Los Angeles theater survives and thrives on community collaboration now more than ever. In conjunction with AAPI Heritage Month, Chalk Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of “Pang Spa,” in collaboration with EST/LA’s world premiere production of “Two Stop.”
Penned by David Johann Kim, these two world premieres are companion pieces centered around themes related to the 1992 L.A. Uprising. Both plays will be presented between May 2 and June 9 at Atwater Village Theatre. This collaboration is a part of Center Theatre Group’s L.A. Artist Residency program, a division of the new CTG: Forward initiative.
“In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, it was clear to me that ‘Two Stop’not only had characters I’d never seen before onstage, but as a story of transformation, it would be perfect for EST/LA’s first full production since the pandemic,” explained “Two Stop” director Tracey A. Leigh. “I’m constantly surprised by ‘Two Stop’s’ immediacy; the writing is superb – the play crackles with intensity while being grounded in the deep humanity of each character. I am so excited to share our production alongside Chalk Rep’s production of David Johann Kim’s other multi-award-winning play, ‘Pang Spa.’”
“Two Stop” takes place on the verge of the ’92 L.A. Uprising. A Korean market. A murder scene. A store owner and a neighborhood teen-age girl face off. When her wild-card mother arrives, secrets from the past explode in this tiny store. History and histories go head-to-head as L.A. starts to burn. Together they reach back decades and across the globe through war, strife, and love, finding connection and even hope.
In “Pang Spa,” Daniel Pang returns home to L.A.’s Koreatown, stepping into an unexpected life. Twenty years after the L.A. Uprising, the family business is gone, his brother is gone, and his parents are disappearing with dementia. As Daniel juggles his parents’ care and idiosyncratic neighbors a flinty young Army vet arrives on a mission forcing him to confront his past. “Pang Spa” is a Los Angeles, K-town dramedy celebrating family, memory, and identity through a journey of healing.
“1992 was a defining year for Angelenos,” said “Pang Spa” director Reena Dutt. “It’s a part of our history that illustrates camaraderie as well as conflict across communities. What ‘Pang Spa’ does is acknowledge the repercussions of those choices, and bring the aftermath to light through a complex, compelling, and often funny slice of life.”
In the Korean American community, the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising is remembered as Sai-i-gu (April 29 in Korean). Also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Riots or the 1992 Rodney King Riots, it was a major outbreak of violence, looting, and arson that began on April 29, 1992. The L.A. Uprising was a response to two events: the acquittal of four white L.A. policemen on all but one charge connected to the severe beating of Rodney King, an African American motorist, in March 1991; and the fatal shooting of African American teenager Latasha Harlins by Korean convenience shop owner Soon Ja Du 13 days after the beating of Rodney King.
Korean Americans suffered extremely high economic losses as 2,300 Korean American businesses were looted or burned, resulting in over $400 million in property damages. During the L.A. Uprising, Korean Americans received very little aid or protection from police authorities due to disparities in social status and language barriers.
“Two Stop” stars Suzen Baraka, JuneSoo Ham, and Iyanna Lott. The creative team includes Ashley Weaver, stage manager; Maria Hong, costume design; Justin Huen, set design; Xinyuan Li, light design; Austin Quan, sound and video design; and Chuma Gault, video effects design.
“Pang Spa” stars Christopher Callen, Ben Carroll, Hahn Cho, Edward Hong, Jasmine Kimiko, and Dian Kobayashi. The creative team includes Roella Dellosa, stage manager; Maria Hong, costume design; Justin Huen, set design; Xinyuan Li, light design; and Austin Quan, sound design.
About the Playwright
David Johann Kim fell hard for dramaturgy when working on new plays with powerhouse dramaturgs, Mame Hunt (at Berkeley Rep) and Morgan Jenness (NYSF’s New Works Now Festival and NY Theatre Workshops Dartmouth retreat) as an actor.
Mabou Mines Ruth Malaczech asked him to be part of the writers’ group when she was devising “A Drop in the Ocean” in residence at NYTW. Les Waters selected him to be part of the devising team for their joint stock-style production “Act 3 Sc 2 of Life” at UC San Diego.
Kim holds an MFA from UC San Diego and is a member of The Dramatists Guild, EST/LA’s Playwrights Unit, Chalk Rep’s Writers group, and Playwrights ThinkTank as well as co-founder of EST/LA’s Ignite Project.
“Pang Spa” was a semifinalist for the 2018 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Ashland New Play Festival, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the final round of the Dennis and Victoria Ross Foundation Playwrights Program. Both “Pang Spa” and “Two Stop” were awarded the Los Angeles New Play Project Grant in November 2022.
About the Directors
Tracey A. Leigh is an Obie Award and NAACP Theatre Award-winning actor. She has an extensive career in theatre-making and new work development. She has appeared on stages throughout the U.S. and internationally, including a Broadway national tour and performances Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, Primary Stages, Signature Theatre, Soho Rep, P.S. 122 and La Mama Experimental Theatre Club; regionally at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the Guthrie Theatre, The National Theatre in Washington, D.C., The Denver Center, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company and ACT in Seattle; and at Southern California’s South Coast Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe Theatre, The La Jolla Playhouse and the San Diego Repertory Theatre.
A member of Ensemble Studio Theatre Los Angeles since 2011, Leigh became associate artistic director in 2012, then served as co-artistic director with Gates McFadden from 2013-2014. During that time, she produced and directed numerous projects and festivals for the company while working at USC as a dramaturg for second-year MFA playwrights. After stepping away from the company for several years, she became artistic director in 2021.
Reena Dutt is dedicated to new and reimagined texts that catapult polarizing conversations through unexpected stories with the bodies, voices, and life experiences of the underheard. Her Broadway debut was on “The Collaboration” at MTC as assistant director to Kwame Kwei-Armah of the Young Vic in London, and she most recently assisted Leigh Silverman on “Merry Me” at NYTW.
Dutt is also a film director and producer, having screened films at over 80 festivals worldwide including Sundance, LAFF, Outfest, Frameline, Cucalorous, NBCUniversal, BET, PBS/Latino, and HBO. She was the first South Asian community liaison at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and served on the board of Theatre of NOTE.
She produced a panel discussion connecting 99-seat theater to large theatre houses in the L.A. area at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and acted as an associate producer for Directors Lab West/Connects during the pandemic. Theatre Fellowships: Drama League NY directing fellow, LCT Directors Lab, Directors Lab West. Film Fellowships: Project Involve at Film Independent, SFFilm, and Trans Atlantic Partners with the Goethe Institut (Berlin).
Showtimes
Tristina Lee and JuneSoo Ham in “Two Stop.”
“Two Stop” runs May 2 (opens May 4) through June 9, with performances taking place on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. on May 5, 12, 19 and June 2; and Sundays at 7 p.m. on May 26 and June 9. There is a Hapa Night performance on May 17, and an AAPI Day celebration performance on May 26. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit https://www.estlosangeles.org/.
“Pang Spa” runs May 16 (opens May 19) through June 9, with performances taking place on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. on May 26 and June 9; and Sunday at 6 p.m. on May 19 and Sunday at 7 pm on June 2. There is a Hapa Night performance on May 17, and an AAPI Day celebration performance on May 26. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit https://www.chalkrep.com/.
Suitable for ages 12+. General admission to all performances is $35, with $25 tickets available to seniors, veterans, and students. There are three special double-feature performance days for those who would like to attend both plays in one day with a discount of $25 per performance on Sunday, May 26, June 2, or June 9, by using Code 2spa at checkout.
Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles. Parking is free in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) parking lot one block south of the theater.