Get your videos in to us at 5 pm, March 7!
Audition details at https://porkfilled.com/wp/auditions-now-open-for-she-devil-of-the-china-seas/
Audition form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1l0ANEZywcoSWPHaM1CoJ3x1ZpxXM8u72wiweUOa9H6I/
All posts by Roger Tang
Auditions Now Open for SHE DEVIL OF THE CHINA SEAS
Auditions are now open for PFP’s She Devil of the China Seas, set for August 2022 at the Theatre Off Jackson.
Based on the real-life pirate who commanded the largest pirate fleet in history, “She Devil of the China Seas” is one part true history, one part swashbuckler, one part Marvel comics! In this show, Shih knows one thing in life: survival. She clawed her way up from refugee to sex worker to support her injured sister. But when China’s pirate lord offers her a chance at something more, the sorceress Wu and her dark forces gather to destroy her before she can fulfill a destiny from the gods! An action fantasy a la BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and SHANG CHI, complete with pirate queens, swords, and sorcery!
AUDITION INFORMATION
Audition form (with space for video auditions) at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1l0ANEZywcoSWPHaM1CoJ3x1ZpxXM8u72wiweUOa9H6I/
Audition/Interview Dates:
Auditions open immediately. Video submissions. Deadline February 28, 5 pm.
Callbacks March 22 and 26 at Theatre Puget Sound.
Audition Requirements:
Seeking actors of all body sizes, genders, and physical abilities.
Global Majority (BIPOC) actors, especially AAPI actors, are especially encouraged to audition.
But roles require actors of ALL races/ethnicities.
Auditioners will be required to be vaccinated AND boosted. Actors called for callbacks will need to be masked, vaccinated and boosted.
Please note that there are specific needs in the script and we are working to cast as authentically as possible. Stage combat is a defining piece of this play.
Sides from the play will be available for use as monologs. Actors may submit up to three sides of their choice, regardless of their fit to the character.
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/XI_SIDE_2022.pdf
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ZHONG_SIDE_2022.pdf
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SHIH_SIDE_2022.pdf
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/PAO_SIDE_2022.pdf
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/WU_SIDE_2022.pdf
https://porkfilled.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AI_SIDE_2022.pdf
Cast breakdown
| YI SHIH | Refugee/street worker/pirate. Can steamroller you with her sword, brains or personality. East or Southeast Asian F, 20s. Fighter. |
| YI XI | Sister to Shih. Early leg injury blinds her to her own power. East or Southeast Asian F, early 20s. Non-Fighter. |
| CHENG AI | Pirate leader, oozes testosterone and charisma. East or Southeast Asian M, 30s to 40s. Fighter. |
| CHENG PAO | Ai’s adopted son (won in a card game) and second in command, silver tongued, Any ethnicity M, mid 20s. Fighter. |
| XUAN NU | The Dark Lady of the Ninth Heaven. Goddess of war and erotic arts. Amused by the antics of humans. East Asian, any age. Doubles as fighter. |
| WU TSU | Immortal/sorceress. China First! (w/her leading China). East or Southeast Asian F, 20s to 50s. Non-fighter. |
| HUANG ZHONG | Middle-aged Asian male, sailor. Weaselly. Doubles as fighter. |
| HUANG LING | His young niece. Asian. Teens. Doubles as fighter. |
| JIN GUANG | Young Nobleman. East Asian M, 20s. Doubles as fighter. |
| PEI | Crewman in Ai’s fleet, Zhong’s buddy. Any ethnicity M, 20s to 30s. Doubles as fighter. |
| LI HUANG | Fellow pirate captain. East or Southeast Asian Ms, 20s to 30s. Fighter. |
| ASSORTED SAILORS & RUFFIANS | A mix of ages, genders and races, including white. Fighters. |
Compensation:
Actors will be paid a stipend of $500 (plus 1% of net) and receive a certification from the Society of American Fight Directors if they complete the 3-week stage combat intensive (free to participants). Approximate value of workshop is $500.
