48TH MILESTONE SEASON
Staged Reading Series
Fall 2024
CALLIGRAPHY by Velina Hasu Houston
Directed by Kalina Ko
Thursday, September 19 @ 5:00 p.m.
We are at capacity for both readings. A limited number of seats may be available at the door on the day of each reading, but this seating is not guaranteed.
MY MAN KONO by Philip W. Chung
Directed by Jeff Liu
Thursday, October 3 @ 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 3 @ 5:00 p.m.
ART-New York | Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor | MAP
MY MAN KONO
By Philip W. Chung
Directed by Jeff Liu
Doors open at 4:40 p.m. for snacks & wine
$20 suggested donation
In the heyday of silent films, Japanese émigré
TORAICHI KONO, in pursuit of the American Dream,
becomes a loyal confidante of film star Charlie Chaplin,
but at the dawn of WWII is swept up in
anti-Japanese hysteria and accused of espionage.
Pictured: Toriachi Kono
We are at capacity for this reading.
A limited number of seats may be available at the door on the day of the reading,
but this seating is not guaranteed.
Meet the Artists of MY MAN KONO
Philip W. Chung (Playwright)
is a writer and producer based in Los Angeles. He was the co-founder/co-Artistic Director for Lodestone Theatre Ensemble where he wrote/produced/directed almost 100 mainstage productions, workshops, readings, and other theatrical events. His Lodestone world premiere plays include The Golden Hour and Grace Kim & The Spiders From Mars. He was the creative director at YOMYOMF, founded by the Fast & Furious franchise director Justin Lin to tell stories from Asian American and other underrepresented voices. At YOMYOMF, Chung oversaw the hybrid production of David Henry Hwang's Pulitzer Prize-finalist play, Yellow Face, which was adapted by My Man Kono director Jeff Liu (and is available to watch on YouTube). My Man Kono placed second in East West Players’ Pacific Century Playwriting Competition and had previous readings/workshops at East West Players, The Autry Museum of the American West (as part of the L.A. History project), and the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.
Previously, Chung has developed/produced projects for Comcast/NBCUniversal, Legendary Pictures, eOne, IFC Channel, Gunpowder & Sky, Google/YouTube, HBO Max/WB, Disney, and others. He was the consulting producer on the 2023 KCET/Artbound documentary, East West Players: A Home on Stage (available on YouTube and the PBS app), and recently sold or optioned his screenplays to Netflix and Buzzfeed Studios. He is consulting producer on an upcoming Margaret Cho-narrated documentary about the Asian American hapa cult icon Tura Satana (star of Russ Meyers' Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!) and associate producer of the indie film Late Bloomers, which premiered at SXSW and stars Jumanji's Karen Gillan. His play Unbroken Blossoms, about the two Chinese American consultants who worked on D.W. Griffith’s 1919 film Broken Blossoms, had its world premiere in 2024 at East West Players. He was also commissioned by the Adventure Theatre MTC in Washington DC to write the book and lyrics for POOP! The Musical in collaboration with composer Woody Pak (Making Tracks).
Jeff Liu (Director)
is a writer and director for theater, film and web, also an Artistic Producer for the Ojai Playwrights Conference. His productions include the LA premiere of Chinglish by David Henry Hwang (LA Times Critics Choice), as well as the world premieres of Unbroken Blossoms and The Golden Hour by Philip W. Chung, Warrior Sisters of Wu by Damon Chua (2 Drama Desk nominations), Memorial by Livian Yeh (NYT Critics Pick), Paletas de Coco by Franky D. Gonzalez (Ars Nova ANTFest), The Brothers Paranormal by Prince Gomolvilas, Two Mile Hollow by Leah Nanako Winkler, The Chinese Massacre (Annotated) by Tom Jacobson, Terminus Americana (Ovation Award nominee for Best World Premiere) by Matt Pelfrey, and Texas and Solve for X by Judy Soo Hoo. He also adapted the Pulitzer nominated Yellow Face by DHH for the YOMYOMF Network on YouTube, where it is still available to watch for free.
READING CAST
Emma Kikue
as “Paulette Goddard”
James Patrick Nelson
as “FBI Agent R. Horn”
Carolina Đỗ
”Isami Kono / Tomie Higashijima”
Conlan Ledwith
as “Charlie Chaplin”
Cody LeRoy Wilson
as “Alva Blake”
Jae Woo
as “Itaru Tachibana”
Brian Lee Huynh
as “Toraichi Kono”
Robert Meskin
as “Wayne Collins”
Cast are members of Actors’ Equity Association
Thursday, September 19 @ 5:00 p.m.
ART-New York | Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor | MAP
CALLIGRAPHY
By Velina Hasu Houston
Directed by Kalina Ko
Doors open at 4:40 p.m. for snacks & wine
$20 suggested donation
Two cousins and their mothers confront changes generated by the past and the passing of time. In Los Angeles, HIROMI faces her mother’s dementia while, in Tokyo, SAYURI is challenged by her mother’s physical decline. Family history and marriage to an African American complicates all of their lives.
Is there a chance to reconcile?
We are at capacity for this reading.
A limited number of seats may be available at the door on the day of the reading,
but this seating is not guaranteed.
Meet the Artists of CALLIGRAPHY
Velina Hasu Houston (Playwright)
Velina Hasu Houston’s literary career began Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club, expanding globally, including over 41 commissions, productions, and numerous honors. A Fulbright scholar, she’s taught at the University of Southern California and in Japan, and is on the Berklee College Board of Trustees. Honored by several organizations such as the Kennedy Center, Japan Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Theatre Communications Group, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, her archives are at the Huntington Library, San Marino, California. www.velinahasuhouston.com
Representation
Jack Tantleff, Paradigm Talent Agency (Agent)
Michael C. Donaldson, Esq.; Donaldson Callif Perez (Entertainment Attorney)
Photo by Monique Yamaguchi, 2024.
Kalina Ko (Director)
Kalina Ko (she/her) is a Cantonese-American theater director, dramaturg, and literary administrator. She is currently a Co-Coordinator for the Ma-Yi Writer’s Lab, Literary Associate at Roundabout Theatre Company, and part of the 23-24 Moxie Arts Incubator Cohort. Past directing experience: PINK UNICORN FRAPPUCCIONS (Chain Theatre), L’OPERA (co-dir. Jeff Liu, Pan Asian Rep NuWorks 2024), Rescues (Clubbed Thumb Emerging Writers Group). She has assisted on YOKO’S HUSBAND’S KILLER’S JAPANESE WIFE GLORIA (NAMT) and THE STRAIGHTS (JACK, Brooklyn). Dramaturgy credits include DEAR JOHN (Brick Aux), CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN (Ma-Yi Theatre), and OLA NA IWI (Roundabout). www.KalinaKo.weebly.com
READING CAST
Amara James Aja*
as ”Eamon”
Jully Lee*
as “Sayuri”
June Angela*
as “Noriko”
Shigeko Sara Suga*
as “Natsuko”
Mieko Gavia*
as “Hiromi”
Michelle Jong,
Stage Directions
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association