Mu Performing Arts is presenting FOB, the landmark 1979 play by David Henry Hwang (Broadway’s Chinglish, M. Butterfly), about the struggles of Chinese immigrants living in the U.S., at Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 South 4th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454, January 30 – February 15, 2015.
After winning an Obie Award for FOB, Hwang rose to national prominence in the early 1980s and remains the nation’s preeminent Asian American playwright. Commenting on Mu’s hugely successful Minnesota Tour (June 2014, played to 95% capacity), the author expressed his appreciation for the company’s work.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Mu’s Minnesota Chinese Restaurant tour of my play FOB. Like many Chinese of my generation, I had relatives in the restaurant business, and this play was written in part as a tribute to their spirit. Performing it now in those restaurants themselves brings the journey of this play back full-circle.”
~ David Henry Hwang, Playwright
Mu’s production returns home to the Twin Cities in an intimate and exciting production at Mixed Blood Theatre. Randy Reyes, (who plays Steve in the three-character play) reflected on Mu’s first production of 2015.
“It feels so great to bring this production back to the Twin Cities after such a successful tour to greater Minnesota. We learned so much from the personal stories of the Chinese restaurant owners, and we are excited to share those stories with our Twin Cities community through our talkbacks and other activities. There’s nothing like performing in an actual Chinese restaurant, but our design team is working to bring that same atmosphere and intimacy to Mixed Blood’s auditorium.”
~ Randy Reyes, Artistic Director
FOB deftly explores relationships and conflicts between established ABC (American Born Chinese) and FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) newcomers in the 1980s. Mu is partnering with the Minnesota Historical Society on an extensive lobby display chronicling the history of Chinese immigration to Minnesota including the story of the state’s first Chinese restaurant. In addition, the production will feature numerous talkbacks featuring Twin Cities Chinese restaurant owners who will share their own immigration stories.
The cast also features Michael Sung-Ho (Middle Brother, A Little Night Music) as Dale, and Meghan Kreidler (Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Cannibals, CTC performing apprentice) as Grace, both of whom are reprising their roles from the touring production. The production team includes Christine Richardson (Costumes), Katharine Horowitz (Sound), Mina Kinukawa (Props), Soren Olsen (Lights), and Sarah Brandner (Set).
Randy Reyes (Director/Performer) graduated from The Juilliard School Drama Division in 1999 and has worked as a professional actor, director, and theater educator in theaters and educational institutions including The Guthrie, Mixed Blood, Ten Thousand Things, Thirst Theater, Chicago Ave. Project, The Playwrights’ Center, Cincinnati Playhouse, Seattle Children’s Theatre, NYU Graduate Acting Program, University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Acting Program, Wagner College, The University of Utah, Augsburg College, and Macalester College. He is a board member of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and the Minnesota Theater Alliance. Randy also represents Mu as a member of the newly formed Twin Cities Theater of Color Coalition (TCTCC) along with Penumbra, New Native, Pangea World Theatre, and Teatro Del Pueblo. Acting credits include A Little Night Music, Yellowface, Little Shop of Horrors, The Romance of Magno Rubio, at Mu Performing Arts, M. Butterfly, The Government Inspector, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both “Dromios” in Comedy of Errors at the Guthrie, Pacific Overtures at the Alliance/Cincinnati Playhouse/North Shore Theater, and Tibet Through the Red Box by David Henry Hwang at Seattle’s Children’s Theater. Randy’s directing credits include FOB Chinese Restaurant Tour, Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Cannibals, Asiamnesia, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, WTF, Cowboy Versus Samurai, and Circle Around the Island at Mu Performing Arts, A Streetcar Named Desire at Ten Thousand Things, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Summer and Smoke at Theatre in the Round, and God Save Gertrude at the Workhaus Collective. Randy was a recipient of a two-year Theater Communications Group New Generation Future Leaders fellowship under the mentorship of Rick Shiomi at Mu Performing Arts in 2006. Administrative positions include being the Theater in Education Director at The Guthrie, Associate Artistic Director, Outreach Coordinator, and Community Liaison at Mu Performing Arts, and the Artistic Director of The Strange Capers.