Rehearsal schedule
Extended rehearsal schedule to encompass a stage combat intensive training (and the uncertainties of a pandemic world). Completion of intensive will result in certification in Unarmed Combat from the Society of American Fight Directors (workshop is free to participants). (Note: Actors not cast as fighters, or actors already certified are not required to take this workshop)
Fight Intensive (Aimed at actors in fighting roles)
(9 hrs a week)
May 23 to June 13
(Note: this is a change!)
(Note: this is a change!)
Rehearsals
(15 hrs a week max)
(Early May to June, primarily with principal actors)
(Early May to June, primarily with principal actors)
Mid June to End of July (Will be scheduled around actors schedules)
This will start with development of fight choreography (6-9 hours/week)
Work up 15 hours a week
This will start with development of fight choreography (6-9 hours/week)
Work up 15 hours a week
Extended tech end of July until opening of show (20 hrs.week)
Performances at Theatre Off Jackson
Preview: Tues. 8/9
Opening: Thurs. 8/11
Closing: Sat 8/27
Thu-Sat 8/11-13 at 8:00 PM
Tue 8/16 at 8:00 PM
Thu-Sat 8/18-20 at 8:00 PM
Sun 8/21 at 2:00 PM
Tue 8/23 at 8:00 PM
Thu-Sat 8/25-27 at 8:00 PM
PFP and SAFD Team Up for Stage Combat Classes
The Society of American Fight Directors is working to Expand, Educate, Empower!
EEE allows underserved communities and organizations to receive 30 hours of training (free!) in a particular weapon discipline (e.g. unarmed, single sword, knife, etc.) from an SAFD Certified Teacher and Advanced Actor Combatant. The 30 hours of training will culminate in a Skills Proficiency Test to be adjudicated by a Fight Master, giving students the opportunity to certify in said discipline. Payment for Certified Teachers, Advanced Actor Combatants, and adjudication fees will be provided for by the Society of American Fight Directors or grant funding. The organization receiving the education will not be held responsible for these expenses.
The mission of “Expand, Educate, Empower” is to:
- Expand the outreach and diversity of the Society of American Fight Directors by connecting underserved artists and theatre professionals to stage combat professionals.
- Provide free access to stage combat education.
- Empower a more diverse cohort of theatre professionals.
Most of the slots are reserved for actors in our summer production, SHE DEVIL OF THE CHINA SEAS, but extra slots will be open to PFP alums and other BIPOC theatre artists. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements!
PFP Aims To Collaborate With Deaf Community With End of 2021 Campaign
PFP is launching our first Year End Campaign!
We aim to raise $2,500 to ally with the Deaf community by developing a new world premiere play by an Asian American Deaf artist (with many Deaf actors in the cast!) for our Slow Cooker Unleashed, and to provide ASL interpreters for a Deaf Community Night for She-Devil of the China Seas!
Already, we’ve raised $1,200 $1954 $2074 from donors!! We’d love for you to join this very cool initiative, which will build bridges from the Asian American community to the Deaf community.
Visit our giving portal (or click on the photo) and donate to PFP to help us reach our goal to bring fun, larger-than-life stories! Let’s meet our goal and a joyful 2022 for the Asian American and Deaf communities!!
Resilience! An AAPI 24-Hr Play Fest November 13
Through Covid and an ever-mounting tide of anti-Asian hate, Asian Americans have gone through the wringer in the past two years. Well, guess what—we’re still here, persisting and resisting all your efforts to stuff us into boxes to define us. We’re striking back with our whole voice, creating 7 new plays in 24 hours themed around resilience, representation and better, bolder futures.
Featuring the talents of nearly 40 AAPI writers, performers, directors, producers and technicians.
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STREAMING LIVE! Link to the stream will be sent in a day-of event reminder after the purchase of a ticket.
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TICKETS || pork-filled.ticketleap.com/resilience2021/
Pork Filled Productions is using a Name-Your-Price structure to work with our audience and what they can afford to give. Thank you for supporting local theatre and local theatre artists.
