From May 1 through May 31, 2012, “In Rehearsal”, a display of photographs drawn from the Library of Congress’ Asian American Pacific Islander Collection, is on view in the Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room, located in Room 150 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The hours of the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Library of Congress’ Asian Division, the display of “In Rehearsal” photographs, drawn from the AAPI Collection’s Lia Chang Theater Portfolio, along with select working scripts from the Playwrights’ Archives including the plays of Rick Shiomi, Velina Hasu Houston, Christine Toy Johnson, Reme Grefalda, Jeanne Sakata, and Lani Montreal, is being held in conjunction with the Library of Congress celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM).

APAforProgress.com News Release

 from Curtis Chin, APA for Progress Board President 

On Saturday June 23, 2012 Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, a national network of progressive Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and allies (www.apaforprogress.org) is organizing a live online one hour nationwide townhall to discuss hate crimes and bullying. 

Leading APIA civil rights leaders will be participating in the national online Townhall including Congressmember Judy Chu, OCA Executive Director Tom Hayashi and more. 

Asian Pacific Americans for Progress is looking for cities to help host viewing parties to be a springboard for groups to also talk about local issues after the one-hour presentation is done. 

Vincent Chin 30: Standing Up Then and Now

A nationwide Google Hangout* townhall with leading civil rights leaders from around the country 

Saturday, June 23, 2012
2 pm EST/11 am PST/8 am HST

In 1982, Vincent Chin was the victim of a hate crime murder in Detroit. Thirty years later, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continue to face discrimination and bullying. In fact, more than half of Asian Americans report being bullied in the high school class room, the highest of any racial group. In light of recent tragedies like the suicide of Pvt. Danny Chen and the continuing effects of 9/11, what can Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do to stand up against racism and discrimination?

Please join

For 30 years, BD Wong has been obsessed with the one-man musical Herringbone, which features a book by Tom Cone, music by Skip Kennon and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, and was first produced in New York at Playwright’s Horizons in a memorable 1982 production starring David Rounds.

Wong has headlined four critically-acclaimed productions of the ambitious musical – in which he enacts, sings and dances at least 11 characters – at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (2007), McCarter Theatre (2008), and La Jolla Playhouse (2010), all directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby, Peter And The Starcatcher). Wong also starred in another earlier production at the American Musical Theatre Festival in 1994.

Dixon Place is presenting BD Wong’s tour-de-force performance in this difficult-to-perform musical, which is rarely revived.

Wong, best known for his Tony Award winning performance in M. Butterfly and his role in the long running hit series “Law & Order: SVU,” will appear in Herringbone

Jennifer Lim at the opening night curtain call of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre in New York on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

The Drama Desk and the Fordham University Theatre Program will present a special panel discussion on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus (Pope Auditorium, 113 West 60th Street). The discussion, titled “Anatomy of a Breakout,” will reflect on the remarkable trend of breakthrough productions and breakout performances on the New York stage in 2011.

The panelists fromCHINGLISH include actor Jennifer Lim, playwright David Henry Hwang, who recently received a Jeff Award (New Work-Play), and director Leigh Silverman. The discussion will be moderated by Randy Gener, the George Jean Nathan Award winning editor/critic, and Leslie (Hoban) Blake, the Drama Desk’s Vice President.

Other panelists include Douglas Carter Beane (book writer, Lysistrata Jones), Lewis Flinn (composer/lyricist,Lysistrata Jones), David Ives (playwright, Venus in Fur), Samuel L. Jackson (actor, The Mountaintop), Dan Knechtges (director/choreographer, Lysistrata Jones) and Kenny Leon (director, The Mountaintop and Stick Fly).

Thom Sesma. (Photo by Lia Chang)

On Thursday, May 17, 2012, actor/director Thom Sesma, who just completed a two and half year run as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas, will speak at the Mary Pickford Theater located on the third floor of the Library of Congress James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. at noon. His talk is part of the Library of Congress celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) noon events in May, sponsored by the LC Asian American Association.

Sesma just participated in the all-star Shinsai: Theaters for Japanbenefit at Cooper Union’s Great Hall in NYC, in memory of the tragic events of March 2011 and in tribute to the heroic recovery efforts of the Japanese people.

Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more