The Fortune Teller
A New Play Workshop Production, Co-Produced by CHUANG Stage & TC Squared Theatre Company
Written by Christina R. Chan
Directed by Kai Chao; Associate Directed by Alison Yueming Qu
Location:
Boston Center for the Arts, Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA
Performance Schedule:
Week 1: Saturday, October 28, 7PM | Sunday, October 29, 2PM
Week 2: Thursday, November 2, 7PM | Friday, November 3, 7PM | Saturday, November 4, 2PM
Can you predict your destiny? How do we end up where we are?
Inspired by an unsettling history, THE FORTUNE TELLER traces several generations of a family from China in the 1800s to present-day America, as they search for destiny and each other bound together by immigrant legacy and bloodline.
TICKETS ARE PAY-AS-YOU-ARE, STARTING AT $0!
JOIN US AT POST-SHOW COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS!
Throughout the run of The Fortune Teller, join us at community conversations after the performances kick-started by Boston’s Asian American community leaders, scholars, and artist-activists, to engage in an audience-wide response circle in celebration of the play’s joy and advocacy.
Sat, October 28@7PM
Christina R. Chan, Wen-Hao Tien, Shaina Lu
Christina R. Chan is a playwright, actor, and director. Her writing focuses on the intersection of AAPI culture, history, social justice, intergenerational conflict, and mental health.
Wen-hao Tien is born and raised in Taiwan; as an interdisciplinary artist, her career includes teaching, speaking, and community services.
Shaina Lu is a queer Taiwanese-American community artist and educator interested in the intersection of art, education, and activism.
Sun, October 29@2PM
Dr. Peter Nien-chu Kiang 江念祖
Dr. Peter Nien-chu Kiang (江念祖) is Professor and Director of the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he has taught since 1987. Kiang served as CHSNE co-president from 2002 to 2010, working on the Mount Hope Cemetery project to restore tombstones in its Chinese section.
Thu, November 2@7PM
Charlotte Cotter, Jenny Wolski & China's Children International
Founded in 2011, China's Children International (CCI for short) is one of the first international support, networking, and community organizations created by and for adult Chinese adoptees.
Jenny was adopted from Jiangxi Province when she was 13 months old. She grew up in the greater Philadelphia area then moved to Washington, DC to study Statistics and Sociology at The George Washington University.
Charlotte is a 29 year-old adult transracial Chinese adoptee born in Zhenjiang city, Jiangsu province in 1994 and raised in the greater Boston area. She currently works at the Fairbank Center Collection as part of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.
Fri, November 3@7PM
Dr. Heang Leung Rubin 梁嘉慶
Dr. Heang Leung Rubin is a creative entrepreneur and community storyteller. After a successful career in higher education, she is now devoting her time, energy, and skills to amplifying stories about the community through creative and artistic methods in order to reach a broader audience. She is working on a spiritual memoir about faith, family, and forgiveness and spearheading the making of Overdue, a multi-year documentary project about the fight for the Chinatown permanent branch library. She has done community storytelling projects for Residence Lab, the Massachusetts Storytelling Collaborative and the Design Gym.
CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Starring Jamie Lin, Mordecai S.J. Choi, Tony SooHoo, Karla Goo Lang, and Angela Gunn
Production Stage Manager: Emma J. Hunt
Assistant Stage Manager: Hengyu Hu (Olivia)
Production Manager: Becca Cottrell
Lighting Designer: Ashley Yung
Lighting Assistant: Leanne Zhang
Scenic Designer: Qingan Zhang
Prop Designer: Audrey Seraphin
Sound Designer: Aubrey Dube
Costume Designer: Sandra Zhihan Jia
PLAYWRIGHT - Christina R Chan is a playwright, actor, and director. She is a 1.5 immigrant from Hong Kong. Her writing focuses on the intersection of AAPI culture, history, social justice, intergenerational conflict, and mental health. Christina would like to thank Marty Kingsbury, Ros Thomas-Clark, TC2 PlayLab colleagues, and AAPC for their unwavering support. It was indeed good fortune having Alison Qu, Kai Chao, cast, and production team as amazing collaborators on this play. Love to my family.
