Dan will bundle up warm and head back east
to perform the newest version of IT'S GREAT 2B AMERICAN.
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Artists Exchange Festival 2010
Produced by Asian Arts Initiative
PERFORMANCE: Sat. Mar. 27, 8PM
Dan performs 30" of excerpts from IG2BA.
With Catzie Vilayphonh of YELLOW RAGE.
WORKSHOP: March 29 - April 3
Dan facilitates a workshop for a terrific
group of artists from across the country! The group performs
Saturday April 3rd.
For details:
www.asianartsinitiative.org
(215) 557-0455
MINI-REPORTS
SANTA MONICA, CA.
Miles Playhouse
December 5 & 6, 2009: Dan had the pleasure
of performing with longtime friend and colleague Jude Narita
(and poet Elizabeth Iannacci). Good to be reminded how brilliant
Jude's work is!
SOUTH KOREA
Residency:
Gyeonggi Creation Center
Ansan, Gyeonggi Province
Oct. 29 - Nov. 24, 2009: Dan spent a month
at this brand new international arts center on Seongam Island,
a rural area 40 miles SW of Seoul. He was part of a group
of 24 international artists conducting researching for future
art projects focused on community issues.
While there, Dan also created a site-specific
installation piece in the form of a small-scale baseball
diamond, dedicated to the boys who died at this location
during WWII.
Hopefully Dan will be returning to GCC in
Fall of 2010 to teach a 12-week autobiographical performance
workshop!
JAPAN
Lecture/Workshop Tour
AICHI PREFECTURAL UNIV., Nagoya
October 14, 2009: Dan facilitated an introductory
workshop on autobiographical writing & performance.
October 15, 2009: Dan gave a video/lecture
presentation for the British & American Studies Dept.
With a fully professional translator, wow!
Residency sponsored by the
Cultural Symbiosis Research Institute of Aichi Prefectural
Univ. Coordinated by Prof. Mizuho Murayama.
**************
KYOTO SANGYO UNIVERSITY,
Kyoto
October 16, 2009: Dan screened
video & lectured on his work, with focus on Hybrid Identity
and other pithy topics...
Coordinated by Prof. Kyoko
N. Nozaki
**************
KOBE UNIVERSITY, Kobe
October 21, 2009: Workshop on "effective
social/academic communications" for graduate students.
October 22, 2009: Autobiographical writing
& performing workshop for undergrad students.
October 22, 2009: Dan screened video and
lectured on IT'S GREAT 2B AMERICAN.
Coordinated by Prof. Hideyuki
Yamamoto
**************
COMPARATIVE CULTURAL HISTORY OF MASCULINITY
SYMPOSIUM, Osaka
October 24, 2009: Dan talked about his workshop
approach & demonstrated some of his teaching methodology.
Dan was also on a panel, talking about Asian American masculinity
and screening video clips of his work on the topic.
Sponsored by Japan Society
for Promotion of Science, Gender Studies Project led by
Prof. Miho Mitsunari, Setsunan University. Additional support
from the Asian American Literature Association and the American
Drama Association of Japan.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
PROF. HIDEYUKI YAMAMOTO OF KOBE UNIVERSITY FOR MAKING THIS
ENTIRE TOUR POSSIBLE!
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
Touching All Bases: A Baseball Celebration
PASADENA CENTRAL LIBRARY
October 9, 2009: As part of ArtNight
Pasadena, the Baseball Reliquary and Pasadena Public Library
presented Touching All Bases: A Baseball Celebration. This
multi-cultural, multi-generational evening incorporated
visual art, music, performance, literature, and moving image
media to provide new insights into America’s national
pastime.
Secrets of the Samurai Centerfielder
On the 20th anniversary of his ground-breaking
performance Secrets of the Samurai Centerfielder,
Dan performed a monologue from the show.
Dodgertown
A funny
yet deeply-moving story about being a devoted follower of
the home team, including Kwong's childhood technique for
getting into Dodger games for free, his perspective on professional
sports as a mind-numbing substance, and a stunning vision
at Chavez Ravine.
