A Hand of Talons Opens on April 29th!

Return to the steampunk universe of New Providence with a brand new world premiere play! A Hand of Talons, written by Maggie Lee and directed by Amy Poisson, opens at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., Seattle) on April 29.
Rehearsals are already underway for this exciting show, which takes us back in time to a standalone prequel story before the events of The Clockwork Professor. Pork Filled Productions has assembled a stellar new cast of characters (with one returning favorite!) to explore the dark underworld of organized crime that lurks beneath the surface of the fair city of New Providence.
Tickets go on sale March 15, but check out this sneak peek from our first rehearsal!
The whole TALONS gang is so excited to be FUNDED! Photo by Joe Iano Photography.

Head Hawg Featured in the Bay Area


Pork Filled Executive Director Roger Tang has just returned from a fruitful trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spoke to the Stanford Asian American Theatre Project (which he helped to found 35 years ago) and received an Equity Award from the Equity in the Entertainment Industry Symposium at Stanford University.
While he was there, he spoke to the local paper, The Stanford Daily, about his long career in Asian American theatre and what he did before he was the “Godfather of Asian American theatre.” Check out his interview here!

Save the Date for A HAND OF TALONS

In the steampunk crime world, keep your enemies close, your friends closer and your family within dagger’s reach!

Pork Filled Productions presents the world premiere of A Hand of Talons by Maggie Lee (The Clockwork Professor, The Tumbleweed Zephyr), directed by Amy Poisson (These Streets, Fast Company, The Tumbleweed Zephyr), at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., Seattle), April 29 to May 21, 2016.

For generations, the Yao clan has ruled the criminal underworld in New Providence with an iron fist. But as the family empire threatens to crumble, Wilhelmina Yao must do whatever it takes to win at in a high-stakes game of power and betrayal. Descend into the hazy underground gambling den of the Fortuna Mews to explore the dark world of steampunk noir in this thrilling third installment of the New Providence series.

Shows are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with two Pay-What-You-Can Industry Nights on May 2 and 9 (Mondays at 8 pm) and one matinee on Sunday, May 15, 2 pm.

“”It’s a bit of a departure from our usual light-hearted action adventures, ” says PFP Executive Director Roger Tang. “But we feel that audiences will really enjoy this new dark look at the New Providence steampunk universe.”

“A Hand of Talons is a prequel of sorts, exploring a young woman’s path to power, and what she sacrifices along the way to become a strong leader. And we’re still doing what we love to do by mixing and matching genres, this time with a strong dose of The Godfather, Jules Verne, and that unique New Providence twist.”

A Hand of Talons features Ben Burris, Tim Gagne, Kenna Kettrick, Stephanie Kim-Bryan, Mariko Kita, Abhijeet Rane, Jenn Ruzumna and Sean Schroeder. Producers are Maggie Lee, May Nguyen and Roger Tang.

Designers include Brandon Estrella (Sets/Props), Jocelyne Fowler (Costumes), Tess Malone (Lighting), Joseph Swartz (Sound), Daniel Rector (Dramaturge), May Nguyen (Fight Choreography) and Michael Massey (Stage Manager).

Advance tickets are $15 General and $12 Student/Senior/TPS at Brown Paper Tickets, on sale, starting March 15, at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/web/2490244. Run time is approximately two hours with one intermission. There is a Double Date Deal (four General Admissions for $50). At the door, tickets are $18 General, $15 Student/Senior/TPS. PFP participates in Teen Tix. A Hand of Talons is rated PG-13 for intense situations and stage violence. For more info, email PFP at info@porkfilled.com.

Spinning off from the long running sketch comedy group the Pork Filled Player, Pork Filled Productions stretches the boundaries of Asian American theatre. Reflecting the imagination and creativity of modern Asian American artists, Pork Filled Products reworks traditional Asian American theatre to embrace the full spectrum of genres, from steampunk (The Clockwork Professor) to supernatural comedies (Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love by Prince Gomolvilas), to mistaken race farces (Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang) to crime family con games (Fast Company by Carla Ching) and yes, even Kung-fu zombie Shakespeare (Living Dead in Denmark by Qui Nguyen).

A Hand of Talons is supported by 4Culture and the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle and is an Associated Project of Shunpike. Shunpike is 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.

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Meet the Cast of A HAND OF TALONS

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We’ve searched high and low to find just the right rogues and scofflaws for our newest show! Pork Filled Productions is very proud to introduce our cast for A Hand of Talons: Stephanie Kim-Bryan, Jenn Ruzumna, Sean Schroeder, Mariko Kita, Abhijeet Rane, Ben Burris, Kenna Kettrick, and Tim Gagne! We look forward to creating this new steampunk noir play with them that explores the darker side of New Providence, a harrowing tale in the seedy underworld of organized crime.
Oh, want some bios?

