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Signature Theatre Announces Free “World of the Play” Discussion on The Practice and Performance of KUNG FU

Posted by:	Official_Press_Release 06:09 pm EDT 03/12/14

SIGNATURE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FREE WORLD OF THE PLAY DISCUSSION ON “THE PRACTICE AND PERFORMANCE OF KUNG FU” IN CONJUNCTION WITH DAVID HENRY HWANG’S KUNG FU SATURDAY, MARCH 29 AT THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER WWW.SIGNATURETHEATRE.ORG Signature Theatre (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that the “World of the Play” series continues with a panel of experts discussing The Practice and Performance of Kung Fu, presented in conjunction with the world premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Kung Fu, on Saturday, March 29th from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). The event is free and open to the general public (no reservations required). What is a “true” portrayal of kung fu? In David Henry Hwang’s Kung Fu, a young Bruce Lee attempts to bridge the gap between the philosophy of kung fu and the media’s depiction of the martial arts. Kung fu students like Lee value the mental aspects of the art form as much as the physical, whereas in film the focus is more on violence and physical dexterity. Somehow, in the transition from classroom to screen, kung fu evolved from a personal practice of self-defense and spirituality to one of mass entertainment. In The World of the Play: The Practice and Performance of Kung Fu, Signature Theatre asks: How did the portrayal of martial arts in film drift so far from the practice? How did Bruce Lee inspire change in both the film and martial arts communities? Panelists include playwright David Henry Hwang, co-founder of the New York Asian Film Festival Grady Hendrix, and Wing Chun Instructor Allan Lee, who studied with Bruce Lee’s renowned teacher Grandmaster Yip Man. The discussion will be led by moderator Brian Phillips. BIOGRAPHIES FOR THE PANELISTS Brian Phillips (moderator) is the co-editor of the Journal of Human Rights Practice, published by Oxford University Press. Based now in Toronto, he presently works as an independent human rights consultant. From 2003 until 2006, he was Chair of the Oxford Brookes University MA program in Humanitarian and Development Practice (UK) – where he was also Senior Lecturer in Human Rights Practice. He worked as a campaigner and educator for Amnesty International in London from 1989 – 2001 – and was the Campaign Coordinator for the organization’s Europe Regional Program from 1995 - 2001. Grady Hendrix (panelist) is a film programmer and writer living in New York City. He was a regular film critic for the New York Sun for four years and has written for Slate, The Village Voice, Time Out New York, Playboy Magazine, Film Comment, Sight & Sound and Variety. For five years he wrote the script for the Asian Film Awards, a televised Hong Kong film awards ceremony and he is a frequent guest commentator on the BBC and National Public Radio. He is also one of the co-founders of the New York Asian Film Festival, which The New York Times calls “...one of the city’s most valuable events” and he still works in the Korean and Hong Kong film industries. SiFu Allan Che Kong Lee (panelist) is a disciple of the late Grandmaster Yip Man. In 1978, SiFu Lee was appointed Chairman and Director of the Yip Man Wing Chun Martial Arts Association, U.S Chapter by SiFu Yip Chun, the elder son of Grandmaster Yip Man. A firm proponent of the Socratic method of learning, he believes the best way to learn martial art is by questioning and experimentation. SiFu Lee currently teaches Wing Chun in Queens, N.Y, where he also practices Dit Da, a traditional Chinese medicine for trauma and injury. David Henry Hwang (panelist) was awarded the 1988 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and John Gassner Awards for his Broadway debut, M. Butterfly, which was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. For his play Golden Child, he received a 1998 Tony nomination and a 1997 OBIE Award. His new book for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song earned him his third Tony nomination in 2003. Yellow Face won a 2008 OBIE Award for Playwriting and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent work, Chinglish, won a 2011 Chicago Jeff Award before moving to Broadway, where it received a 2012 Drama Desk Nomination. Other plays include FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Nomination), The Sound of a Voice and Bondage. He co-authored the book for Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida and was the bookwriter of Disney’s Tarzan, with songs by Phil Collins. As America’s most-produced living opera librettist, he has written works with composers Philip Glass, Osvaldo Golijov, Bright Sheng, Unsuk Chin, and Howard Shore. Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate, and Possession (co-writer), and co-wrote the song "Solo" with composer/performer Prince. He won the 2011 PEN/Laura Pels, 2012 Inge, and 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Awards. Hwang serves on the boards of the Dramatists Guild, Lark Play Development Center, American Theatre Wing, and Actors Fund, and as the Board President of Young Playwrights Inc. Tickets for all Signature productions are available by calling Signature at 212-244-7529, online by visiting www.signaturetheatre.org, or by visiting The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street). For more information on Signature Theatre, please visit www.signaturetheatre.org. 2013-2014 SEASON OVERVIEW RESIDENCY ONE – DAVID HENRY HWANG SERIES KUNG FU WORLD PREMIERE Directed by Leigh Silverman Choreography by Sonya