From steamy nightclub noir, to sword and sorcery on the high seas, to imaginative science fiction exploring DNA technology and implanted memories, Unleashed was and continues to be a festival of staged readings of new work. It gives voice to playwrights of color who want to write about the joys and dreams of being people of color (and not just the hearbreak and oppression); it allows them to break through the rigid norms and expectations of mainstream theater. With a diverse selection of Korean American, Chinese American, Chinese Canadian, and African American playwrights, Unleashed will showcase the wildly creative and outside-the-box stories that often get overlooked from writers of color.
The Plays
Mirror-Mirror
“No one suspects a woman with a vacuum!” in this zany fractured fairy tale.
Written by Lamar Legend.
Directed by Aaron Jin.
Featuring: Emily Wallace, Hazel Lozano, Mara Palma, Weijing Zhou, Denny Le, Marena Kleinpeter
My Samurai
Finding romance is hilarious and frustrating when watched over by a ghostly Samurai ancestor.
Written by Celeste Mari Williams
Dramaturgy by Sonja Lowe
Directed by Shana Bestock
Featuring: Sunam Ellis, Mariko Kita, Owen Yen, Daniel Wood, Michael Cercado
Repossessed
Rich and Gretchen believe they have the perfect marriage, until they learn that it must be repossessed by the company that manufactured it.
Written by Greg Lam
Dramaturgy by Daniel Rector
Directed by David Gassner
Featuring: Agastya Kohli, May Nguyen Lee, Karen Jo Fairbrook, Mark Waldstein, Hannah Sweet
Winner of the Janet and Bruce Bunch New Play Contest Award, presented by Theatre Conspiracy and the Winner, New Work Initiative, Lotus Lee Foundation, 2018
Reparations
This innovative science fiction tale asks the question: if our histories are indelibly imprinted in our DNA, can reparations ever be enough to forget the ghosts of black history?
Written by Darren Canady
Directed by Jay O’Leary
Featuring: Aishe Keita, Rheanna Atendido, Rebecca Davis, D. Woods, Naa Akua, Chip Sherman, Nicholas Bernard, Adera Gandy, Allyson Brown
Blood Makes Noise
Across the country, a small number of corpses have mysteriously reanimated and quietly gone into hiding. What happens when these “After-Lifers” try to step out of the shadows and join the rest of humanity? Is being dead a barrier to getting a life?
Written by Kuan Foo
Directed by May Nguyen Lee
Featuring: Virginia Gabby, Michael Yichao, J. Lee, Mario Orallo, Rachel Guyer-Mafune, Laurence Williams
Dawn of the She-Devil of the China Seas
Follow the true (we swear!) origin of China’s pirate queen, who commanded the world’s largest pirate fleet that ever existed, buckling her swash against the dark forces opposing her.
Written by Roger Tang
Dramaturgy by Kate Swenson
Directed by Linnea Ingalls
Featuring: Mi Kang, Hazel Lozano, Manny Golez, Eloisa Cardona, Brad Walker, Henry Vu, Frankie Sun, Bunthay Cheam, Anna Seaphan
Persimmon Nights
A brash young Korean immigrant rises to great heights to risks it all, while balancing two lovers and many debts in the 1960s/70s.
Written by Seayoung Yim
Dramaturgy by Maggie Lee
Directed by Sara Porkalob
Featuring: Lance Valdez, Laura Lee Caudill, Mara Elissa Palma, Chrysanthemum Binayug, Christian Jay Quinto, Skye Stephenson
Staff and designers
stage manager – Anthea Carns
graphic design – Justin Allan-Spencer with Cellar Door Mercantile
production photography – Roger Tang
producers – Maggie Lee, May Nguyen Lee, and Roger Tang