Tiger Style! Know Before You Go

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Production Sponsors

SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 2

Raymond J. Lee and Jackie Chung; photo by Jim Carmody

Lynn Gorguze & Scott Peters

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

We look forward to seeing you at La Jolla Playhouse at your upcoming performance of Tiger Style!. Below is some additional information about the production and the venue to enhance your theater-going experience.

PARKING Parking is free for all subscribers. For all others parking is $2 (subject to change), Mon-Fri. Upon arrival to campus, please purchase your parking permit from one of the automated pay stations located next to the information kiosk. Simply park, note your space number, and pay $2 at the pay station. Pay stations accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express or cash ($1 and $5), and do not give change. You will not need to return to your car. Parking is free on the weekends.

ACCESSIBILITY A golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility issues to and from the parking lot. Please notify Patron Services prior to your performance if you are in need of this service; additionally, you may pull into the five minute parking in front of the theatre, and a friendly La Jolla Playhouse greeter will assist you.

For more information about performances with open captioning, ASL interpretation and audio description, please see page 6.

Children under the age of 6 are not permitted in the theatre during performances unless otherwise posted.

Unaccompanied minors ages 12 and under are not permitted in the theatre.

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DINING

James’ Place is the Theatre District’s on-site restaurant.

Developed by renowned Sushi Master James Holder, the menu includes his signature sushi, as well as delectable dishes created with Prime and Angus cuts of beef, locally and sustainably harvested seafood, along with seasonal dishes. A lighter fare menu is also served at the newly-redesigned sushi/cocktail bar, featuring craft beer and California wines.

James’ Place is open Tue-Fri 4:00 pm to close, and Sat & Sun 3:00 pm to close.

For reservations, please call (858) 638-7778.

For menu and hours, please visit jamesplacesd.com.

We also recommend the following nearby restaurants:

Adobe El Restaurante and Mustangs & Burros at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road La Jolla, CA 92037 estancialajolla.com

Cusp Restaurant and Hiatus Poolside Lounge at Hotel La Jolla 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 cusprestaurant.com

Café la Rue and The Med at La Valencia Hotel 1132 Prospect Street La Jolla, CA 92037 lavalencia.com

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 8970 University Center Lane San Diego, CA 92122 flemingssteakhouse.com

Dolce Pane e Vino 16081 San Dieguito Road Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 dolcepaneevino.com

Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering 700 Prospect Street San Diego, CA 92037 giuseppecatering.com

Pamplemousse Grille 514 Via de la Valle, Suite 100 Solana Beach, CA 92075 pgrille.com Piatti 2182 Avenida De La Playa La Jolla, Ca 92037 Phone: 858-454-1589 piatti.com/lajolla Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Playhouse Patrons Get 20% Off 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 rockbottom.com

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A MESSAGE FROM THE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Identity is complicated. In the modern world, everyone inhabits multiple personas defined by social class, age, education, sexual orientation, gender, race and ethnicity. As we weave through the intersection of these identities, questions emerge: Who am I at my core? Where do I belong? How do I fit in?

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© Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego/ZUMA Wire

Enter Mike Lew’s comedy, Tiger Style!, in which the answers to these questions are up for grabs.

Two unhappy second-generation Chinese American siblings, raised by their strict parents with traditional Chinese high standards for hard work and achievement, reject their upbringing and family heritage despite their success. The schism between Chinese and American values has left them feeling confused, objectified, stereotyped and “other.” And they yearn for the just desserts of their efforts, professionally and personally.

When the siblings set off on a journey to forge a new identity and be accepted for who they are, Lew boldly moves into non-naturalistic territory, turning the idea of Eastern vs. Western attitudes on its head.

Perceptions of race, ethnicity and cultural values bump up against the foibles and misconceptions of his flawed and all-too-human characters.

Just when events begin to feel familiar, the play takes a left turn, then another, and yet another. Funny in unexpected ways, Tiger Style! is anything but formulaic. When I first read the play and absorbed its mixture of humor, existential pain and cultural criticism, it left me with many reflections on my own perceptions about race, ethnicity and “the other” in America.

to enter the La Jolla Playhouse village in order to get a glimpse of what is about to happen in American theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier charity evaluator.