If any cost is prohibitive, please reach out to porkfilled@gmail.com
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PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Nabilah Ahmed
Briana Bui
Eloisa Cardona
Matt Dela Cruz
Brian Dang
Stanley Dang
Omar Faust
Kuan Foo
Keiko Green
Kiefer Harrington
David Hsieh
Kathy Hsieh
Rebecca K. Hsia
Mimi Katano
Agastya Kohli
Greg Lam
Pearl Lam
David Le
Denny Le
Laura Lee Caudill
Maggie Lee
Christian Quinto
Rachel Rene Araucto
Zenaida Rose Smith
Anna Saephan
Steph Sola
Alyda Sorm
Tim Takechi
Roger Tang
Fune Tautala
Kendall Uyeji
Josh Valdez
Nina Williams-Teramachi
Christie Zhao
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WATCH PARTY | 1-4 pm Sat 11/20 at Theatre Off Jackson
One week after the live stream, we’re creating a community space to watch a recording of the festival together and chat about the experience with food and fun!
Masks and proof of vaccination are required for entry. You must show a proof of vaccination at the door.
Admission is Pay-What-You-Will.* Drop a donation at the door – OR – RSVP in advance by donating in the form of a ticket HERE.
*This event is FREE to the creatives who took part in the fest: no RSVP required, simply give your name at the door.
Resilience! Is Coming!
PFP presents RESILIENCE! An AAPI 24-Hour Play Festival on November 13, 2021 at 8:00 PM PST.
Through Covid and an ever-mounting tide of anti-Asian hate, Asian Americans have gone through the wringer in the past two years. Well, guess what—we’re still here, persisting and resisting all your efforts to stuff us into boxes to define us. We’re striking back with our whole voice, creating 7 new plays in 24 hours themed around resilience, representation and better, bolder futures.
The festival performance will be live-streamed on PFP’s YouTube channel.
Link to tickets and the full list of the cast and crew to be announced in October.
Pork Filled Productions Presents a Reading of CJ, An Aspanglish Play
Pork Filled Productions presents a reading of CJ, An Aspanglish Play, written by Mercedes Floresislas, directed by Ana Maria Campoy, with director of ASL Kai Winchester, available as video on demand, starting July 31. Weaving English, Spanish and American Sign Language, CJ zooms from grounded reality to mythological realms in a tale enjoyable for hearing and deaf audiences alike.
When CJ’s mom overdoses, the fifteen year-old must go live with her estranged aunt and Deaf grandmother who also struggles with dementia. She lashes out at her grandmother and as a consequence three Aztec deities take her on a three night journey through Mictlan so she might recover her history and save her soul.
Tickets are available from Ticketleap, at https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/cj-an-aspanglish-stry/ , on a Name Your Price basis (starting at $5 per household), and will be available until August 14. The play will have ASL interpretation.
This reading is the first step for CJ as Ophelia’s Jump Theatre in Claremont, CA will then take the play to a full production in November of 2021. That will mark the sixth of seven shows since 2017 that Pork Filled has developed into full production out of its Unleashed play development program for POC playwrights.
The cast for CJ includes Deaf actors Stephanie Nogueras, Eduardo Ayala, Michael Martinez-Islas, and Jake Merz; and hearing actors Mia Floresislas-Medina, Estefania Garcia, Beatriz Villegas, Michael D. Blum, Khalif J. Gillett, Maria Teresa Herrara.
Grecia Leal Pardo is stage manager. Melanie Queponds is dramaturg. Melissa Marquez is lighting designer.
CJ, An Aspanglish Play is suitable for ages 13 and up. Warning: [spoiler title=” style=’default’ collapse_link=’true’]the following subjects are talked about in this play: amputation, drug use, overdose, suicide and death. Child-parent separation is also depicted in this play.[/spoiler]
Plays about family intergenerational trauma have a healing effect, however, healing has a time and a place. Pork Filled respectfully asks that you honor your healing journey in choosing what is best for you.
