AUGUST 1119, 2018 | CHICAGO PASSES, SHOW TICKETS AND MORE AVAILABLE AT CAATA.NET WHO WE ARE The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) envisions a strong and sustainable Asian American theater community that is an integral presence in national culture— PRESENTED BY: evocative of our past, declarative of our present, and innovative towards our future. Our mission is to advance the fi eld of Asian American theater through a national network of HOSTED BY: organizations and artists. We collaborate to inspire learning and sharing of knowledge and resources to promote a healthy, sustainable artistic ecology. As a collective of Asian American theater leaders and artists, we bring together local and regional leaders to work THIS YEAR’S THEME nationally toward our shared values of social justice, artistic CONFEST 2018: REVOLUTIONARY ACTS will engage atten- diversity, cultural equity and inclusion. We hold national dees and the Chicago community in courageous theater conferences and festivals biennially in diff erent parts of and dialogue regarding the intersection of art, leadership the country, reaching as wide a range of Asian American development and placement, and community and organiz- populations and communities as possible. We survey Asian ational well-being. ConFest shines a light on these critical American theater artists and organizations to fi nd out their topics in the face of social injustice, inequity, and active foremost concerns. We form alliances with other theater resistance in American culture, and considers what we, as groups of diff erent affi nities to advance mutual goals theater practitioners and allies, can do about it. cooperatively and to exchange ideas and strategies. LETTER FROM THE CAATA BOARD LETTER FROM THE THEATRE SCHOOL AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY We are so excited for you to join us for the 6th National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival, REVOLUTIONARY Welcome to our artistic home and training ground! We are ACTS. Thanks to amazing partnerships with Victory Gardens thrilled to be able to host the 6th National Asian American Theater, Silk Road Rising, and The Theatre School at DePaul Theater Conference and Festival and to receive each of you CAATA/CONFEST 2018 STAFF University, we are able to lift up the Chicago theater community. as an extended part of our community for this exciting event. Leslie Ishii & Joan Osato Production Staff : This year’s ConFest is a true celebration of the diversity of The Theatre School is committed to fostering and nurturing Co-Chairs, ConFest 2018 Mac Vaughey Asian Pacifi c Island American theater with performances, the reality of who people are, who they have been, and who Steering Committee readings, plenaries, workshops, and panels from a range they want to be. We embrace the diversity of what we see, Lighting Supervisor what we hear and what we feel. We give voice; we represent Donna Bachman of ethnicities, aesthetics, perspectives, experiences and Ben Zeman Festival Production Manager traditions. We are also focusing on lifting up our Indigenous people and ideas. Our community engages in lively exploration, Audio & Video community, broadening the defi nition of Asian American between and beyond categories of race, ethnicity, gender, Brian Balcom Coordinator/Operator through thoughtful inclusion, and deepening our movement sexuality, class, religion, nationality, ability and artistic discipline. ConFest Volunteer building amongst other cultural coalitions and collectives. We examine, appreciate and share the complexities of culture Stage Managers: Coordinator The Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists through artistic collaboration, and by doing so, revolutionize the Nadya Naumaan & (CAATA) gives me a sense of national pride. That’s BIG pride. next generation of theater artists and leaders. Julia Malta-Weingard Davonte Washington A feeling I rarely get in this country. It’s the kind of pride that This celebration and convening of the Asian American Marketing & Administration SHOUT Media I would proudly display on a bumper sticker or a fl ag on my theater community is vital for the future of our profession. By Media Relations front lawn. I don’t even have a lawn, but you know what I mean. sharing your plays, artistry, and networks, you are contributing Jeff Mousseau General Manager Being part of CAATA assures me that there are others, LIKE to a meaningful and direct path to a theater of the future (and Andy Ross Creative ME, who are also struggling with the same challenges and the now!) that is more inclusive. The partnerships that you are Mia Park Program Guide Design working through the same issues. CAATA is about supporting forging will serve as a catalyst for changing both the theater Local ConFest