Jaime Castañeda, Playhouse Associate Artistic Director and director of Tiger Style!, is a full-throated advocate for new plays. He is attracted to singular, personal, daring playwriting voices. When he first encountered this play at the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference a couple of summers ago, he recognized many similarities to his own upbringing. During a Playhouse season planning session, Jaime told me that he’s attracted to plays that are challenging theatrical events for the stage, and for him – and me – Tiger Style! is that kind of play.

I hope Mike Lew’s play leaves you laughing, and also reflecting – as I did – on who gets to feel fully and truly American in our society.

La Jolla Playhouse has received La Jolla Playhouse has received the the highest rating from Charity highest rating from Charity Navigator, Navigator, the nation’s premier the nation’s premier charity evaluator. charity evaluator.

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CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS Michael S. Rosenberg Managing Director

Christopher Ashley Artistic Director

BY

MIKE LEW DIRECTED BY

JAIME CASTAÑEDA FEATURING

JACKIE CHUNG, MARYANN HU, RAYMOND J. LEE, NATE MILLER, DAVID SHIH SCENIC DESIGNER COSTUME DESIGNER LIGHTING DESIGNER SOUND DESIGNER DJ DRAMATURG CASTING STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER PROJECT PRODUCTION MANAGER

LAUREN HELPERN DAVID ISRAEL REYNOSO ANTHONY JANNUZZI MIKHAIL FIKSEL SHAMMY DEE SHIRLEY FISHMAN TELSEY & COMPANY; KAREN CASL, C.S.A. JENNIFER KOZUMPLIK LAURA ZINGLE BENJAMIN SEIBERT

World premiere produced by Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Susan V. Booth, Artistic Director.

Tiger Style! was developed during a residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference in 2014. Preston Whiteway, Executive Director; Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director.

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THE CAST (in alphabetical order)

Jennifer Chen ........................................................................................................Jackie Chung Therapist/Mom/Cousin Chen/Matchmaker .......................................................... MaryAnn Hu Albert Chen .......................................................................................................Raymond J. Lee Russ the Bus/Reggie/Customs Guy ..........................................................................Nate Miller Tzi Chuan/Melvin/Dad/General Tso ..........................................................................David Shih Setting: Act I: Irvine, America Act II: Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China Time: Now Tiger Style! will be performed with a 15-minute intermission.

ADDITIONAL ` STAFF Assistant Director ......................................................Jacole Kitchen Costume Design Assistant .............................Jaymee Ngernwichit Assistant Lighting Designer .................................... Brandon Rosen Fight Consultant............................................................ Jacob Bruce Assistant Costume Designer.................. Desiree Hatfield-Buckley Stage Management Assistant ...................................Mandisa Reed ‡ Scenic Design Assistant ...........................................Mextly Almeda Stage Management Intern .................................. Matthew Bantock

The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.

La Jolla Playhouse is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre. ‡ UC San Diego M.F.A. Candidates in residence at La Jolla Playhouse.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EVENTS: TIGER STYLE! INSIDER EVENTS

DISCOVERY SUNDAY

Join Playhouse staff for a special pre-performance presentation that gives an insider’s view of Tiger Style!.

Join special guest speakers post-performance as they engage audience members in a moderated discussion exploring the themes in the play.

Sponsored in part by

Wednesday, September 28 at 6:45 pm Saturday, October 1 at 1:15 pm

Sunday, October 2 after the 2:00 pm performance

ACCESS PERFORMANCES

TALKBACK TUESDAYS

On select performances, La Jolla Playhouse provides American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, open captioning and/or audio descriptions.

OPEN CAPTIONING Sunday, September 18 at 2:00 pm

Participate in a lively discussion with Tiger Style! actors and Playhouse staff members immediately following these performances.

