“Kairos” by Lisa Sanaye Dring is being presented by East West Players through April 28 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St. in Little Tokyo.
“Kairos” is the story of two people falling in love during a tectonic shift in society. Their nascent relationship is tested by the advent of Prometheus, a procedure that grants immortality to a select few. What happens to commitment, meaning, and care when linear time breaks open?
At once both a dystopian science-fiction play and a dark-comedy love story, “Kairos” is a deeply sensitive investigation of two humans whose ideal “happily-ever-after” is terrifyingly outpaced by relentless technological and societal upheaval.
The cast: Sylvia Kwan, Gerard Joseph, Ren Hanami, William L. Warren, and Zachary Bones. Directed by Jesca Prudencio.
Upcoming shows:
Friday, April 12, at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at 5 p.m. Monday, April 15, at 8 p.m. (pay-what-you-can)
Friday, April 19, at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at 5 p.m. Monday, April 22, at 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 28, at 5 p.m.
Orchestra seats range from $12 to $69; balcony seats range from $20 to $39. For reservations and more information, call (213) 625-7000, email info@eastwestplayers.org or visit www.eastwestplayers.org.
This performance requires all audience members to be masked. Masks will be available upon request. Performers will not be masked.
Production warning: Be advised that this production contains loud noises, theatrical haze, and flashing lights. Content and trigger warning: “Kairos” contains adult language, suggested depiction of sex, mentions of abortion and suicide, and discusses topics related to death and grief.
“Kairos” was originally developed as part of the Geffen Playhouse Writers’ Room 2021/2022 and is produced at East West Players as part of a National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere. Other partner theaters are Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Theatre Nova (Ann Arbor, Mich.).
For more information, visit nnpn.org.
Supported in part by the S. Mark Taper Foundation.
About the Playwright
Lisa Sanaye Dring is a writer, director, and actor originally from Hilo, Hawaii, and Reno, Nevada. She has been nominated for an Emmy for her work as a writer and director and is currently the Tow Foundation Resident Playwright with Ma-Yi Theater Company.
Her play “Sumo” was co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi Theater Company in 2023. It won an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and the BroadwayWorld San Diego award for Best Play and was recently nominated for Outstanding New Play by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. In 2024, it will be produced by East West Players, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Rogue Artists Ensemble, and the LGBTQ Center of Los Angeles.
She has worked on projects with Meow Wolf and was a member of The Geffen Writers’ Room. She was honored as a recipient of the 2020/21 PLAY LA Stage Raw/Humanitas Prize and has been a finalist for the Relentless Award and the O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference; a two-time finalist (one honorable mention) for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival; and a finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
“Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin,” a piece she co-wrote with Chelsea Sutton, was nominated for seven L.A. Ovation Awards, including Best Production (winner of five).
Her work has been developed/produced by The New Group, Ac-tors Theatre of Louisville, Circle X, SCF @ Son of Semele, Playwrights’ Arena, Rogue Artists Ensemble, UCSB Launch Pad Series, CalArts, The Mo-tor Company, Theatre of NOTE and Skylight Theatre. Dring has been awarded fellowships at MacDowell, Blue Mountain Center, and Yaddo.
She graduated from the University of Southern California and was awarded the 2021 Doro-thy and Granville Hicks Residency at Yaddo, honoring one promising young writer a year. For more information, visit www.lisasanayedring.com.