Jeannie Barroga (left) and Victoria Mejia have departed as staff members.

Photo by J.K. Yamamoto

San Francisco’s acclaimed Asian American Theater Company has postponed its previously announced production of “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son.

On Aug. 31, AATC Artistic Director Jeannie Barroga and Managing Director Victoria Mejia concluded their interim period holding the reins since late February. Both Barroga and Mejia will continue working with AATC as Advisory Board members and on future projects.

Concurrently, strong managerial candidates continue to apply, demonstrating support for the 35-year-old company.

“Jeannie and Victoria are true heroines to us and to the entire theatre community,” said Darryl Chiang, AATC board chair. “Funders have been very supportive throughout AATC’s 35-year history and the theater is using this transitional period to continue pursuit of both corporate, individual and government backing. Corporate and individual support are urgently needed to help us continue our mission.”

Chiang continued, “We are optimistic that with a ‘breathing’ period, we can regroup and reformulate the theater company for the future. Our audiences can plan on being part of an exciting rebirth of AATC. I think there are a lot of positive opportunities, and we’re calling on our community to help us make it all happen.”

Lyman Yip, another new and energetic supporter, said of AATC’s challenges, “We can continue its work and put on more amazing shows, and celebrate the organization’s successes and legacy.”

Enthusiastic rallying for growth also comes from Kathleen Park, currently with Shakespeare’s Associates, Livermore. She strongly feels that “as an organization with an illustrious history, AATC will find fiscal supporters and partners. Positive comments were made by keynote speakers at the Sept. 24 Theatre Bay Area 2007 Annual Conference and Trustee Forum and within the San Francisco Bay Area arts community, AATC holds a special niche, too important to ignore. I suspect the community as a whole feels the same way.”

Park adds that AATC’s immediate goals should be “to drive a campaign to promote lasting patronage and to secure commitments from new sponsors.”

The company is putting out the call to save AATC. In Chiang’s words, “In this fiscally challenging period, we need supporters so that we can fund the productions we have planned for our season.”

AATC is working with award-winning playwright Philip Kan Gotanda to produce his newest play, tentatively titled “Red Drum,” his personal tribute to Samuel Beckett. AATC urgently needs its community to contribute to the production fund for this new piece, which is scheduled for January 2008.

AATC continues to have one-on-one discussions with its funders who support its transition. The need for scaling back and postponing upcoming productions, in essence, will account for changes in their own funding, pending AATC’s fundraising and restructuring plans.

‘Yankee Dawg’ Delayed

AATC’s multiple-play 2007-08 season was affected by the postponement of Gotanda’s “Yankee Dawg You Die” last spring. Its star, George Takei, who was a guest of honor during AATC’s November 2006 production of Barroga’s “Walls,” had to delay his involvement because of his recurring role in the new TV series “Heroes.”

Takei continues to maintain contact and updates AATC in anticipation of returning to San Francisco in Gotanda’s classic play at some point in the future.

While critically successful, “Walls” reflected a box office deficit due to the show’s large cast, a larger venue (the Buriel Clay Theater), and high production values.

Instead of “Yankee Dawg You Die” in February, AATC co-produced in San Jose the sketch comedy hit “Telemongol.” This production was a collaboration among Lodestone Theatre, Cold Tofu, OPM, and the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors.

In April, AATC’s fundraiser was highlighted with testimonials by Asian American theater luminaries Sab Shimono, Francis Jue, and special guest Gotanda.

In July, a different audience mix witnessed the wonderfully received “Cowboy vs. Samurai” at the Thick House.

The inception of a newer training program, incubator workshops and classes held at the Off-Market were designed for more accessibility to the community. Barroga brought instructors whose relationships were cultivated through her own years in theater, and their professional levels attracted new and emerging theater artists.

Workshops continued at San Jose’s MACLA in August, held by both Gotanda and Barroga.

In June, the cast and crew of “Korean Badass” represented AATC in New York at the first National Asian American Theater Festival. They gained more visibility for AATC through the reviews received from their production at the edgy LaMama’s Club and again stamped on the theater tremendous national visibility.

New Partnerships

Cross-country nationwide partnerships were seeded at the festival, the most notable being the possible remount of a multi-Obie award-winning play not yet produced in San Francisco.

In addition, a partnership is under way, brokered by AATC, between another San Francisco arts group and NPN (National Performance Network) members.

The interim staff also accomplished a key goal for AATC, negotiating the company-guest-artist-in-residency at Potrero Hill’s Thick House.

Throughout, however, AATC struggled to keep up with accruing expenses.

AATC has, along with other non-profits, experienced peaks and valleys. A number of theaters nationwide have been forced to close or recede, such as the Northwest Asian American Theater, Denver Center Theater Company, Seattle’s The Group Theater, Empty Space, and the Hispanic INTAR Theater.

“Admirably,” comments Barroga, “in spite of the outcome, theater communities and supporters alike came to the call, creating public fervor for companies much like AATC.”

The task now is to return to financial health and continue building for the future.

Chiang’s primary goal is to find a space — ideally, donated or funded by government and corporate sponsors — that can be used as a rehearsal and performance venue so that actors, writers and volunteers will have a home to develop the next generation of AATC plays and to continue building a vibrant artistic community.

A 2005 UC Santa Barbara theater graduate, Mejia will continue her theater pursuits, and Barroga will continue her 26-year career as a produced and published playwright, director, and instructor.

Having planted the seeds through their programming this past season, both will continue to help AATC move on to more excellence in the San Francisco theater scene.

For further information and to lend support to AATC, contact Chiang at aatcspace [at] gmail.com or darryl.chiang [at] gmail.com.

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: copyright 2006-2008 by Hokubei Mainichi, Inc.; all rights reserved