Sponsored in part by

ASL INTERPRETATION & AUDIO DESCRIPTION Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 pm

Tuesday, September 13 after the 7:30 pm performance Tuesday, September 20 after the 7:30 pm performance

MORE WAYS TO PLAY P6

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

FOODIE FRIDAYS

SONIC SATURDAYS

For more information, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org

THE COMPANY JACKIE CHUNG, Jennifer Chen La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: microcrisis, The Children of Vonderly, Mother Courage and Her Children, Trickle, Japanoir, After., The Director. Regional: different words for the same thing (Center Theatre Group); brownsville song (b-side for tray) (Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival); Fast Company (South Coast Repertory); and Macbeth 1969 (Long Wharf Theatre). Film/TV: Deadbeat (Hulu), Someone Else. Ms. Chung is a member of Partial Comfort Productions and the Ensemble Studio Theatre.

MARYANN HU, Therapist/Mom/Cousin Chen/ Matchmaker La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Lincoln Center’s The King and I (Lady Thiang u/s) and South Pacific (Bloody Mary u/s); Miss Saigon (The Broadway). Off-Broadway: The Audience (Transport Group), Falsettoland (NAATCO), Signature, Vineyard. Regional: Allegiance (The Old Globe); Tiger Style!

(O’Neill Conference). Film: Elanore in the upcoming independent film Wilde Wedding (2017), DeLoba, Falling for Grace. TV: Elementary, Madam Secretary, Nurse Jackie, Law & Order and played the recurring character of Soo Lin on the NBC sitcom WHOOPI. Education: studies under Wynn Handman, Upright Citizens Brigade for Improv and sketch writing. Performs on the indie-improv scene with Baby Grand: The Improvised Musical.

RAYMOND J. LEE, Albert Chen is ecstatic to be making his La Jolla Playhouse debut!

Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas, Anything Goes, Mamma Mia!. Off-Broadway: Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Public); The Wild Party (Encores!). Regional: Stuck Elevator (A.C.T.); Nerds (PTC); Great Wall (Village Theatre); …Spelling Bee (PCS); Seussical (MUNY). TV/Film: Smash, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Fame, Red Oaks, The Mikado Project, Ghost Town.

Thanks to the entire Tiger Style! team, this amazing and inspiring cast, Telsey + Company, Nicolosi & Co, and Sullivan Talent Group. Love to Robbi & Ella. For additional information, visit www.raymondjlee.com and follow @raymondjlee. Go U Northwestern!

NATE MILLER, Russ the Bus/Reggie/Customs Guy La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Mr. Miller is an actor/producer and a founding member/producing director of Lesser America. Off-Broadway: Of Good Stock, Ripcord (MTC); Wyoming (Lesser America); Love and Information (NYTW); Peter and the Starcatcher. Regional: This Random World, Romeo & Juliet, True West (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Curse of the Starving Class (Wilma Theater). Film/TV: The Good Wife (CBS), Us & Them (FOX), Another Kind (Vicart Ent.). Education: Marquette University.

Training: Juilliard (Group 39). iamnatemiller.com; lesseramerica.com DAVID SHIH, Dad/Tzi Chuan/Melvin/General Tso La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Mike Lew’s Bike America (Ma-Yi); Awake and Sing! (The Public/NAATCO); The World of Extreme Happiness (Manhattan Theatre Club); Crane Story (Playwrights Realm); Dojoji: The Man Inside the Bell, Sake with the Haiku Geisha. Television: The Path, The Blacklist, Mozart in the Jungle, Unforgettable, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Film: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Fan Girl, Old 37, Saving Face. Voice of Eddie Toh in the videogame Grand Theft Auto V. Mr. Shih also works with Only Make Believe performing for kids in hospitals and care facilities. DavidShih.net

MIKE LEW, Playwright grew up in La Jolla and is hugely grateful to be back at La Jolla Playhouse after interning at the theatre in 2000. In addition to Tiger Style! (Alliance and Huntington productions; O’Neill, CTG and Juilliard workshops), his plays include Teenage Dick (Public Studio; O’Neill, OSF, FST and PF workshops), microcrisis (Ma-Yi, InterAct and Next Act productions), Stockton (AracaWorks and EST workshops), People’s Park (Victory Gardens workshop), In Paris You Will Find Many Baguettes… and Roanoke (Humana), and Moustache Guys. He is a Tony voter; Dramatists Guild Council member; and recipient of a Mellon Foundation Residency, NYFA fellowship and the Lanford Wilson, Helen Merrill, Heideman and Kendeda awards. He holds a new play commission from La Jolla Playhouse and is co-director of Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the largest collective of Asian-American playwrights in the country. Education: Juilliard, Yale, La Jolla High. Website: mikelew.com.

