~ post by Clark Burnett
A co-production with East West Players, the nation’s first professional Asian American theatre organization, this 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama “One-Woman Show” is coming to Center Theatre Groups‘ Kirk Douglas Theatre in Downtown Culver City from FEBRUARY 12 – MARCH 12, 2023.
I was introduced to Kristina’s work during the lock-down when she performed “Kristina Wong for Public Office” as basically a live Zoom from her own apartment. She whipped that cart with her computer and camera all around, and had staged backgrounds for vignettes in each corner (like perhaps a flagpole and chairs to become a government office). It was manic, and hilarious … and helped sustain me during that difficult, isolating time.
I was lucky enough to see this fantastic production of “Sweatshop Overlord” show at La Jolla Playhouse several months ago. It’s a super creative, uplifting (and, yes, manic) journey of the utter craziness that we all like to refer to as “the past couple years.” It takes enormous talent to reframe the categorical bizarreness of this shared pandemic experience – that hasn’t fully settled even yet – into something at which I was laughing and smiling widely once the show finished (you could see me beaming even under my mask).
I read somewhere that Kristina was surprised at the Pulitzer nomination. When you’re leaving this show, you won’t be at all!
An anecdote: This show has a soft opening, where Kristina’s on-stage arranging a few things on the set before acknowledging the audience. The night I saw it, a severely physically-disabled young woman was seated in her wheel-chair in the front row and right then needed to use the restroom. Kristina noticed the bustle of her leaving, and so just kept right on working until the guest had returned several minutes later, and she and her companion were fully settled in. Consummate class!
Then later, there’s a part where audience members read out some questions off a card. Kristina picked this young woman first, and walked up to her and held out the card and microphone for her to participate. This young audience member was completely and totally welcomed, included, and honored by Kristina. And I wasn’t surprised in the least, but I was so, so pleased. I could just tell that Kristina would live her values.
Lucille Lortel Award Winner for “Outstanding Solo Show”!
Outer Critics Circle Winner for “Outstanding Solo Show”!
Drama Desk Awards Winner for “Outstanding Solo Show”!