PFP has joined the Northwest Arts Streaming Hub! We’re streaming our work so you can see for yourself what Pork Filled is all about!
Right now, we have stuff from our early years as a sketch comedy group, but we hope to add more recent stuff as time goes on.
If you’ve never seen us before, check us out (and drop a few coins in the bucket if you like us!)
From Voyager’s golden discs to ghostly encounters of the unsettling kind, the slate for Pork Filled Productions’ Unleashed 2020 (New Pulp Stories for the 21st Century) showcases genre stories and POC voices seldom seen on stage.
“This is just our third year of Unleashed” says Executive Director Roger Tang, ,”and we’ve already had five of our scripts receive offers of productions from five different theatres. That’s a testament to the quality of work we get.
“Every year we’ve received more plays to read and meet more new playwrights from across the main. This year we got more than a hundred submissions, with the same quality of work. The market for genre work by POC artists simply thrives.”
The seven pieces include
The next step is to match each script with a dramaturg, who will aid the playwright in re-writes and development over the summer. This culminates in a staged reading of the work, produced by PFP, set for late fall, this year.
“We’re following in the footsteps of our brethren at Theater Mu and Ma-Yi,” says Tang, “as we support the playwright at every step of the way, with dramaturgs and workshop readings to make the script the best it can possibly be.”
Directors and casting for the entire festival will be announced later.
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, horror, 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.
Mercedes Floresislas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who writes trilingual plays to create opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing actors to spread awareness of Deaf related issues and American Sign Language. Her first play, Tamales de Puerco revolutionized American Theater by introducing the first Latino Deaf characters. Floresislas first MFA play, Los Moreno, is the recipient of the 2016 Kennedy Center American Theater Festival Latinidad Award, the first alternate for the National Partners American Theater Award 2016, it was selected as the 50 Playwrights Project Best Unproduced Latinx plays 2017, Austin Latino Play Festival at Teatro Vivo, Milargo Theater Latinx Festival, and it was a runner up for Met Life’s 2017 Nuestras Voces. Floresislas is a recipient of the Gerbode Special Awards in the Arts.
Julia Izumi’s work has been developed at MTC, The Bushwick Starr, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, WP Theater, Great Plains Theatre Conference, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor Residency and NNPN/Kennedy Center’s MFA Playwrights’ Workshop. She is a current member of Clubbed Thumb’s Early-Career Writers’ group and New Georges’ Audrey Residency. MFA: Brown University.
Michelle Tyrene Johnson is a public radio journalist, a writer and a former attorney. As a playwright, Johnson’s plays have been staged nationally, including in California, Texas, Illinois, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Kentucky. Several of her plays, such as Wiccans in the Hood, The Negro Whisperer, Trading Races: From Rodney King to Paula Deen, Echoes of Octavia, and Buried Roots have been in New York City festivals and readings.
Primarily a director of new and contemporary plays, Jesse Jou is currently on faculty at Texas Tech University. He is an alumnus of the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Drama League’s Directors Project, and the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. Jesse is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Greg Lam is a playwright and podcaster who’s just moved to the Bay Area. His full-length play REPOSSESSED received its world premiere at Theatre Conspiracy in Fort Myers, FL in 2018. His newest play LAST SHIP TO PROXIMA CENTAURI received readings in 2019. For more about Greg, see https://greglam.wixsite.com/home.
Chie-Hoon Lee‘s credits include the short plays “For the Living” and “Half Life”. Chie-Hoon has worked in non-creative capacities for the renowned Belvoir and Griffin theatre companies in Sydney.
Patrick Zhang is a Philadelphia-born, but LA-based actor, writer, filmmaker, and student. He is inspired by the intersection of social justice and art. Patrick ultimately desires to democratize creativity through his work.
Today, GiveBIG! And tomorrow is GiveBIG! Support Pork Filled Productions both days!
Last year, we raised over $2,500 for THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL, part of a rolling world premiere that also hit New York Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Portland. We were proud to surprise and please the playwright, who loved seeing how we, as the only non-Equity house, compared to the others.
This year, we’re aiming at $2,500 to support more new scripts for UNLEASHED 2020 to promote more POC playwrights and more local theatre artists. The first UNLEASHED produced four scripts other theatres wanted to produce, and we’re itching to match or surpass that!