JAIME CASTAÑEDA, Director joined the Playhouse in 2014 as the Associate Artistic Director, where he recently directed Guards at the Taj by Rajiv Joseph. He has directed productions for Dallas Theater Center, Atlantic Theater Company, Cleveland Play House, The Old Globe, Perseverance Theatre, Kitchen Dog and American Theater Company. Mr. Castañeda has developed new plays with the O’Neill, Rattlestick Theater, Portland Center Stage, Denver Center Theater Company, The Kennedy Center and the Atlantic Theater Company, where he spent five seasons as Artistic Associate. He is a Drama League fellow and has received the Princess Grace Award and the TCG New Generations Grant. M.F.A. in Directing from University of Texas at Austin.

LAUREN HELPERN, Scenic Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Recent: Cake Off and Steel Magnolias (Bucks County Playhouse); A Funny Thing… (MCC); Can You Forgive Her? (Huntington Theatre Company); Murder Ballad (Cardinal Stage); and Then Silence (SATC). Selected NYC: Atlantic Theater Company, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout, Lincoln Center, MTC, Primary Stages, Second Stage, Rattlestick, La Mama, Cherry Lane, Ars Nova, New Georges, Women’s Project, Little Orchestra Society, TheatreworksUSA and on Broadway. Selected Regional: Blue Man Group/Live at Luxor (also Boston and Chicago), The Old Globe, Guthrie Theater, Cleveland Play House, Syracuse Stage, Portland Center Stage and Anchorage Opera.

Awards: Lortel, Obie and Eddy. Web series: Janice Gunter: Ghost Hunter.

DAVID ISRAEL REYNOSO, Costume Designer is the Obie Award-winning costume designer for the Off-Broadway runaway hit Sleep No More (Punchdrunk/Emursive). Most recently, he designed the critically-acclaimed Healing Wars, directed by Liz Lerman at La Jolla Playhouse. His other regional scenic and costume design credits include returning collaborations at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe (Tokyo Fish Story, Constellations, Arms and the Man, Time and the Conways, among others), American Repertory Theater, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Lyric Stage and Gloucester Stage, among many others. David is also the recipient of the Elliot Norton Award in Costume Design and a multiple nominee for the IRNE and BroadwayWorld awards. He is also a 2016/17 San Diego Foundation Creative Catalyst grant recipient. His other work includes Amanda Palmer’s Down Under tour and Juan Son’s Mermaid Sashimi tour, as well as a variety of music video production and costume designs.

ANTHONY JANNUZZI, Lighting Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Grounded (La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival 2015). UC San Diego: Movers and Shakers. Assistant Lighting: Up Here (La Jolla Playhouse); Madama Butterfly (Opera San Antonio); Oldest Boy (San Diego REPertory Theater). Education: M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

B.A. from Arizona State University.

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THE COMPANY MIKHAIL FIKSEL, Sound Designer is a designer, composer, musician and a DJ based in Chicago and NYC. La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Other recent credits: Playwrights Horizons, The Civilians, Albany Park Theatre Project, Third Rail Projects, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Goodman Theatre, 2nd Stage Theatre, The Pearl, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Dallas Theatre Center, The Old Globe, Cleveland Play House, The Geffen Playhouse, The Long Wharf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Victory Gardens, Writers Theatre, Timeline and The Hypocrites. Mr. Fiksel is a recipient of a Lucille Lortel Award, multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards and the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award, and is a proud member of TSDCA and USA. www.mikhailfiksel.com SHAMMY DEE, DJ La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Summer Sounds (Hollywood Bowl).

Television: How I Met Your Mother, Make It or Break It, Sam & Cat, The Ex-List. Film: The Runaways. Musical Director: How We Got On (Cleveland Play House), Welcome to Arroyo’s (The Old Globe). Sound Designer: The Seven (Occidental College). Education: B.A. from UC San Diego.