Organizer our struggles but more importantly it’s about celebrating our industry and the landscape of the future. Local casting support awesomeness. We applaud the leadership of the CAATA Board in making provided by Silk Road Rising CAATA has brokered many artistic and human relationships this event possible. We are grateful to Victory Gardens Theater and A-Squared Theatre that, I can confi dently say, will last my lifetime! It’s one thing and Silk Road Rising for their contributions to making Chicago CAATA BOARD to read a great play that you end up producing and another one of the very best theater cities in the world, and for their thing to actually meet the playwright at a ConFest and build part in making these days of performances, dialogue, and Andrea Assaf Andi Meyer* an artistic relationship that goes beyond one play but rather celebration a reality. Artistic Director, Producing Artistic Director, extends to an investment in the artist’s long term career and We are so honored to have all of you here! Thank you to Art2action Inc. (Tampa, FL) Tradewind Arts Asian American Artists them as a successful human. CAATA creates space of that—a everyone who made this possible, and everyone who joins us * Leilani Chan (Kansas City, MO) truly revolutionary act! as staff volunteers, artists, advocates, and guests. Welcome to Artistic Director, Welcome and thank you for being part of our family! Chicago, welcome to The Theatre School, and welcome to the TeAda Productions Meena Natarajan 2018 CAATA ConFest! Sincerely, (Los Angeles, CA) Executive/Literary Director, Pangea World Theater Tisa Chang (Minneapolis, MN) John Culbert Artistic Producing Director, Randy Reyes Dean, The Theatre School at DePaul University Pan Asian Repertory Theatre Jorge Ortoll Artistic Director, Theater MU (New York, NY) Board Member and Senior CAATA Board President Advisor, Gladys Chen Ma-Yi Theater Company President, LETTER FROM VICTORY GARDENS THEATER LETTER FROM SILK ROAD RISING (New York, NY) Second Generation (2g) Welcome, my friends and artists. One of the joys about this A consortium of Asian American theaters and artists, by (New York, NY) Joan Osato* unique convening is to collide with old collaborators still defi nition, constitutes a movement. And in moving to expand Producing Director, fi ghting the good fi ght, making work that matters. Another is the American story, we’re committing revolutionary acts. Snehal Desai Youth Speaks, Inc. Artistic Director, meeting the next generation of sterling Asian American theater The peoples and cultures that connect Japan with Syria (San Francisco, CA) artists who are creating new and innovative ways to bridge our and Polynesia with Kazakhstan, can trace settlement in the East West Players communities and nation together through their art and craft. Americas well before any present day borders. Yet in the (Los Angeles, CA) Randy Reyes* Artistic Director, This is an especially important time for us to convene, to crafting of national narratives, our stories were largely erased * Leslie Ishii Theatre Mu learn from each other, to dialogue, to inspire, to do more. by those with more power than us. This year’s CAATA ConFest Director, Educator, Writer, (Minneapolis, MN) Victory Gardens is passionately committed to inclusion, in Chicago is itself a revolutionary act, an intentional reversal Founder & Co-Director, diversity and equity on every level of our institution, from artists of a deliberate erasure. It represents yet another milestone National Cultural Navigation kt shorb to audiences, from board to staff . We believe in bringing our in raising our voices and asserting our power. For if culture is Theatre Project Producing Artistic Director, world onto our stages and creating civic dialogue towards a defi ned by the artist, then the artist is unmistakably an activist. (Los Angeles, CA) Generic Ensemble Company more equitable nation. Or as I like to say, ‘Don’t Ask, Create!’ (Austin, TX) I’m thrilled to open our home to the 6th National Asian On behalf of the artistic and administrative teams at Silk Jamil Khoury American Theater Conference and Festival so that our Chicago Road Rising, I welcome you to Chicago for the 6th National Founding Artistic Director, Roger W. Tang theater community can also learn and benefi t from the best Asian American Theater Conference and Festival. May we Silk Road Rising Executive Director, artistic and institutional practices in Asian American theater. bear much fruit from our revolutionary acts and may the spirit (Chicago, IL) Pork Filled Productions Fight. Resist. Create. The world is watching. of community prevail. (Seattle, WA) Stefanie Wong Lau Sincerely, Sincerely, Founder, Chay Yew Artists At Play Artistic Director, (Los Angeles, Ca) Victory Gardens Theater (Chicago, IL) Chay Yew Jamil