OXFORD, OHIO
Miami University of Ohio
Baker University Center Theater
A SLICE OF RICE, FRIJOLES &
GREENS
October 1, 2009: Dan performed an excerpt
from IG2BA (Classroom Patriots) plus "Station Wagons
of Life" as part of Great Leap's touring show. Dan
performed with his longtime friends & colleagues, CHIC
STREETMAN and PAULINA SAHAGUN.
WELLESLEY, MA
Wellesley College
Lecture
September 23, 2009: Dan talked about his
work in Prof. Elena Creef's class on "Elvis Presley
& 50s America".
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Providence College
Performance: Slavin Student
Ctr.
September 24, 2009: Dan performed various
excerpts including "Birth Interview", Station
Wagons of Life", plus selections from IG2BA.
September 25, 2009: Dan facilitated an introductory
workshop on autobiographical writing for performance.
This residency sponsored by the Asian American
Association, Board of Multicultural Student Affairs, and
Students Organized Against Racism.
CALIFORNIA
The
World's Youngest Poet
Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura
September 4, 2009: Dan reprised his intellectual
baby, reciting selections from his latest book "Passions
of a Breastfeeder". Complete with spouting political
rhetoric (and baby poop) for a jam-packed house. Assisted
by the most fetching wet-nurse ever, Allura Lee.
CALIFORNIA
Collaboratory VII: "The
Blue Marble"
The Electric Lodge, Venice
Performed
by Porschia Baker, Manny Baldenegro, Caroline Chang, Claire
Day, Maya Gingery, Joyce Lee, Angela Salgado.
Directed
by DK, assisted by Young-Ae Park.
August 30, 2009: Great Leap
presented the latest works-in-progress created in their
mentorship program for developing the next generation of
artist-leaders in Los Angeles. Collab VII was focused on
"caring for the environment".
Collaboratory participants spent
six weeks experiencing field trips to environmental and
arts organizations, meetings with mentors from the local
arts community, master classes with guest teachers, and
workshops with Dan and Young-Ae practicing collaboration
techniques. The last two weeks were focused on the creation
of works for this presentation at Electric Lodge, a solar-powered
performing arts center.
This program was presented as
Electric Lodge’s 2009 “Green Piece”, their
annual project devoted to combining the arts and the environment.
CALIFORNIA
IT'S
GREAT 2B AMERICAN
Torrance Cultural Arts Center
May 27, 2009: Dan performed his newest show
for a packed house at the George Nakano Theater in Torrance.
Presented as part of the "Whose Story
Now?" series curated by John Powers, presented in association
with the Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese American
National Museum, Japanese American Historical Society, JACCC,
and more.
WISCONSIN
Lecture/Demo:
From
Inner Worlds
University of Wisconsin, Madison
February 23, 2009: Dan gave a 90 minute talk
with video screening, plus mini-performance excerpt about
his latest work. Dan was hosted locally by the wonderful
Li-Chiao-Ping and her husband Doug Rosenberg.
WISCONSIN
Performance:
IT'S
GREAT 2B AMERICAN
Beloit College, Wilson Theater
February 26, 2009: Dan performed the full
show for the good folks at Beloit, and taught an introductory
workshop on autobiographical writing & performing for
the Theater Department.
ILLINOIS
Lecture/Video presentation:
From
Inner Worlds
School of the Art Institute
of Chicago
February 26, 2009: Dan visited his beloved
alma mater to screen video and talk about his latest work.
Hosted by the Visiting Artists Performance Seminar series.
CALIFORNIA
IT'S
GREAT 2B AMERICAN
Los
Angeles Theater Center
November 14-16, 2008: This production featured
new choreography, spiffed up video sequences, and a definite
post-election kick!
Part of LATC's "Face Of The World Festival".
CALIFORNIA
Be
Like Water
East
West Players Theater, Los Angeles
Directed
by Chris Tashima
Sept 17-Oct 12,
2008: Dan's new play had its world premiere!
"Dan Kwong has penned a powerful,
emotive, yet at times playful tale..." ~ Rafu Shimpo
"The beauty of "Be Like Water"
is that it's about families like yours that struggle with
identity, racism and insurmountable family expectations.