For more information, contact PFP at oink@porkfilled.com.
The oldest Asian American theatre group in the Pacific Northwest, Pork Filled Productions centers Asian American and POC artists to imagine fantastical, inclusive and FUN universes. Through the genres of science fiction, noir, fantasy, steampunk and more, we envision a bright universe informed by diverse experiences and perspectives, populated by larger than life characters, where everyone’s story can be told. PFP’s season is supported by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
Pork Filled Productions is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington with the services, resources and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.
Auditions for CJ: Seeking Deaf & Hard of Hearing and Spanish-speaking Actors
Pork Filled Productions is holding auditions for a staged reading of
CJ An Aspanglish Play by Mercedes Floresislas
To be presented online (either live or pre-recorded) July 31.
Pork Filled Productions, in conjunction with Ophelia’s Jump of Claremont, CA presents a staged reading of CJ An Aspanglish Play by Mercedes Floresislas, a tri-lingual play in English, Spanish and ASL. Southern Californian actors are especially encouraged to audition as they will be considered for the full production of CJ, to be produced by Ophelia’s Jump in November 2021.
Carolina Juarez, CJ, is a fifteen-year-old forced to live with her estranged Aunt Yoli and Deaf grandmother G when her mom overdoses again. During a tantrum, she destroys her grandmother’s childhood toy and the family’s comadre, Ana, conjures up a recipe to intervene as her personal Nahual. Two Aztec deities appear to her to give her a chance to change.
Please review the character descriptions as age, gender, and ethnicity are specifically stated. Pork Filled Productions is dedicated to casting appropriately and are committed to representing our characters and stories truthfully. We seek actors who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing who are fluent in ASL; in addition, we seek actors with strong spoken Spanish skills (again, see breakdowns for exact requirements for each character)
To schedule an audition, please email oink@porkfilled.com.
Contact Name Phone
Roger Tang 206-579-5486
Email
oink@porkfilled.com
Audition Form
https://forms.gle/xhMoN7n3KGYLPoaZ9
AUDITION INFORMATION
Audition/Interview Dates:
These auditions will take place via ZOOM
Saturday, May 29 @ 5:00pm-8:00pm
Sunday, May 30 @ 10:00am- 2:00pm
Sunday, May 30 11:00am-1:00pm is set aside for Deaf actors
Video submission is available, deadline is May 30, 9:00 pm
Audition Requirements:
Seeking actors of all body sizes, genders, and physical abilities.
Deaf and Global Majority (BIPOC) actors are especially encouraged to audition.
Please note there are specific needs in the script and we are working to cast as authentically as possible. Fluency with Spanish and ASL are a large part of this play.
Please email Pork Filled Productions your headshot and resume (or most recent photo and performing experiences) and what role you are auditioning for. hen fill out the audition form at https://forms.gle/xhMoN7n3KGYLPoaZ9. Sides (scenes or monologues) from the play will be provided upon audition confirmation.
Actors will be paid a stipend of $100.
Cast Breakdown
CJ – 15, Chicana/Latina
Carolina Juarez, 2nd generation Latinx, unplugged from her family, her history and herself. She’s a monolingual ‘Pocha’ and an ‘Emo.’ Her feelings escape her body, like air from a balloon. As fluent as possible with ASL; speaks “bad” Spanish but her skills improve over time
G- 60s, Deaf with strong fluency in ASL, Chicana/Latina
CJ’s grandma. Has dementia, we see her as a child, teen, young woman and old. She might as well be the ghost of La Llorona, their unvoiceable pain is the same. She may have been a dancer, but she was disabled by audism and lingualism.
