2007_Suddenly

LODESTONE THEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENTS ITS BONUS SUMMER PRODUCTION OF

Suddenly, Last Summer

Lodestone concludes its Ninth Season with an Asian American Production of the Classic Play

LOS ANGELES, CA – Lodestone Theatre Ensemble presents Suddenly, Last Summer, running August 2-24, 2008 at the GTC Burbank (1111-B West Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91506), located inside George Izay Park. The award-winning theatre company concludes its ninth season with a mostly Asian American cast production of the classic 1958 work by Tennessee Williams. The play will be directed by Lodestone Co-Artistic Director Chil Kong.

Suddenly, Last Summer is Lodestone’s second non-world premiere play to grace the mainstage (the first was last summer’s The Trojan Women). Williams’ story revolves around the death of a beloved son and cousin (Sebastian Venable) which leads to a family conflict as Mrs. Venable and Catherine Holly fight over their memories of the dead man and push the boundaries of truth. How will Sebastian be remembered? How would you like to be remembered?

The cast includes veteran actress Kim Miyori (The Woman Warrior, St. Elsewhere) as Mrs. Venable with Letitia Chang, Feodor Chin, Rebecca Heneise, Elaine Kao, Saachiko Magwili, Kipp Shiotani and Leonard Wu.

“When I first read Tennessee Williams and how he dealt with family relations, it reminded me of Korean and Chinese families,” Kong says about his decision to stage Suddenly, Last Summer for an Asian American theater company. “At the heart of the play are very Asian battles of saving face and honoring the dead. It made perfect sense to me to marry this play with Lodestone.”

Chil Kong is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble. His directing credits for the company include A Dirty Secret Between the Toes by Annette Lee, The Mikado Project by Doris Baizley & Ken Narasaki and, most recently, Trapezoid by Nic Cha Kim. Kong is currently directing the film version of The Mikado Project.

Suddenly, Last Summer is Lodestone’s bonus summer show for its ninth season. The shorter summer runs are reserved for the company to tackle works that are more “out of the norm.” Along those lines, Kong plans on keeping his version of Williams’ play set in the South with the actors taking on Southern accents. The production will also incorporate mixed media to enhance the details of the world Williams has created.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm., August 2-24, with low-priced previews on July 31 and August 1 at 8 pm. Tickets are $16 for general admission, $14 for students/seniors. Group rates of $12 each are available for reservations of ten or more. Tickets for the August 2nd Opening Night Gala with a post-show dessert reception are $20. All Sunday matinees (except August 24) will be pay-what-you-can admission with a $1 minimum.

For more information, call the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble hotline at (323) 993-7245 or visit www.lodestonetheatre.org or www.myspace.com/lodestonetheatre

Founded in 1999 by Philip W. Chung, Alexandra Chun, Chil Kong and Tim Lounibos, Lodestone is committed to providing a forum for Asian Pacific American artists in all aspects of the theatre arts. Lodestone seeks to challenge limited perceptions of Asian Pacific Americans through the creation of original theatrical productions as well as a fresh retelling of established works.

Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is a Company-in-Residence at GTC Burbank.