Thursday, January 29 at 7:30 PM ($18 PREVIEW)
Friday, January 30 at 7:30 PM (OPENING)
Saturday, January 31 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 1 at 2:00 PM
Thursday, February 5 at 7:30 PM
Friday, February 6 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, February 7 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 PM
Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 PM
Friday, February 13 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 PM (CLOSING)
TICKETS
$10 Students (w/valid ID)
$18 Preview (Jan. 29 at 7:30 PM)
$22 Adults
10% off groups of 10+
Seating is General Admission
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Nov. 29 – 30: Randy Reyes to Host Mu’s A Very Asian Xmas for the Fifth Year
Eric Sharp Makes Playwrighting Debut with Mu Performing Arts’ World Premiere of Middle Brother at The Southern Theater, September 11-28, 2014
Yellow Sound Label to Release BD Wong’s Debut CD HERRINGBONE on December 2, 2014
NYU Theatrical Production Presents the World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Describe the Night in the Shubert Theatre at Tisch School of the Arts
Photos: Ellen Burstyn, Baz Luhrmann, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Stephen McKinley Henderson, John Patrick Shanley, David Henry Hwang, Liza Colón-Zayas, Kenneth Lonergan and More Celebrate Stephen Adly Guirgis at The Mimi Awards
Photos: BD Wong, Cindy Cheung, Brooke Ishibashi, Thom Sesma, Manna Nichols, Steven Eng, Ariel Estrada and Lori Tan Chinn at Leviathan Lab’s Ghost Stories
Dec. 8: Tony Winner BD Wong, Raymond J. Lee, Pearl Sun, Marc delaCruz, Thom Sesma, Arielle Jacobs, Cindy Cheung, Daniel J. Edwards, Kamala Sankaram, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, Christine Toy Johnson & More Set for The Asian American Composers and Lyricists Projects’ “Arriving In Asian America”
Q & A with Playwright Camille Darby, 2014-15 Dramatists Guild Playwrighting Fellow
Apple Video Podcast: New York Post Writer Michael Riedel Interviews David Byrne, Jaygee Macapugay, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora of Here Lies Love
Costume Institute’s Spring 2015 Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum to Focus on Chinese Imagery in Art, Film, and Fashion, May 7–August 16, 2015
Photos: Tommy Tune, Bob Avian, Lee Roy Reams, Christine Toy Johnson, Orville Mendoza, Lori Tan Chinn, Raul Aranas, Virginia Wing and More Celebrate 2014 Paul Robeson Citation Award Recipient Baayork Lee
Photos: Art Salon with Artist Yang Chihung and Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang at New-York Historical Society
Photos: Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion on View through April 19, 2015 at New York Historical Society
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Photos & Video: The Wiz’s André De Shields Sang “So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard” in The Black Stars of The Great White Way Broadway Reunion: Live The Dream at Carnegie Hall
Photos and Video: Ben Vereen Performs at Carnegie Hall in The Black Stars of The Great White Way Broadway Reunion: Live The Dream
Photos and Video: Obba Babatunde and cast members from the original cast of Dreamgirls perform at Carnegie Hall in The Black Stars of The Great White Way Broadway Reunion: Live The Dream
Joe Mantegna to Helm ‘Criminal Minds’ Season 10 Episode to Honor the late Meshach Taylor
Photos: Maxine Hong Kingston, Billie Tsien, Bill T. Jones, Linda Ronstadt, John Kander, Julia Alvarez, Jeffrey Katzenberg Receive 2013 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama
Joe Mantegna, Delta Burke, Gerald McRaney, President Bill Clinton and More Remember Meshach Taylor
Crafting a Career
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Lia Chang Photo by GK
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, and made her jazz vocalist debut in Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin’ Jazz “LADY” at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2014 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com