SHIRLEY FISHMAN, Dramaturg During fifteen years at La Jolla Playhouse, Ms. Fishman has served as Associate Artistic Director, Director of Play Development, Artistic Producer and Dramaturg. She has worked on such plays and musicals as Hollywood, Indecent, Healing Wars, Come From Away, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chasing the Song, Ether Dome, Side Show, Sideways, Glengarry Glen Ross, An Iliad, Hands on a Hardbody, American Night, 2016 POP Tour Alice Chan and other projects in development. At New York’s Public Theater she dramaturged such projects as Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters, Two Sisters and a Piano by Nilo Cruz and Tina Landau’s Space, among others, and was co-curator of the New Work Now! annual new play festival. Other affiliations: UC San Diego’s Wagner New Play Festival, Sundance Theatre Lab, Denver Theatre Center, Magic Theatre, Native Voices at the Autry and Playwrights Project, among others. She is an M.F.A. graduate of Columbia University’s Theatre Theory/ Criticism/Dramaturgy program.

LE A S !

N OW O N

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October 25 - December 4

TELSEY & COMPANY, Casting La Jolla Playhouse: Hollywood, Guards at the Taj, Blueprints to Freedom, Come From Away, Chasing the Song, Hands on a Hardbody, Blood and Gifts, Glengarry Glen Ross, Milk Like Sugar, Little Miss Sunshine, Limelight, Bonnie & Clyde, 33 Variations and Memphis, among others. Broadway/ Tours: Paramour, Tuck Everlasting, Waitress, American Psycho, Fiddler on the Roof, The Color Purple, On Your Feet!, Hamilton, Something Rotten!, An American in Paris, Finding Neverland, The King and I, Kinky Boots, Wicked, If/Then, The Sound of Music, Newsies, Motown, Rock of Ages.

Off-Broadway: Atlantic, MCC, Signature. Regional: Alliance, Goodman, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf, New York Stage and Film, The Old Globe, Paper Mill, Williamstown. Film: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Tallulah, The Intern, Into the Woods. TV: The Family, Grease Live!, The Wiz Live!, Flesh and Bone, commercials.

JENNIFER KOZUMPLIK, Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: The Last Tiger in Haiti, Hollywood, Come From Away, His Girl Friday. Cygnet Theatre: Hay Fever, The Vortex, My Fair Lady, A Christmas Carol, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Maple and Vine, Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest, Gem of the Ocean, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde. San Diego REPertory Theatre: A Hammer, a Bell, and a Song to Sing; In the Wake; Superior Donuts; Culture Clash in AmeriCCa. She received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University.

LAURA ZINGLE, Assistant Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: The Grift, Kingdom City, El Henry, Kamchatka (Without Walls Festival), His Girl Friday and Hands on a Hardbody. The Old Globe: Sense & Sensibility, The Metromaniacs, Arms and the Man, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2014). San Diego REPertory Theatre: Detroit. Spoleto Festival USA: U.S. premiere of opera The Little Match Girl, by Helmut Lachenmann. Other regional credits include a workshop of different words for the same thing (Center Theatre Group), AFI Fest 2013, Opera NEO and Palomar College Dance. She is the Stage Manager of San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus. She has an M.F.A. in Stage Management from UC San Diego and is a proud member of AEA.

LE A S 1 N CT O O

January 31 - March 12

PLAYHOUSE LEADERSHIP CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY, Playhouse Artistic Director has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since October, 2007. During his tenure, he has helmed the Playhouse’s acclaimed productions of Hollywood, Come From Away, The Darrell Hammond Project, Chasing the Song, His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Dram of Drummhicit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Restoration and the acclaimed musicals Xanadu and Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WoW) series and the Resident Theatre Program. Prior to joining the Playhouse, he directed the Broadway productions of Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as The Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature films Jeffrey and Lucky Stiff, as well as the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.

DEBBY BUCHHOLZ, General Manager has served as general manager of La Jolla Playhouse since 2002. She is the Secretary of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT) and a member of its Executive Committee.

