nakano Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Reception will follow each event.
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Works in Progress, formerly a program of the Cultural Services Division of the Torrance Community Services Department, is now produced as a partnership between Torrance Historical Society & Museum and John Powers and is sponsored by Torrance City Council, APC Fine Arts & Graphics, Arts Council of Torrance, Torrance Historical Society & Museum, and Torrance Women’s Club. |
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JULLY LEE was in the original production of Prodigal Daughter at the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles in 2010 and was also in the workshop production of In Ten Years by Damon Chua for Works in Progress that same year. Jully is thrilled to be with the team again and would like to thank John for making this happen. Some of her theatre credits include: Brahmin and the Tiger, Fabric, Sun Sisters, LA Views (Company of Angels), Taking Flight (East West Players tour), Chinese Massacre(Annotated) (Circle X Theatre), Rich Rehab (NAACP Theatre Fest), Grace Kim and the Spiders From Mars, Telemongol, Trojan Women, and Closer Than Ever (Lodestone Theatre). TV: Reno911! (Comedy Central), We the People (NBC SYN), Prank My Mom (Lifetime). Jully will be in the upcoming feature film Return to Zero opposite Minnie Driver, and will start shooting the comedy feature Girlfriends next month. Jully is currently teaching Level I improv with Cold Tofu Improv and is also directing a piece in the upcoming short play festival LA Views VI: pLAylist at Company of Angels which opens May 11. For more information, please visit www.jullylee.com. |
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JOON LEE’s theatrical debut began with the highly acclaimed Lodestone Theatre Ensemble in Annette Lee’s play, A Dirty Secret Between the Toes. Other theater credits include Bucket in a Closed Room and Still Waiting for Lefty, directed by award winning playwright John Daniels. Joon also starred in A Book By Its Cover, written by Ovation Award winner Damon Chua and directed by the talented Kevin Cochran of the Grove Theater Center. In television, Joon has co-starred in NBC’s shows such as the drama series Hawaii and the comedy hit, My Name is Earl. Recently, he has co-starred in the season four premiere of Southland, with Lucy Lui. Joon has three feature films that are slated to come out shortly, Blizhny Boy: The Ultimate Fighter, Left Behind, and Duel of Legends, co-starring with Cary Tagawa(Mortal Kombat). |
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Cast |
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DANA LEE, a veteran actor for more than forty years, has compiled an impressive resume. His considerable feature film credits include supporting roles in Rambo, Lethal Weapon 4, I Spy, The Honeymooners, Nancy Drew, and Pineapple Express, among others. On television, Dana has amassed more than sixty guest-starring appearances, most notably, a recurring role as Oil Minister Han in Dynasty. Recent credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Brother and Sisters, and a starring role in a made-for-television feature, Mask of the Ninja. In theater, he has performed in prestigious venues such as The Public Theater and the Joyce in New York, The Mark Taper Forum and the Doolittle in Los Angeles, and at the Kennedy Center in D.C. At the Singapore Repertory, Dana was George to Nancy Kwan’s Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Also, for many years, Dana was an important force at the East-West Players. He was recently in Bronzeville by Tim Toyama and Aaron Woolfolk at the LATC, nominated for several NCAAP Theatre Awards. Aside from acting, Dana is also an award winning theater director. Most notably, he helmed the much acclaimed The Grunt Childe at the East-West Players. |
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Directed by Doug Kaback |
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DOUG KABACK is a playwright, director, and actor. He has served on the Theatre faculty at Cal State Northridge since 1994. He holds an MFA in Drama from U.S.C. In 2000, his adaptation of Shim Ch’ong was presented at the Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices Festival in Washington D.C. In 2003, the Getty Center produced the play, which then toured to the National Theatre in Seoul. He was honored to collaborate with the talented artists of Prodigal Daughter in its world premiere production at the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles in 2010. |
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Prodigal Daughter by Vivian Hue |
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VIVIAN HUE, in addition to Prodigal Daughter, has a full-length play, Persimmons in Winter, which was given a full production in San Jose, CA. After a very long career teaching ESL in Los Angeles, Vivian was able to spend the last year recuperating in Las Vegas before recently settling in San Jose with her husband and mini-zoo of two dogs and three cats. In her free time, she enjoys chillin' with the hubz, getting her fingers dirty with various forms of art and craft, including watercolor and mixed media (www.contadinak.com), cultivating life in the garden, frolicking with her dogs, and all things which keep her present, including occasional pretty drinks. Vivian holds a BA in English Literature from Cornell University and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. She would like the thank John Powers and his team of creative professionals for bringing her written work to the stage - much appreciation for this opportunity! |
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A daughter’s visit to her father in Florida uncovers more secrets than simply the recent death by suicide of her brother. It also reveals a momentary opportunity for reconciliation between these two strong-willed family members. |
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JOSEPH STEVEN, as an actor, has taken direction from Gore Verbinski, J.J. Abrams, Iain Softley, Jim Chory, Joe Pytka, and others over his 10+ year tenure. He has appeared in film, TV, and web in: Star Trek (2009), Wanda at Large, The District, Young Gentlemen Explorers, and more. In Hollywood, his look and craft land him character actor and ‘real guy’ roles such as the quirky guy-next-door, detectives, butlers, chefs, stalkers, and other nut jobs. Joseph studied acting, advertising, and film at the University of Illinois, Urbana. The Chicago International Film Festival awarded him an honorable mention as producer/director/writer for Afterthoughts, a film short. Joseph will next appear as Luka in the film version of Anton Chekhov's The Bear by Russian director Ernest Goodman. (www.imdb.me/josephsteven) |
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ANN SONG, hailing from the “Charm City” of Baltimore, she received her B.A. in International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. In pursuit of acting, Ann became a transplanted “Angeleno.” Previously seen in hereandnow Theatre Company’s New Traditions, she is thrilled to be on-stage again as a part of Rise Up! |
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KEN SEERATY, this marks Ken’s seventh appearance in a Works in Progress production, the most recent being parts II and III of 2011’s Pentagon Papers series. He is thrilled to be working alongside this tremendously talented ensemble. Ken’s credits include stints with Sterling Repertory Company and Long Beach Playhouse; his turn at Ray in Neil Simon’s Proposals earned him a Best Actor nomination at Long Beach Playhouse’s 2002 Ethel Case Awards. In addition, Ken has been featured in scene showcases at Burbank’s Third Stage and San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. Though he considers acting a welcome diversion, Ken makes his livelihood as the Sales, Client Services and Quality Assurance Supervisor for Torrance’s Panasonic Disc Manufacturing Corporation (practically next door to the Nakano!). He would like to thank everyone involved with the Works in Progress series which attempt to enlighten and entertain our community regarding key cultural milestones. |
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ROBIN HARRISON is honored to be a part of this great production. He received his Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and has served as an elementary school teacher for 17 years. Before becoming a teacher, Robin enjoyed time as a stage actor, appearing in more than 60 shows for CSU, Dominguez Hills, and the Carson Civic Light Opera. His performances include prominent roles in A Chorus Line, Master Harold and the Boys, 1940’s Radio Hour, and A Christmas Carol. Robin has been married to his wife Mulu for 24 years. He also has two beautiful daughters, Robin and Candice. |