It's about your heartbreak and strength." ~ Pacific
Citizen
"Kwong can still deliver a roundhouse
kick to the emotions." ~ L.A. Times
"...Hayashida and Sun Lee deftly
handle playwright Kwong’s venerable skill in writing
monologues that forward story line while allowing character
depth." ~ View From A Loft
"Playwright Dan Kwong reveals an
ability to adapt the huge issues (racism, mother-daughter
stalemates, application of ancient wisdom) to living-room
scale. He balances these disparate dimensions so that the
expansiveness, danger and instruction of unseen story are
just as active as the day-to-day trials of his familar characters."
~ Theater Times
Synopsis:
Chicago, 1978. Disco rules.
It's been 5 years since the tragic and untimely death of
legendary martial artist Bruce Lee.
Tracy Fong is a 13-year old
tomboy who has become a street-fighting, ass-kicking, gung-fu/Bruce
Lee-fanatic. Her best friend at school happens to be named
Bruce Lee - but he's a scrawny little nerd who loves disco
dancing as much as Tracy despises it.
While Dad plays it cool, Mom
pressures their daughter to be more of a "normal"
girl.
As Tracy squares off against
a nasty bully, her overbearing mother, and the dreaded annual
disco dance, along comes the Ghost of Bruce Lee (in a glass
of water!) to help Tracy on her journey.
Produced by EWP in association
with Cedar Grove Onstage.
CALIFORNIA
IT'S
GREAT 2B AMERICAN
HIGHWAYS,
Santa Monica
Co-directed
by Shishir Kurup
July 10-13, 2008: Dan premiered his
first full-length solo performance in 9 years!
MINNESOTA
IT'S GREAT 2B AMERICAN
2nd Natl Asian American Theater
Conference Mixed Blood
Theater, Minneapolis
June 5-7, 2008: Kwong performed
a 10 minute excerpt from his new work as part of the
Writer/ Performer Showcase, and also sat on a couple
panels at the Conference: "Surviving as a Solo
Artist" and "Shaping the Remix", the
latter which included discussion of the Collaboratory
mentorship program he has been directing for Great Leap
since 2005.
JAPAN
Performance as Self-Expression/Realization
Kobe University,
Japan
May 8, 2008: On Dan's second
visit to Kobe U. he gave a lecture to faculty and students
on his teaching methods and philosophy, and taught an
introductory performance workshop.
Sponsored by Kobe U's Prof.
Hideyuki Yamamoto and the Innovative Ethics Research Project,
Faculty of Letters.
CALIFORNIA
From
Inner Worlds
Cal State University Northridge
March 12, 2008: Dan performed excerpts from
his book as part of the CSUN multicultural program.
CALIFORNIA
Collaboratory V: "Leaps
of Faith"
National
Center for the Preservation of Democracy, Los Angeles
March 8,9 2008: Led by Project
Director Dan and Co-Facilitators Young-Ae Park and Nobuko
Miyamoto, ten artists worked together for 7 weeks visiting
various religious/spiritual centers in Los Angeles, meeting
with local mentors/elders/ “wisdom-keepers”, experiencing
master classes with guest teachers, and sharing their own
personal stories of faith with each other.
They combined autobiographical
material along with historical and contemporary sources
in a highly collaborative approach, addressing questions
such as: How can multi-dimensional religious identities
live side by side? How do we navigate religious conflicts
with intelligence and compassion? How can we create progressive
and respectful visions for the future?
One of our most successful Collaboratory
residencies ever!
NOW
BOOKING:
IT'S
GREAT 2B AMERICAN
IT’S GREAT 2B AMERICAN is a funny, fierce,
highly political piece inspired by Kwong's recent travels in Asia.
In this darkly humorous search for an American identity beyond
arrogance, denial and guilt, Dan confronts the Dr. Jekyll &
Mr. Hyde within the Yankee psyche: from champion of democracy
to imperialist bully.
Along the way, Dan inspects the carry-on baggage
that comes with a U.S. passport and Asian face; the irony of being
“oppressed minority” at home yet a privileged citizen
of the great global powerhouse.
IG2BA is equal parts documentary travelogue, satirical
dance review, irreverent history lesson, and poignant storytelling.
From the Japanese American internment camps of
WWII to the secret American bombing of Cambodia to tourist shopping
in Bali to the events of September 11th, IG2BA is a timely, hard-hitting
work that boldly and humorously speaks to America’s place
in the world -- its checkered past, troubled present and hopeful
future.
