Friday March 23 and Saturday March 24 at 7 pm you are invited to a free staged reading of Larry Wong’s new play, Empress of Asia, based on his original one act play: Siu Yeh – A Midnight Snack. The readings will take place at the Firehall Arts Centre at 280 East Cordova Street. From the Firehall Arts Centre:
“Can a young woman, born at the dawn of the 20th Century, find happiness with a husband true to the ways of the Qing Dynasty and 20 years her senior? Only after she endures two weeks in the Pig Pen, pays her $500 Head Tax on her arrival in Canada and satisfies his foot fetish.
The development of Empress of Asia has been supported through the Community Historical Recognition Program, Department of Citizenship and Immigration.
For more information, visit firehallartscentre.ca or call 604.689.0926
Read by: BC Lee, Minh Ly, Lissa Neptuno, Nelson Wong, Andrea Yu
Written by Larry Wong
Director & Dramaturg: Donna Spencer
Set and Video Consultant: Craig Alfredson
Lighting Consultant: Jamie Burns
Costume Consultant: Sabrina Evertt”
Larry is well-known in the Vancouver community for his involvement with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, the Vancouver Historical Society and the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of B.C., for which he writes the informative column “Ask Larry” on their website. It’s very exciting to have a local expert write a play with Empress of Asia as the title, since it is such an important ship to the Chung Collection!
As mentioned above, the reading is free and open to the public- no advance tickets required. Definitely a great outing for Friday or Saturday night!