In 2009, she received a San Diego Women Who Mean Business Award from The San Diego Business Journal.

Previously she served as Counsel to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She was a faculty member of the Smithsonian Institution’s program on Legal Problems of Museum Administration. Prior to The Kennedy Center, she served as a corporate attorney in New York City and Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of UC San Diego and Harvard Law School. Ms. Buchholz and her husband, noted author and White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz, live in Solana Beach and are the proud parents of Victoria, Katherine and Alexia.

MICHAEL S. ROSENBERG, Managing Director has served as the Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse since April, 2009. Working in partnership with Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, he has developed and produced new work by Ayad Akhtar, Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green, Kirsten Greenidge, Quiara Alegría Hudes, John Leguizamo, Herbert Siguenza, Basil Twist, Doug Wright and The Flaming Lips. Playhouse collaborations have included projects with UC San Diego, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, The New Children’s Museum, San Diego Rep, Tectonic Theatre Project, the I.D.E.A. District and the cities of Escondido and Chula Vista. Previously, Mr. Rosenberg was Co-Founder and Executive Director of Drama Dept., a New York non-profit theatre company, where he produced new works by the likes of Douglas Carter Beane, Warren Leight, Isaac Mizrahi, Paul Rudnick and David & Amy Sedaris. His early work included stints at the Kennedy Center and the National Dance Institute. Mr. Rosenberg serves on the Boards of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, NBC 7 San Diego Community Advisory Board and the Theatre Communications Group, where he is on the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and chairs the Global Theatre Initiative Community. Follow him on Twitter: @MrMikeRosenberg DES McANUFF, Director Emeritus served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director from 1983 through 1994, and from 2001 through April, 2007. Under his leadership, the Playhouse garnered more than 300 awards, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Playhouse to Broadway credits: Jersey Boys (four Tony Awards); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (five Tony nominations); director and co-author with Pete Townshend on The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Director) and Big River (seven Tony Awards), among others. Film credits: Quills, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Iron Giant (9 Animation Society awards) and Cousin Bette. Recipient of the Drama League’s 2006 Julia Hansen Award, Mr. McAnuff served as Artistic Director at Canada’s Stratford Festival from 2007 through 2012.

He recently directed the hit productions of Sideways, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Playhouse.

PATRON SERVICES PATRON SERVICES is located in the lobby area of each theatre. A representative is available to answer questions and hand out assisted listening devices, restaurant guides, performance schedules and subscription information.

BARS AND CONCESSIONS are provided by James’ Place, open Tuesday – Friday 4:00 pm to close, Saturday – Sunday: 3:00 pm to close. For reservations, please call (858) 638-7778. To avoid the rush, intermission beverages can be ordered before the show.

PARKING is free for subscribers; $2 for the general public on weekdays (free on weekends). Upon arrival to campus, please enter your parking space number and pay the automated paystations located in the parking lot. Spaces that are not paid for are subject to ticketing by UC San Diego Parking Enforcement.

CAMERAS AND RECORDING DEVICES are strictly prohibited in the theatre. Please check these items with the House Manager and turn off your camera phone.

PLEASE SILENCE or turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones and watches, before the performance.

ACCESSIBILITY La Jolla Playhouse provides wheelchair-accessible seating and parking. Wheelchair seat locations are available for wheelchair users and a companion at all performances; be sure to advise the reservationist that you require a wheelchair location. Additionally, a golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility needs to and from the parking lot. Please notify Patron Services prior to your performance if you are in need of this service; additionally, you may pull into the five minute parking in front of the theatre, and a friendly La Jolla Playhouse greeter will assist you.The Playhouse also provides assisted listening devices for patrons who are hard of hearing. Devices are available, free of charge, at the Patron Services Center prior to performances (subject to availability).

Listening Devices Provided in Part by

BABES IN ARMS Out of respect for fellow audience members and the performers, babes in arms are not permitted in the theatre during performances.

CHILDREN under the age of 6 are not permitted in the theatre during performances unless otherwise posted.

Unaccompanied minors ages 12 and under are not permitted in the theatre.