VIDEO
CLIPS:
excerpt: Unilateral Culture Exchange
excerpt: Classroom Patriots
excerpts: Letters from an American
+ Preachin' to the Choir
excerpts: Passport to Conquest + Navy
Blue & Gold
excerpt: In Cambodia
excerpt: Cognitive Dissonance
excerpts: Laos + Dance of The Big
Stick
excerpts: Land of Smiles + The Abu
Ghraib Masked Ball
MINI-REPORTS
(cont)
NEW
HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS
Sleeping
With Strangers
Bowker
Auditorium, UMass, Amherst
February 8, 2008: Kwong
& Peng presented their critically-acclaimed blend
of performance art and Chinese opera to a full house.
sponsored by the UMass Asian Studies Department. Two
days later they taught workshops and performed for Derryfield
School in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire.
JAPAN
Being Naked without
Being Nude
Kobe University,
Japan
December 13, 2007: Dan gave
a video presentation and lecture about his autobiographical
performance work for students at the Faculty of Letters.
Students found the provocative title utterly confusing...
WASHINGTON
From Inner Worlds
Whitman College,
Walla Walla WA
August 26-September 29, 2007:
Dan guest-taught a very successful intensive course on
Autobiographical Writing & Performing for the Theater
Department of Whitman College. A remarkably talented group
of students presented their solo pieces to full-houses
as the opening production of the Whitman Theater Department's
season.
CALIFORNIA
Collaboratory IV: "Third Stone"
FarmLab, Los Angeles
July-August, 2007: Dan and Young-Ae
Park facilitated a free 8-week residency for emerging artists-of-color
interested in collaborative performance and community leadership.
The theme for this round was "caring for the environment".
The residency included field
trips to various cultural centers in communities of color,
guest teachers, and seminars with community elders, mentors,
and wisdom-keepers.
Collaboratory IV culminated
in a weekend of performances created by participants, directed
by Kwong and Park, and hosted by FarmLab, a progressive
organization in downtown L.A. which is dedicated to finding
new ways to bring the urban environment more in harmony
with nature.
PUBLICATION:
A
History of Asian American Theatre
Recently published by Cambridge University Press,
this is the definitive book on the subject, written by Esther
Kim Lee, Asst. Professor of Theatre at the University of Illinois
Champaign Urbana.
It acknowledges the significance of Kwong's body
of work within a larger historical context of Asian American theater,
spanning from 1965 to 2006.
Quote from the book:
"Dan Kwong empowers the Asian American
identity and challenges American identity by telling stories of
his life. And he has inspired others to use his workshop techniques
to continue breaking the cycle of silence of Asian American men
and women."
(ISBN-13-978-0-521-85051-3)
(The book also features a photo of Dan performing
at Highways. Photo credit should be: Marcel Schaap.)
OKLAHOMA
Sleeping
With Strangers
Tulsa Performing Arts
Center
March 2007: Dan & Peng performed
their critically-acclaimed collaboration to a packed audience
for New Genre XIV, the innovative arts festival in Tulsa produced
by Living Arts of Tulsa. They really know how to treat artists
right over there...
CALIFORNIA
Sleeping
With Strangers
HIGHWAYS,
Santa Monica
February 2006: The successful world
premiere of this multidisciplinary collaboration with traditional
Chinese opera artist Peng Jingquan from Beijing, China. Receiving
rave reviews, the show also toured to Duke University NC, New
York University, and Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA.
An outrageous blend of Chinese opera
(real and fake), Western drama, multimedia, puppetry, slapstick,
poetry and storytelling, "Sleeping With Strangers" shares
the highs and lows of international relations between China and
the U.S., between fathers and sons, and between friends.
PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Sleeping
With Strangers
Nordica TC/G, Kunming
September 2005: A work-in-progress
version of Kwong & Peng's collaboration was presented in this
very cool Swedish(!) experimental gallery/performance space in
the city of Kunming. The eclectic audience - Chinese college students,
European ex-patriots, and a handful of locals who wandered in
not knowing what the heck was going to happen - all seemed to
appreciate it...
