Tisa Chang, Founding Artistic Director, Presents the World Premiere of
WARRIOR SISTERS OF WU
By DAMON CHUA | Directed by JEFF LIU
Fight Choreography by MICHAEL G. CHIN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2024 – SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024
Tuesday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
February 7 to 10: $35 Preview Special. Use the code WSW35.
Sunday, February 11: $80 Lunar Opening at 2:30 p.m. Reception to follow.
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PLEASE NOTE: All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Due to the immersive nature of the production, there is no late seating. Please plan to arrive at the theater 15 min before the performance.
ALL SHOWS AT ART-NY: MEZZANINE THEATRE
502 West 53rd Street, 2nd Floor (between 10th & 11th Avenues)
CAST
Dinh James Doan
“Cousin Xie/Tea Merchant”
Michael C. Liu
“Lord Qiao”
David Lee Huynh
“Sun Ce”
Nancy Ma
“Wan”
Vin Kridakorn
“Zhou Yu”
Kim Wuan
“Qing”
CREATIVE TEAM
ABOUT THE CREATORS
DAMON CHUA (Playwright) is the recipient of an Ovation Award for FILM CHINOIS, which made its Off-Broadway debut with Pan Asian Repertory Theatre. Other Off-Broadway plays include THE EMPEROR’S NIGHTINGALE and INCIDENT AT HIDDEN TEMPLE. He is an alumnus of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group and Ma-Yi Theater Company’s Writers Lab, and has worked with Climate Change Theater Action on combating global warming. One of his short plays on the climate crisis is taught in Danish schools.
Damon’s plays are published by Concord Theatricals (Samuel French), Applause Books, Smith & Kraus and Plays for New Audiences. He is also a published poet and short story writer, and co-created the ten-part drama series “Devoted” for VIU in Asia. www.damonchua.com
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
Adapting “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” was a daunting process. It is one of the most famous Chinese classics and comprises over 100 chapters; it is also the subject of many high-profile Chinese movies and TV series. Yet, English-language adaptations are exceedingly rare. My goal was to distill a workable theatrical narrative and place it within a framework that would work for modern audiences. After several attempts, I had an epiphany – “Pride and Prejudice” wasn’t just perfect as a framework, it would also transform the genre by moving the play into the realm of romantic comedy.
The result is “Warrior Sisters of Wu,” a female-forward piece with modern-day resonances that serves as a high-spirited introduction to the Chinese classic. Our protagonists, Qing and Wan, collectively the Qiao sisters, were minor characters in the actual classic. But their stature grew as a result of subsequent works. These days, they are best known as playable avatars in the “Dynasty Warriors” videogame series, portrayed as kick-ass warriors battling enemy combatants. I took inspiration from this, as well as the historically-accurate conflict between Confucianism and Daoism, to create a world that balances the yin of humor with the yang of passion, against the urgent backdrop of a country preparing for war.
JEFF LIU (Director) is a writer and director for theater, film and web, currently an Artistic Producer for the Ojai Playwrights Conference. His productions include the LA premiere of Chinglish by David Henry Hwang, as well as the World Premieres of 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, Texas by Judy Soo Hoo, Terminus Americana by Matt Pelfrey, and The Golden Hour by Philip W. Chung. 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.
MICHAEL G. CHIN (Fight Choreographer) was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his work as an actor/stuntman/fight choreographer and teacher by Pan Asian Rep. He is a Fight Master with The SAFD and has choreographed fights on Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and in Regional Theatres around the country. He has taught stage combat at The Juilliard School, Muhlenberg College and for The United Stuntman Association in Seattle, Mr. Chin is currently on adjunct faculty at Pace University. He also works as a professional actor and stuntman having acted/fought on “John Wick 3”, "Blue Bloods", "Madam Secretary", "Blacklist" and "Blindspot" among other shows.