Ben Burris (Lawrence Howell) is happy to be making is debut with PFP! He is a Cornish Alum. When not on stage Ben is a puppeteer with Thistle Theater, performing Bunraku style puppet shows for children in the Seattle area. He recently designed and co-built the Tralfamadorian puppets for Book-It’s Slaughterhouse Five. Ben is also a clown and is part of the absurdist comedy trio Le Frenchword. You may have seen Ben in For Christmas with Playing in Progress, The Art of Bad Men with Map Theatre (Gypsy Rose Lee winner for Best Ensemble and Best Director) and The Boy at the Edge of Everything with SCT.

Tim Gagne (Kenzo Yao) is a native of St. Paul Minnesota, where he graduated with a theater acting degree from Minnesota State University. Since moving to Seattle, Tim has had the pleasure of working with some excellent theaters and companies including Annex Theater, Pacific Play Company, Fantastic Z, Theater Battery, and Spirit Theater. In addition to stage work Tim has worked as a voice over artist, a radio personality, and he was recently seen on the television show Evil In-Law.

 

Kenna Kettrick (Lin Curtis) is proud to report for duty to the Yao family. She was recently seen in Seattle Vice (Marxiano Productions) and Codename Kansas: Witch Hunter (Copious Love), and has worked with Seattle Public, Annex, Open Circle, The Bathhouse Ensemble, 14/48: TWQTF, and more—both on and off stage. Blood is her preferred design discipline, and food her favorite gift to friends. She performs burlesque under the name Verity Germaine, likes to teach middle schoolers stage combat, and leads food tours in Pike Place Market for a day job. She graduated from Seattle University, with degrees in Theater and History & English, and the Hickey Award, which is far more academic than it sounds… probably. Much love to Acting Club & the frog prince!

Stephanie Kim-Bryan (Wilhemina Yao) – Theatrically, she was last seen in Azeotrope’s Sound at ACT Theatre and in Pork-Filled Productions’ The Tumbleweed Zyphyr. Her local credits include Keiko Okabe in Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Annika Settergreen in Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Pippi Longstocking. She’s also worked in Seattle with The Repertory Actor’s Theatre/PFP in Yellow Face, and SCT in A Single Shard; in Chicago with the American Theatre Company in Yeast Nation, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in Funk It Up About Nothin’, and at Chicago Children’s Theatre in Hana’s Suitcase. Her education includes commedia training at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. A few favorite roles include Myrrah, et al. in Metamorphoses and Tiger Lily in Peter Pan.

Mariko Kita (Delphine Yao) is over the moon to be working with Pork Filled Productions again and to inhabit New Providence with this amazing cast and team. She has appeared locally with Live Girls! Theater, Book-it Repertory Theatre, ReAct Theatre, Balagan Theater, StoryBook Theater, Infinity Box Theater, Lyric Light Opera, Ghost Light Theatricals and most recently Annex Theater. She regularly writes arrangements for Live Girls! Ladies Choir and has been a proud member of 14/48 bands. She is ever grateful for her amazingly supportive family.

Abhijeet Rane (Preston Hodges) moved to Seattle in 1999 and has been part of the vibrant South Asian drama community in Seattle for the past 10 years – performing in Seattle, San Jose, Portland, Chicago and Vancouver as well. Most recently, he appeared in Dance Like a Man in 2015, The Banyan Tree for Pratidhwani in 2013 and Everything But The Paper in 2014. Abhijeet writes his own stand-up comedy scripts, is an avid photographer and in his spare time manages to market technology products and services. He loves startups and is keenly interested in entrepreneur driven disruptive innovation.

Jenn Ruzumna (Bernie Martillo) is crazy excited to be a part of this stellar group of talented folks. Jenn was recently seen in The Twelfth Story at The Annex. She has also performed at theaters including Theater Schmeater, On the Boards, West of Lenin, Studio 4 Seattle and Woodinville Rep. Favorite roles: Jennifer Tucker in Wayne Rawley’s Beating Up Bachman (Radial Theater), Betty Dullfeet in The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui (The CHAC) and Debra in A Kind of Alaska (BASH). Jenn also enjoys film work and is looking forward to the release of some of her films this year including the feature Brown’s Canyon (Try This Films). Her happy place is eating pizza and chocolate with her husband, children and dogs.