CAMBODIA:
The
Mekong Project Phase II
Phnom Penh; Siem Reap; Battambang
November 2004: Returning to SE Asia, Dan again
helped facilitate this international residency. The Mekong Project
brought together 14 artists from China, Vietnam, Laos, Burma,
Cambodia, Thailand and the U.S. Traveling together for 3 weeks
in Cambodia, the project visited Siem Riep (site of famed Angkor
Wat and many other spectacular temples) and Battambang before
culminating in a weekend of performances in Phnom Penh. A very
successful project!
CANADA
A.T.H.E. Conference
Toronto, Ontario
July 30-31, 2004: The annual conference for the
Assoc. for Theatre in Higher Education included hundreds of academics
and practitioners from across the continent and beyond. Dan performed,
taught a workshop, was part of a panel discussion, participated
in an interview and did a book-signing session - all in 2 days...
U.S.A.
From
Inner Worlds to
Outer Space
Book Release Show
HIGHWAYS, Santa
Monica
July 22-24, 2004: To celebrate the publication
of his new book, Dan performed a medley of pieces from his repertoire
at Highways Performance Space. Featuring excerpts from the book,
the performance marked Dan's reunion with his brilliant director,
Christine Sang. All went exceptionally well with the exception
of a costume malfunction that made Janet Jackson's look tame in
comparison.
INDONESIA
The Art of Rice
Pengosekan, Ubud, Bali
August 2003: Dan returned
to Bali, Indonesia to complete work on The
Art of Rice. This international collaborative
multidisciplinary multi-media performance featured eleven outstanding
artists from China, India, Burma, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Dominican
Republic and the U.S. all working together to create a performance
about that humble life-sustaining grain.
After a month in Bali developing the show, the group traveled
to Hawaii and performed on three different islands. It made its
L.A. premiere to full houses at the Japan America Theater, Pomona
College and UCLA. Dan had the opportunity to practice Balinese
shadow puppetry and 'topeng' (mask) performance. It was a wonderfully
intense experience with lots of very fast collaboration and creation.
CALIFORNIA
Rite of Passage
HIGHWAYS, Santa Monica
May 10, 2003: Dan had his head shaved
onstage as part of Highways' 14th Birthday Celebration. Assisted
by performers Bennett Schneider
and Pete Lee,
Kwong sat stoically as audience members donated $10 each to come
onstage and snip off a lock of his hair. Meanwhile a videotape
was projected showing emails Dan received, cheering him on to
dome-hood, along with photos of Dan from age 3 months to present,
sporting all manner of hairdos.
Audience-barbers received groovy certificates of participation.
Final shaving of the Kwong-Dome was executed by Pete, to the strains
of Also Sprach Zarathustra. The ritual raised over $500 for Highways.
THAILAND, LAOS
The
Mekong Project Phase I
Chiang Mai; Louang Prabang
March 2003: Dan was a Co-Facilitator on this
3-week residency in northern Thailand and Laos, helping artists
and staff work together successfully. The Mekong Project was a
multi-year project
funded by the Rockefeller
Foundation and administered by Dance
Theater Workshop in NY, to develop resources for Southeast Asian
artists in the Mekong region.
Highlight of the residency was a 4-day boat
ride down the Mekong River to Louang Prabang, Laos which inspired
the creation of a new solo performance, "On
The Mekong".
Boyle Heights Residency
Read a thoughtful recap of Dan’s performance residency in
conjunction with Great Leap as part of the Japanese
American National Museum's January 2003 exhibition
Boyle Heights: The Power Of Place.
April 9, 2005: The Japanese American Historical
Society of Southern California honored Dan for outstanding contributions
to Japanese American history and culture at a lovely banquet event.
Also honored that evening were videographers John Esaki and Amy
Kato, and traditional dancer Sumako Azuma.
Award
From LACAD
April 27, 2005: The Los Angeles Cultural Affairs
Department announced the recipients of its COLA grant for mid-career
artists, and Dan was among the group. The award resulted in the
creation of a new performance presented in May 2006 at Barnsdall
Gallery Theater (see above).
Award
From CCF
June 30, 2004: The
California Community Foundation announced recipients of its individual
fellowships for "Outstanding Mid-Career Artists" (at
least 15 years of professional experience). From 300 applicants,
5 California artists were selected for this highly-competitive
fellowship. Recipients were Enrique Celaya, Karen Kimmel, Rika
Ohara, Eloy Torrez and DK. Congratulations to all the
winners!