SAFETY IN THE THEATRE DISTRICT La Jolla Playhouse is constantly working with the UC San Diego Police Department and UC San Diego Transportation and Parking Services, which operates the parking lot and security system, to maintain and improve security conditions for patrons and staff members. Additionally, patrons and staff are welcome to use UC San Diego Community Service Officers (CSOs) for an escort to their cars by calling (858) 534WALK (9255). Further questions regarding security may be addressed to UC San Diego Police at (858) 534-HELP (4357).

DOCTORS AND PARENTS expecting calls during the performance should leave their names and seat numbers with the House Manager before the show. Leave the following number with your service: (858) 550-1030.

LATECOMERS or PATRONS WHO LEAVE THEIR SEAT DURING THE PERFORMANCE Please arrive on time. Latecomers will be admitted at the discretion of the House Manager. La Jolla Playhouse accepts no liability for inconvenience to latecomers.

THEATRE TOURS Tour the stages and production shops of the Playhouse facilities and learn more about the history of La Jolla Playhouse and the role that it plays in the community.

Contact (858) 550-1070 x101.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P9

RAISING A TIGER CUB

By Shirley Fishman

When Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua was published in 2011, controversy erupted over Chinese versus Western parenting styles and their effect on children, which became the jumping off point for playwright Mike Lew’s comedy, Tiger Style!.

When I asked Mike if he was raised by tiger parents, he suggested that I speak with his mother and father, Dr. Bertha Gee-Lew, a pediatrician, and Dr. Wilbur Lew, a cardiologist. They greeted me at their La Jolla home and whisked me down a hallway to a photo display of the Gee and Lew families. I learned how they emigrated from China’s Canton region to California and how their own parenting styles affected them and their children.

Shirley Fishman: Have you experienced “tiger parenting”?

Bertha Gee-Lew: When my father immigrated to America, he left behind my mother and my two older sisters. After he settled in Fresno, he sent for my mother and my sisters emigrated later.

My brother, younger sister and I were all born in Fresno and were in middle school when my sisters arrived. One was a chemist in China, and she watched over us as we did our homework.

She didn’t think we studied hard enough and “tigered up” a bit, saying “you can do better.” She pushed her little American siblings into good study habits. We were number one in our classes; we all received scholarships and attended UC Berkeley.

Wilbur Lew: My parents were always working; they were focused on providing for us. While they weren’t greatly involved in my education, they wanted us to be able to take care of ourselves – to choose careers that would give us economic security.

BG-L: Both of us, having been to Berkeley and medical school, knew what it took to get a good education when we raised our own children. I observed my children very critically in order to learn what they were capable of. When Mike was about to start school, I had to make sure he was ready. Even though I was busy with my pediatric practice, I sat in on kindergarten classes, volunteered at the PTA, got up at 6:00 am to cut pilgrim hats – I did everything I could to be involved and to learn where Mike stood in relationship to the other kids. If he was behind, there was no way I would push him. He wasn’t, and I knew how to turn him into a good student.

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When he was in elementary school I told him, “When your teacher asks you to do a book report, I’m going to ask you to give me three – one for the teacher and two for your mother.” Mike would complain, “I have to do three book reports, just because you’re crazed?!” When he was in high school, he had to take exams to prepare for the SAT 2. He was such a jokester; I had to get him to focus. I said, “This is what you need to do and what you need to know.” Instead of writing his name at the top of his paper, he wrote “Attica Cell Block #3” and made some comment about me being a tiger mom.

SF: Do you think you’re a tiger mom?

BG-L: I’m not. A tiger mom says “I want a concert pianist and I’m going to make you do this, whether you’re capable of it or not.”

I’m simply demanding my kids live up to what they’re capable of.

Mr. Lew has been enjoying listening to Mrs. Lew, chuckling at her parenting recollections.

SF: Are you a tiger dad?

WL: I think it’s tough for young people these days. I always tried to help my kids handle various situations, develop good judgment, and navigate toward what they really wanted to do in life. I wanted them to choose their own path, without having a situation imposed upon them, so that they could feel satisfied with themselves and be self-sufficient.

SF: You’re both physicians. Did you expect Mike to go to medical school?

