Article By Joy Chiang Ling
Photos by John Quincy Lee
The NuWorks series features 9 artists presenting original performances curated by Angela Santillo and Ernest Abuba that range from a variety of styles including dance, burlesque, comedy and dramatic shorts. It is an event led by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, and is divided into three programs (A, B & C) that span June 10 to June 15. These performances take place at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street). AsianInNY had the pleasure of attending Program A, which featured the following performances:
Mana Hashimoto
Light, Shadow and Wind
Choreographed and performed by Mana Hashimoto
Mana Hashimoto completely lost her sight due to an undiagnosed optic nerve atrophy. Since then, she began to develop her own dance style, which focuses on movement using the senses of smell, touch and hearing rather than sight. Her performance, Light, Shadow and Wind, makes use of props such as clothes, a walking cane, and sanded metal sheets on the side of the room that make sounds against the wall. The dance is slow and makes use of a variety of sounds and lights to convey a sense of blindness.
Nehprii Amenii
Daughter of the Makahiya
Written and performed by Nehprii Amenii
Directed by Martin Balmaceda
Daughter of the Makahiya is a dramatic solo performance about a woman who has “her father’s insides and her mother’s outsides.” She recounts brief tales about her childhood and family, and gives us insight into her tragic history. Nehprii makes impressive use of various facial expressions, lighting and music to convey her melting pot of emotions.
Lynn Craig, Rebecca Lee Lerman, Loresa Lanceta
Three Two One!
By Rebecca Lee Lerman
Directed by Diane Phelan
Performed by Lynn Craig, Loresa Lanceta, Rebecca Lee Lerman and Viet Vo
This dramatic performance tells the story of a girl played by Rebecca Lee Lerman, who pursues her dream of becoming an actor/musician alongside her two closest friends. The three struggle to achieve success and stability in the performing arts, and make great sacrifices to acquire what they really desire. The play is humorous and entertaining, and will resonate with many people who are striving towards a specific dream.
Regular Tickets are $25 and are available at Telecharge.com, 212/239-6200 or in person at the box office. For more, please visit: www.panasianrep.org.
Viet Vo, Rebecca Lee Lerman
Tisa Chang, Angela Santillo , Nehprii Amenii, Mana Hashimoto, Rebecca Lee Lerman
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