Tayeh Now through April 6, 2014 The Irene Diamond Stage An exhilarating portrait of international icon Bruce Lee's journey from troubled Hong Kong youth to martial arts legend, Kung Fu blends dance, Chinese opera, martial arts and drama into a bold new theatrical form. This World Premiere production follows Lee in America as he struggles to prove himself as a fighter, a husband, a father, and a man. Production sponsorship for Kung Fu is generously provided by Silas Chou. LEGACY PROGRAM THE OLD FRIENDS WORLD PREMIERE By Horton Foote Directed by Michael Wilson The Irene Diamond Stage Final performance played on October 20, 2013. August Wilson’s HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED NEW YORK PREMIERE Co-conceived with and directed by Todd Kreidler In collaboration with and featuring Ruben Santiago-Hudson The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre Final performance played on December 29, 2013 RESIDENCY FIVE stop. reset. WORLD PREMIERE Written and directed by Regina Taylor The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre Final performance played on September 29, 2013. CHÉRI WORLD PREMIERE Conceived, directed and choreographed by Martha Clarke The Irene Diamond Stage Final performance played on December 29, 2013. THE OPEN HOUSE WORLD PREMIERE By Will Eno Directed by Oliver Butler Now through March 30, 2014 The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre People have been born into families since people started getting born at all. Playwrights have been trying to write Family Plays for a long time, too. And typically these plays try to answer endlessly complicated questions of blood and duty and inheritance and responsibility. They try to answer the question, “Can things really change?” People have been trying nobly for years and years to have plays solve in two hours what hasn't been solved in many lifetimes. This has to stop. The Open House is an hour and twenty minutes, with no intermission. APPROPRIATE NEW YORK PREMIERE By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Directed by Liesl Tommy Now through April 6, 2014 The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre The estranged members of the Lafayette clan have returned to Arkansas and their crumbling old plantation home to settle the accounts of their recently deceased patriarch. As they sort through a lifetime of hoarded mementos and junk, the discovery of a gruesome relic and a surprise visitor send the family into a spiral of crackling confrontations, repressed histories, and regret. Appropriate is a New York premiere by Residency Five playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, winner of the 2013 Sundance Theatre Institute Tennessee Williams Award. Special thanks to the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting Residency Five. About SIGNATURE THEATRE Signature Theatre exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. Founded in 1991 by James Houghton, Signature makes an extended commitment to a playwright’s body of work, and during this journey, the writer is engaged in every aspect of the creative process. By championing in-depth explorations of a playwright’s body of work, Signature delivers an intimate and immersive journey into the playwright’s singular vision. Signature serves its mission through its permanent home at The Pershing Square Signature Center, a three-theatre facility on West 42nd Street designed by Frank Gehry Architects to host Signature’s three distinct playwrights’ residencies and foster a cultural community. At the Center, opened in January 2012, Signature continues its founding Playwright-in-Residence model as Residency One, a first-of-its-kind, intensive exploration of a single writer’s body of work. Residency Five, the only program of its kind, was launched at the Center to support multiple playwrights as they build bodies of work by guaranteeing each writer three productions over a five-year period. The Legacy Program, launched during Signature’s 10th Anniversary, invites writers from both residencies back for productions of premiere or earlier plays. The Pershing Square Signature Center is a major contribution to New York City’s cultural landscape and provides a venue for cultural organizations that supports and encourages collaboration among artists throughout the space. In addition to its three intimate theatres, the Center features a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café, bar and bookstore. Through the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access, Signature has also made an unprecedented commitment to making its productions accessible by underwriting the cost of initial run tickets, currently priced at $25, through 2031. Signature has presented entire seasons of the work of Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornes, Athol Fugard, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Adrienne Kennedy, Tony Kushner, Romulus Linney, Charles Mee, Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, Paula Vogel, August Wilson, Lanford Wilson, and a season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company. Signature’s current Residency One playwright is David Henry Hwang; current Residency Five playwrights are Annie Baker, Martha Clarke, Will Eno, Katori Hall, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Kenneth Lonergan, and Regina Taylor; and the current Legacy Playwrights are Horton Foote and August Wilson. Signature, its productions and its resident writers have been recognized with the Pulitzer Prize, Lucille Lortel Awards, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and AUDELCO Awards, among many other distinctions. For more information, please visit signaturetheatre.org.

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