Philippine Play ‘Sesar’ Premieres October 20 at Ma-Yi Theater

New York – Ma-Yi Theater Company – which had a breakout season with the award-winning success of the musical KPOP, and with Mike Lew’s newest play TEENAGE DICK (at The Public Theater) – will debut two new American plays by Asian-American playwrights this fall; SESAR by Orlando Pabotoy and THE CHINESE LADY, by Lloyd Suh, will perform in rep October 20 – November 18 at Theatre Row (410 W. 42^nd Street).

In 2014, Ma-Yi Theater Company enjoyed considerable success with its two-play repertory engagement of ‘Chairs and a Long Table’ by Han Ong and ‘Livin La Vida Imelda’ by Carlos Celdran at Theatre Row. The company returns to this format having just opened THE CHINESE LADY with an acclaimed out of town debut co-produced with Barrington Stage Company.

SESAR, written by and starring Orlando Pabotoy, who previously acted with Ma-Yi, makes his debut as a playwright; directed by Richard Feldman (The Juilliard School), SESAR, depicts the story of a 14-year-old Filipino boy, who after watching an excerpt of “Julius Caesar” on television, locks himself in the only family bathroom to dive head-first into the world of ancient Rome, determined to make sense of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. The boy’s father, a former town mayor now exiled because of his democratic beliefs, joins his son in the bathroom, and using his own experiences, teaches him real-life lessons about power, love, and loss.

THE CHINESE LADY, written by Lloyd Suh (The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!), directed by Ralph B. Peña (Among The Dead), and starring Shannon Tyo (Bright Half Life), and Daniel K. Isaac (Showtime’s ‘Billions’), is inspired by the true story of America’s first female Chinese immigrant. It is a tale of dark poetic whimsy, a piercing portrait of America as seen through the eyes of a young Chinese woman; Afong Moy reflects on life in 1834 and beyond, as she is brought to the United States from China and put on display for the American public as “The Chinese Lady.”

“Suh explores the story in an unusual, intellectually bracing way that explodes theater conventions,” said the TIMES-UNION. For CURTAIN UP, The Chinese Lady is “A riveting and poetic world-premiere of historic interest and pointed political observation.” 

Tickets are available for SESAR and THE CHINESE LADY now, and can be purchased by calling 212-239-6200; or online at: www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/The-Chinese-Lady/  or through TodayTix at https://www.todaytix.com/x/nyc/shows/12360-the-chinese-lady#noscroll Cost: $30-$42.25.

BIOS:

Orlando Pabotoy Orlando Pabotoy debuts as a playwright with Ma-Yi Theater Company. His recent work as writer includes That Beautiful Laugh and an adaptation of Goldoni’s The World In the Moon. His recent work in devising and creation of new works were in collaborations with projects such as The Object Lesson (NYTW, BAM, various International Festivals), Home (BAM, various International Festivals) by Geoff Soebelle and Holoscenes – a site specific art piece that deals with the Trauma of flooding by Lars Jan. Orlando Pabotoy was recently a movement director for NAATCO’s Henry the VI by Shakespeare. His professional works in performance, direction and choreography has been seen in (selected venues): NAATCO, Ma-Yi Theater, The Public, NYTW, Yale Rep, Met Opera, Kirk Douglas, The Guthrie. American Airlines Theater, TFANA, The Lake Lucille Project. Salzburg Festival (Austria). Orlando Pabotoy is a faculty member at NYU Tisch School of The Arts, ITW (Amsterdam) and The Juilliard School. Awards: Obie Award (Magno Rubio with Ma-Yi), TCG Fox Fellowship Foundation.

Richard Feldman was born in New York City and has directed productions including Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, Rosmersholm, Fifth of July, Taming of the Shrew, Antony and Cleopatra, and Infinity’s House. He was formerly a teacher at H.B. Studio, is a founding member of the Vermont Ensemble Theater, and co-founder of the Dinosaur Theater. He attended Horace Mann School, holds a BA from Yale University, and did graduate studies at the American Conservatory Theater. Feldman joined the Drama Division faculty at Juilliard in 1987, became associate director in 2007, and has been acting director since 2016.  (Press release by Sam Rudy Media Relations)