A huge thanks to our early donors, Bob Flor, Teresa Carns, Christopher Newell, Chanya Swartz, Mason Wiley, and Catherine Kettrick who took advantage of our matching funds. There’s still room for you to double your impact, so GiveBIG right now!
Thank you for including Pork Filled Productions on your list of charitable giving. We can’t continue to create those inclusive universes of fun without you!
Spice up your meetings! Use production photos from past PFP shows as virtual backgrounds to give a little character to your interactions under social isolation!
Best of all, it’s free to use! Go here for Fast Company virtual backgrounds! Go here for The Brothers Paranormal backgrounds! And go here for A Hand of Talons backgrounds! And just click on the photos!
Just added! The Tumbleweed Zephyr photos.
More shows and more backgrounds. to come!
Hope cannot be quarantined.
GiveBIG , Seattle’s day of giving, returns for TWO days in 2020, May 5 and 6, and PFP is participating!
PFP has always created universes of hope and fun, from our New Providence steampunk plays to last year’s Brothers Paranormal (we ain’t letting ghosts get the better of us!). PFP aims to raise $2500 to continue that mission of developing genre plays that center Asian American and POC theatre artists.
To boot, the first $900 in gifts will be gets matched, so your donation does double duty!
PFP’s 2020 is packed with brand new works by playwrights of color in Unleashed, our staged reading series program. We can’t wait to tell you what’s coming up, so keep your email inbox open for news on what world premieres are coming from us.
Mark your calendars for GiveBIG on May 5 AND 6. Or avoid the rush and schedule your donation when early giving begins April 15. And keep a browser tab open to Pork Filled Productions onFacebook or Instagram to stay up to date with your friendly neighborhood Asian American theatre company.
It¹s coming up quickly, so get ready for GiveBig! And support PFP today!
Seattle Arts Relief Fund Amid COVID-19
Noted author Ijeoma Oluo and 2 others are organizing this fundraiser, putting money directly in the hands of artists (with the help of Langston). Musicians, DJ’s, independent chefs, caterers, actors, directors, writers, spoken word artists, teaching artists and more are getting funds to survive.
Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-artists
Apply for assistance: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHJNLQV
Arts Ki Help Karo Na!
Our friends at Pratidhwani are helping raise money for companies affected by cancellations and closures, including PFP friends Macha Theatre Works and Theatre Off Jackson.
https://www.facebook.com/donate/254204278922224/10159688194238902/
SCOHM Covid-19 Community Resource Guide
An extensive and living document with resources on short-term work, governmental unemployment and relief benefits, and fundraisers for small businesses, individual artists, and service workers in need.
https://preview.tinyurl.com/tld588a
COVID-19 & Freelance Artists
National resources for freelance artists.
https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/
ONE HORSE TOWN, by Minna Lee, presented by Annex Theatre
Livestreams Friday, April 3 and Saturday, May 2
https://www.facebook.com/events/642137913237988/
Annex is using Patreon for people to pay for livestream access
Copious Love on Twitch
Check their Facebook page for upcoming events!
https://www.facebook.com/copiouslove/
https://www.twitch.tv/copiousart
On the Boards
Offering free streaming of their archive of recorded performances through April 2020 with the code ARTATHOME20
https://www.ontheboards.tv/
Seattle Arts Livestreaming Coalition
The Seattle Arts Livestreaming Coalition is a group seeking to empower multidisciplinary Northwest artists to digitally livestream their work and gain support!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/515306052740907/
Coming soon from the Coalition!
NASH – the Northwest Arts Streaming Hub
Compiling all the streaming events together in one easy to peruse page so people can indulge and pay artists for their work!
For the first time, Pork Filled Productions is putting out an open call for directors of color! PFP is bringing back Unleashed! New Pulp Stories for the 21st Century as a week-long festival of staged readings of brand-new genre plays.
Unleashed festival location (pending updated news on coronavirus):
The Auditorium at University Heights Center
5031 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
PFP is dedicated to creating opportunities and providing platforms for theatre artists of color, from playwrights and performers to directors, designers, and producers. We want BI&POC to be the creative forces and the decision-makers that push theatre forward.
“[Unleashed is] looking for one acts, shorts, and full lengths,” says Roger Tang, executive director of PFP. “We embrace the gamut of genres, from detective stories to horror to science fiction and fantasy to super heroes. What we’re looking for are larger than life characters, with strong adventure-flavored storylines and plots.