TC SQUARED CO-PRODUCER - Rosalind Thomas-Clark, is Artistic and Executive Director of TC Squared Theatre, and produces scripts committed to social change by writers from the two weekly Play Labs. Her passion has always been the development of arts and education in Britain, New Zealand, and the USA. She taught at Brown University, and spent ten years as Theatre Chair at the Boston Arts Academy. Rosalind studied with the late Augusto Boal in Brazil, and was awarded Boston’s Teacher of the Year Award, and a SURDNA Artist Colony Grant. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near her three children and five grandchildren.
DIRECTOR - Kai Chao is thankful for stories that continue to be shared across our AAPI Community, and the opportunity to provide his perspective as an actor, and 1st generation Asian American. Directing: AAPC Playfest – Various; MoonBox New Works Festival – Swan; Boston Theater Marathon - Various; Performing: The Lyric Stage of Boston - Pacific Overtures; The Umbrella Stage Company – The Joy Luck Club, La Cage aux Folles, Side Show; Reagle Players – Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty & the Beast, Mame. He has also performed with Disney Entertainment, and is always thankful for the love and support from his husband, Al.
LIN WONG/ MARC/ ANCESTOR SPIRIT - Mordecai Choi, Che Soo Jae, (He/Him/His) is elated to be joining Chuang Stage and TC Squared's co-Production of Christina Chan's Fortune Teller. He is honored to be apart of Chuang Stage's initial work in their three-year Launchpad Theatre Residency. He would like to thank his fellow cast, crew and design team; without you, there is no art. He would like to thank his friends, and family and Gabrielle; without you, there is no me. Dedicated to his immigrant parents and grandparents, Soo Jae invites you to sit back and enjoy the fortune telling.
SARAH McCARTHY - Angela Gunn is thrilled to be performing in the Chuang Stage/TC Squared production of THE FORTUNE TELLER! A graduate of Wellesley College and Northeastern University School of Law, she currently represents convicted murderers on their appeals in addition to performing on stage and in film. Recent productions include the original work DOUBLE BILL with Theatre@First and Talking to Strangers with the Burlington Players last spring. A favorite production was the Bard Brigade's outdoor performance of the Scottish play in Salem where she played Lady M. For more information on Angela Gunn please visit her website at www.angelagunn.com.
JEWEL WONG - Karla Goo Lang is delighted to return to Chuang Stage, having previously performed in the Found in Translation series (Mary Lin/Madam Lin in THE GHOST OF KEELUNG and ensemble in A DEAL). Favorite roles include Waverly in THE JOY LUCK CLUB (Umbrella Stage Company), Helena in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Hovey Players), and April in COMPANY (Longwood Players). Karla is a fifth-generation Chinese-American and is grateful for the opportunity to help share this story about the AAPI immigrant experience.
JADE McCARTHY - Jamie Lin is a Taiwanese-American actor, playwright & director originally from the Bay Area. She's always honored to bring AAPI work to the stage, having previously directed RADIAL GRADIENT for Samuel-Lancaster Productions and PLAYING CHOPSTICKS for BTM XXIV. She’s a proud member of the Asian-American Playwright Collective and connoisseur of noodles. She's also currently onboard T: AN MBTA MUSICAL at the Rockwell as Alice (Green Line) and Bus Driver!
SI FU/ GOLD MOUNTAIN SPIRIT/ FORTUNE TELLER - Tony SooHoo is a Boston-based SAG/AFTRA actor and is excited to participate in this play. Tony has acted on TV/Feature Film and Commercials. He enjoys performing improv and have studied at the Improv Boston. Tony has most recently worked on the play THE TROUBLEMAKER by Christina R. Chan.