Sean Schroeder (Anders Yao) is very excited to be working with Pork-Filled Productions for the first time. He was most recently seen as Franz Huber in MAP Theatre’s production of The Art of Bad Men, directed by Kelly Kitchens. He was also an ensemble member in Seattle Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear, directed by Sheila Daniels. He earned a BFA in Acting from Cornish College of the Arts in 2014. Favorite roles during his tenure at Cornish include Richard Mayhew in Neverwhere, Franny in Balm in Gilead and Beano in Summer Brave. Love to Maria, Natalie, Jasmine and Mariah.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the show on Facebook!
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More theater made easy

The Seattle theatre scene is so full of fantastic shows that one’s calendar can easily burst with new works, solo works, and festivals.

To make things a little easier for the intrepid theater-goer, Pork Filled Productions and Latino Theatre Projects are teaming up and providing discount tickets for our upcoming shows. Now you can see both productions without breaking the bank.

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Latino Theatre Project‘s newest play is MARIELA IN THE DESERT, a prize-winning play by celebrated Latina playwright Karen Zacarias. This story weaves a complex tale with a gripping mystery that reveals what happens to a family when one’s creativity is shut away. This production will be the play’s Washington State premiere. The play is Directed by Fernando Luna and produced in association with Theatre Off Jackson.

The cast is led by Angela Maestas and Michael D. Blum. Also appearing are Esteban Ortiz, Frances Hearn, Addie Keller, and David Cravens-O’Farrell. Scenic design is by Maggie Larick with lighting by Emily Leong costumes by K.D. Schill, and sound design by Noah Duffy.

WHEN: Thursday-Saturday evenings, March 17-April 9 at 8:00 pm
WHERE: Theatre Off Jackson, 409 7th Ave S in Chinatown/International District

TICKETS: http://marielainthedesert.brownpapertickets.com/

DISCOUNT CODE: SPICEBOX

Head Hawg Honored in the Bay Area

Hat tip to our Head Hawg Roger Tang, who is headed down to CA to this month as a special guest to multiple events!
On February 25, he will share the experiences of his four-decade career in Asian American theatre at the Stanford Asian American Theatre Project, of which he was a founding member with noted playwright David Henry Hwang.
Then on February 27, he will be honored at Getting Played: Second Annual Symposium on Equity in the Entertainment Industry for his contributions to equity in the entertainment field, as the moderator of the aa-drama list (the industry email list serve for Asian American theatre artists) and as the editor of the Asian American Theatre Revue, the internet’s foremost resource on Asian American theatre (www.aatrevue.com).
Please join us in wishing Roger a hearty congratulations!

Maggie Lee Hits the Stage in Do It for Umma

While usually found lurking in the shadows behind the scenes, New Providence playwright and PFP producer Maggie Lee appears on stage as an actor this month in the world premiere of Do It for Umma by Seayoung Yim!  Opening on February 2 at Annex Theatre, this new dark revenge comedy is directed by PFP alum Sara Porkalob, and also features PFP actor Christian Ver.
In this surreal comedic detective story, the ghost of Hannah¹s recently deceased mother returns to haunt the Korean convenience store she once ran with an iron fist, shaming, cajoling, and needling her daughter into avenging her extremely suspicious death. While Hannah¹s older brother shirks off familial duties in favor of a romantic tryst with the local dry-cleaning maven, Hannah embarks on an epic mission to piece together the clues that will lead her to Umma¹s killer. Featuring a chorus of ajummas and a healthy dose of revenge, Do It for Umma is an absurd tragicomedy about a young woman trying to gain her mother¹s approval and protect her family¹s honor in the strangest of circumstances.
February 2 to February 17
Tuesdays & Wednesday at 7:30PM
PWYC Industry night: Monday, February 1 at 7:30PM

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PFP Explores the Dark World of Steampunk Noir

Pork Filled Productions is proud to announce the world premiere of A HAND OF TALONS, a new play by Seattle playwright Maggie Lee at Theatre Off Jackson, running April 29 to May 21, 2016 and directed by Amy Poisson. This dark crime family drama explores yet another facet of the steampunk-inspired universe of our 2015 production THE TUMBLEWEED ZEPHYR and our 2013 production THE CLOCKWORK PROFESSOR.

For generations, the Yao clan has been the most powerful crime syndicate in the city, ruling the seedy underbelly of New Providence with an iron fist. But as the family empire threatens to crumble, Wilhelmina Yao must do whatever it takes to win at in a high-stakes game of power and betrayal. Descend into the hazy underground gambling den of the Fortuna Mews to explore the dark world of steampunk noir in this thrilling third installment of the New Providence series.

Come Audition for A Hand of Talons

We STRONGLY encourage all ethnicities and actors of color to audition for any role that interests you! A HAND OF TALONS is set in an alternate universe, so please note that the character names do not reflect any preset racial preferences, including among the family members.