“We have more stories in us than… identity plays. We want to give writers of color free rein to let loose their full storytelling potential on stage. And we want the audience to have fun and we get to tell our stories.”
– Deadline for application – April 30, 2020
– Send resumes to – artists@porkfilled.com
– All submitting directors must complete the accompanying application form
– Questions? – info@porkfilled.com
– Pork Filled Productions is dedicated to casting all of our shows with at least 51% actors of color
Unleashed 2020 returns for a week-long festival of brand new genre plays by playwrights of color! Pork Filled Productions is sounding the call, once again, for one acts, short plays, and full length plays that indulge in genre, upend expectations, and expand imaginations. Deadline for submission is February 28, 2020.
From Roger Tang, executive director of PFP: “We embrace the gamut of genres, from detective stories to horror to science fiction and fantasy to super heroes. What we’re looking for are larger than life characters, with strong adventure-flavored storylines and plots.
“We have more stories in us than oppression porn or identity plays. We want to give writers of color free rein to let loose their full storytelling potential on stage. And we want the audience to have fun and we get to tell our stories.”
We are so proud and thrilled that many of the plays that have come through Unleashed have gone on to win awards and enjoy their world premieres:
Questions? – info@porkfilled.com
Plays are not required to have specifically diverse casts or racial themes; however, Pork Filled Productions is dedicated to casting all of our shows with at least 51% actors of color, so please keep that in mind when considering your submissions.
1 – We are looking for short plays (10-20 minutes), one acts (30-45 minutes), and full length plays (90+ minutes) by playwrights of color.
2 – We are specifically seeking bold, imaginative new work in genres such as noir, science fiction, fantasy, horror, exploration, action adventure, or any mashup in-between. We are especially looking for strong, plot-oriented stories, larger than life characters and/or adventured-oriented plays.
3 – Selected plays will receive a public staged reading in the Seattle, WA area.
4 – All submitted plays will be considered for a full production by Pork Filled Productions.
5 – Deadline for submissions is February 28, 2020
6 – Only emailed submissions with a completed application form will be considered. Please submit all materials as attachments in MS Word or PDF format to submissions@porkfilled.com.
7 – Playwrights may make multiple submissions, but plays must not have had a stage production at the time of submission. Readings and workshops are not considered productions.
8 – While PFP is primarily an Asian American theatre company, this festival is open to all playwrights of color.
9 – Local writers from the Pacific Northwest are strongly encouraged to submit their genre plays.
Photos from the mixer, thanks to Wei Lo:
Pork Filled Productions is hosting
Tuesday, February 4
6:30 – 9:30 pm
University Heights Center
5031 University Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Mingle! Socialize! Network! Get to know other Asian/Pacific Islander American theatre artists in the area!
This is a great chance for us to come together and generate ideas for new projects or think up projects we can share in. We can coordinate our calendars to support upcoming shows featuring APIA stories and artists. And bring your resumes! (And kids1 This is family friendly!)
Asian/Pacific Islander American performers and designers, you’re invited to participate in the new Puget Sound APIA Theatre Database. You will have access to this database and see who you should contact for a project. This database will also be shared with established theatres in the area. No more excuses for not “knowing who’s out there”.
Folks who participate in the Puget Sound APIA Theatre Database will get a free drink from the UHeights Center bar, courtesy of Conference of Asian American Theatre Artists (CATAA).
Are you an Asian/Pacific Islander American ally? You are welcome to attend this special event whose purpose is to focus on and uplift the Asian American theatre community. (And check those resumes!)
Performers! Join the database here…
https://forms.gle/YmweFtbD5WzXcK8m6
Designers/Technicians/Admins! Join here!
https://forms.gle/WXzL81RCvyfFf53K9
UNLEASHED: New Pulp Stories for the 21st Century is back for one more staged reading for 2019.
Join us for the first public reading of the brand new play: OLD AND NEW by Kendall Uyeji at the Auditorium at University Heights on Tuesday, Dec 10 at 7:30pm.
ABOUT: Two different times cross over as a detective tries to catch a time traveling murderer to save her daughter and a tribal leader tries to save his village, while protecting the one he loves.
Directed by Kiefer Harrington and featuring performances by Marie Bolla, Michael Cercado, Elisa Chavez, Kelly O’Brien, Zenaida Smith, Amber Tanaka, Fune Tutala, and Nina Williams-Termachi.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can! https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4452700
See you at the show!