YOLI – 30’s, Chicana/Latina
CJ’s aunt, compassionate to her niece and passionate about Aztec history, native ASL user (CODA or SODA), strong Spanish speaker, fluid code-switching across all three languages
ANA – late 50’s, Latina or Chicana
Mexican immigrant, native Spanish speaker (first language and fully fluent), dope in ASL (knows slang vernacular too), strong comfort level with code-switching across all three languages
TITO (Huitzilopochtli), Any Age, Deaf (or CODA/SODA),
Latine/x or Chicanx, GNC/Non-binary
God of the sun and war, fierce, cute, playful, and sexually fluid, CJ’s first guide.
OH ME (Ometeotl), Any Age, Non-binary/GNC
Deity of Duality, they are all genders, they are Destruction and Creation, alluring, funny, and knows how to talk to a teenager, strong fluency with Spanish and mad code-switching skills
MARI- late 30s-40s, Chicana or Latina
CJ’s mom, loves her daughter, trying to face her demons, an unmothered child in a perpetual state of traumatic sensing, no Spanish or ASL required
ARMANDO- 30’s, Deaf, Any race or ethnicity
Yoli’s friend, good sense of humor, loves a good story (also plays L, G’s lover. He knows true love when he sees it)
Acting Opportunity
A nonprofit organization called the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) isinvestigating anti-Asian discrimination in the Seattle/Tacoma and greater Los Angeles metro areas.
They will be hiring actors soon for a civil rights testing project. They will pay actors of Asian descent, and actors of other races, to contact local businesses and inquire about services. They’ll report back how they were treated, and thel’ll determine whether the businesses are engaging in discriminatory conduct.
Pay for each actor $85 for each assignment, which amounts to over $40 an hour for this work. All of the work will be done remotely.
They’ll be conducting trainings for interested actors via Zoom. The training for the Seattle/Tacoma metro area will take place on Monday, May 17th from 6 PM to 9 PM PST.
The training for the Los Angeles metro area will take place on Wednesday, May 19th from 6 PM to 9 PM PST.
Everyone who completes a training will receive $75 for attending the training, and they will then be eligible for assignments that pay $85 each.
Anyone who is interested should email a work resume to CivilRightsVolunteers@ncrc.org.
Please be aware that because of grant restrictions, they are unable to work with anyone who has worked for a real estate company or bank within the past 12 months, and they are unable to work with anyone who has ever been convicted of a felony or any crime of dishonesty.
Big Plans for PFP in 2021
We’re still in transition with new producers, but we still aim for the stars for 2021!
First is that PFP is teaming up with Intiman Theatre for a celebration of Asian American theatre artists. Join us in mid-May for a quartet of short plays from top Asian American artists in the Puget Sound (including PFP!), followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Head Hawg Roger Tang.
Next is our most ambitious undertaking yet: CJ An ASplanglish Play by Mercedes Floresislas, a tri-lingual play in English, Spanish and ASL. We’re co-developing with Ophelia’s Jump, a Southern California theatre we’ve been working with for the past year.
We’re targeting a date in July for a reading, complete with ASL interpreters. Immediately, we’ll hand the play off, actors and all, to Ophelia’s Jump, who’ll present a full, world premiere production in Claremont, CA.
Carolina Juarez, CJ, is a fifteen year old forced to live with her estranged aunt and Deaf grandmother when her mom overdoses again. She has been disconnected from her Latino heritage and is not interested in getting to know her family including her grandmother who is Deaf and has dementia. During a teenage tantrum, she destroys her grandmother’s childhood toy and the family’s comadre conjures up a recipe to intervene as her personal Nahual. Two Aztec deities appear to her to give her a chance to change her life before it is too late.
After CJ, we plan a community wide get-together of the Seattle Asian American theatre community, to take stock (and maybe get a little more organized) and to take advantage of the changes to come in the wider, primarily white theatre community in the Puget Sound. Keep your eyes peeled for details (whether it’s online or in person!)
Finally, we’re planning a virtual, West Coast 24 hour play festival, teaming up Asian American talent in the Pacific time zone for a fun, concentrated theatrical experience in November!
Whew! This is just a warm up…wait till you see what we have planned in 2022!