East West Players’ ‘Criers for Hire’ wails in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES–East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest-running professional theater of color and the largest production group for Asian American artistic work, continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the world premiere production of “Criers for Hire,” by playwright Giovanni Ortega and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera.
Aurora, Remedios and Eugenia are three of the most sought-after professional funeral criers in Monterey Park. They are eager to welcome Aurora’s 14-year-old daughter Ligaya (nicknamed Gaya) from the Philippines into their world and teach her their somber trade.
However, they soon realize that Gaya has the opposite effect on people, making them laugh instead of cry. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming story of cultural identity, generational conflict, and finding home in a new country.
“Playwright Giovanni Ortega has been one of our home grown artists who started out as an actor and slowly began to start writing and directing plays,” said Tim Dang, producing artistic director of East West Players.
“It has been a pleasure to see his career develop and now see him as a member of the theater department faculty at Pomona College,” Dang added.
The cast features Joan Almedilla (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, EWP’s Tea with Music, Chess), Nicole Barredo (Miss Saigon, EWP’s Beijing Spring), Samantha Cutaran (ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Rudy Martinez (Disney 365, NBC’s Heartbeat), and Giselle “G” Töngi (Host, Kababayan Today).
Giovanni Ortega made his debut on the East West Players stage in 2005, playing the role of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in the hit musical “Imelda.” In 2011, Ortega wrote ALLOS, the story of Carlos Bulosan, which was commissioned by East West Players for its Theater for Youth Program.
The following year, Chicago’s CIRCA Pintig Theater Company produced it as part of “Migrant Stories.” During the same time, East West Players included an excerpt of his work in its Theater for Youth touring production “Our American Voice.” Ortega is a visiting assistant professor at The Pomona College Department of Theatre & Dance.
The design team includes set design by Christopher Scott Murillo, lighting design by R. Christopher Stokes, costume design by Mylette Nora, sound design by Howard Ho, and props by Lily Bartenstein. Stage manager is Alyssa Escalante.
“Criers for Hire” is produced with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and is presented in community partnership with Asia Society and FilAm Arts.
All performances are staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center of the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles.
Regular performances run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at www.eastwestplayers.org or by calling 213.625.7000. Regular tickets range from $28-$38. Student, Senior, and Group discounts available. Dates, prices and details are subject to change.
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