Audition/Interview Dates:
Sunday, January 10, starting at 4:30pm

Callbacks:
Monday, January 11, 6:30pm to 10pm

Auditions will be held at Prima Vera Arts Center.

Please prepare two short contrasting monologues, dramatic and comedic, of any style.

Actors will be paid a stipend. Contact info@porkfilled.com

CHARACTERS:
WILHELMINA YAO
FEMALE, plays early 20s. Owner of the Fortuna Mews gambling club. Cheerful and spirited, she has few cares or responsibilities as the youngest daughter of the Yao family. But as the family starts to crumble, she develops a surprising strength and steely resolve that transforms her into something darker and more cunning. Sister to ANDERS and DELPHINE.

DELPHINE YAO
FEMALE, plays late 20s to early 30s. She is the eldest daughter, and acting head of the Yao clan. Uncompromising and stern, she will do whatever it takes to save face and keep the clan afloat. Sister to WILHELMINA and ANDERS.

ANDERS YAO
MALE, plays late 20s. As the middle son of the Yao family, he constantly tries to prove his worth as a leader but never quite succeeds. He has big dreams of taking over the clan, but finds himself driven to desperation by his circumstances. Brother to WILHELMINA and DELPHINE.

BERNADETTE “BERNIE” MARTILLO
FEMALE, plays 40s. A games dealer at the Fortuna Mews and former Yao clan member. Bitter and sardonic, she scorns all Yaos except Wilhelmina, who has her undying loyalty.

LAWRENCE HOWELL
MALE, plays 20s. A friend and unrequited admirer of Wilhelmina. A small-time criminal and petty crook, he has the good-natured air of a scoundrel about him.

LIN CURTIS
FEMALE, plays 20s to 30s. First Lieutenant and bodyguard to Delphine. Gruff, loyal, and deadly, she has pledged her life to serving the Yao clan. Stage combat experience preferred.

KENZO YAO
MALE, plays late 20s to early 30s. He is an emissary from the Eastern Yaos from the Old Country overseas, sent to assess the viability of the New Providence clan. Disarmingly handsome and charming, he hides a well-concealed sense of dangerous purpose.

PRESTON HODGE
MALE, plays 40s to 50s. An unlucky gambler who frequents the Fortuna Mews. Worried, nervous, and desperately optimistic.

Online Dating Tales of Old Japan by Kirk Shimano

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The year’s not over yet! Pork Filled Productions’ got one more staged reading of a brand new play to do before we call 2015 a done deal. Join us for ONLINE DATING TALES OF OLD JAPAN by Kirk Shimano on Thursday, December 3 at 6pm at Wing Luke Museum.

Online Dating Tales of Old Japan combines traditional Japanese folk tales with modern dating anxiety. As Akira tells us the fairytales he learned as a child, we see them blending with his own experiences of finding love, losing love, and being stuck in the limbo between finding and losing love. Akira’s journey takes him through ten folk tales and eighty years of Japanese-American history as he attempts to make sense of the life that he wants to lead.

Playwright Kirk Shimano will be there too! Stick around for a post-play discussion following the reading.

Directed by Brad Walker. Featuring actors: Rachel Rene Araucto, Matt De La Cruz, Emily Feliciano, Denny Le, J Lee, Gavin McLean,  and Tim Takechi.

ONLINE DATING TALES OF OLD JAPAN performs on Thursday, December 3 at Wing Luke Museum – 719 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104. For First Thursday, Wing Luke Museum is free and open to the public. Tickets for the reading are suggested donation of $5. Proceeds go to Wing Luke Museum.

THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL by Prince Gomolvilas

 

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Just in time for Halloween, Pork Filled Productions brings the spooks and scares with the staged reading of THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL, a new play by Prince Gomolvilas, on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30pm at the Pocket Theatre!

The Brothers Paranormal is a comedy/horror mix. Two Thai-American brothers launch a ghost-hunting business in order to capitalize on the nationwide increase in sightings of Asian-looking ghosts. When the siblings end up investigating the home of a couple that claims to
be haunted by one very terrifying spirit, everyone’s notions of reality, fantasy, and sanity clash against the shocking truth.

Director David Gassner is scary-good with our terrifyingly talented cast, Manuel Cawaling, Mariko Kita, Kevin Lin, Anna Saephan, Selena Whitaker-Paquiet, and Bob Williams. (See what I did there?)

THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL performs on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30pm at Pocket Theater – 8312 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. Tickets are pay-what-you-can online and at the door.

See you at the show!

An Asian American Theatre Company