BG-L: This child of mine was an incredible scientist. Totally on his own volition, he would take the bus from La Jolla High School to the UCSD science lab and work on his project lab until 7:00 pm, when his Dad would pick him up. He was selected for the Westinghouse (Intel) Science Talent Search – one of only 30 kids in the nation. He was featured in The New York Times and traveled to the east coast for the contest. He didn’t win, but he received scholarships, carte blanche, from NYU and other schools he didn’t even apply to. He got accepted to Yale, and I thought, “Yeah! Medical school!”

SF: Did you have any inkling he was interested in the theatre?

BG-L: The only thing he did creatively in high school was a special English seminar class.

He had to write a play for twenty 10th and 11th graders. I pleaded, “Don’t write the play, honey. You have to focus on your science project. This is just an extra-curricular activity.”

Mike said, “I really want to do it, Ma.” It was a big project and it was taking forever. He wrote parts to include every single student. Afterwards, he wasn’t happy with it. Mike complained, “It didn’t go well because it only had one performance. I didn’t have a chance to work on it.” I couldn’t understand why he was so depressed. It was driving me crazy.

WL: Yale has a great theatre program, and when he arrived he took a theatre class in addition to the other necessary courses.

In order to get into medical school, you have to take certain required classes, including organic chemistry.

BG-L: I kept saying, “Mike, in year two you’re going to have to take organic chemistry. No medical school will take you without it.” Mike said, “Mom, I’m not going to take organic chemistry. I’m not interested.” There it was. (Shaking her head) I have to admit – I was kicking and screaming.

WL: (laughing) It took her forever to realize that he wasn’t going into science.

BG-L: (to her husband) I’m going to tell about you being a tiger dad – how you didn’t want Mike to come home after he graduated!

WL: He majored in English and theatre, wrote and directed a play during his last year – which was very good – and he graduated magna cum laude. He didn’t want to go to grad school right away; he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to be a playwright or director. He’d had a number of theatre internships and assistantships – he reviewed scripts for the Playhouse. He saw how hard it was for plays to be chosen. I asked him what he was planning to do. He wanted to stay home for a while before going to New York in the fall. He said “I’ll look for a job from San Diego.” I told him, “You chose a difficult pathway and you need

to find a way to support that. It’s not an option to stay home and play video games. If you’re going to do this thing, you’re going to move to New York now.” It was a difficult transition for him, but he moved to New York during the summer and he’s been independent ever since.

BG-L: My daughter was so freaked out by what Dad did to Mike, she already had a job when she graduated!

SF: Jennifer and Albert, the siblings in Tiger Style!, don’t feel they’ve received adequate rewards for their achievements and blame their parents. Did Mike express similar feelings?

WL: I don’t believe there was any negative social effect with either of our kids. They had lots of friends, Mike was student body vice president, the go-to person in a group of kids that looked up to him.

BG-L: They all came to our house for parlor games late into the night. But Mike did complain that he had no childhood.

I told him that he had a good childhood, he was happy, he loved us, and we loved him.”

He replied, “You told us that if we did well in school everything would be great.

I’m having a hell of a time in the theatre business. Part of it has to do with the fact that I’m Asian. Why didn’t you ever say that life would be difficult because I’m Asian?” I said, “You were raised in La Jolla, a really nice town, you did well in high school and college, received positive reinforcement and got the rewards due to you. I didn’t think I had to tell you ‘Hey, you’re Asian. Life is going to be tough out there.’” I didn’t pound this idea into my kids, but my parents pounded it into me and my siblings. “You need to be better than everybody else, because this not an Asian country, it’s a Caucasian country. You’re not going to get what you deserve unless you’re over-qualified and work very hard.”

SF: Albert and Jennifer also don’t feel that they fit in, yet suffer the same sense of displacement in China as they do in America – even more so.

WL: This is not uniquely Asian. I think any group that emigrates tries to fit in. They might feel some discomfort because they’re not fully part of American society and certainly not part of the society that their forebears left behind. In that sense, this play could be equally applicable to any immigrant.

SF: What did you think when you saw a production of Tiger Style!?

BG-L: We thought it was hilarious, and it’s not about me, thank god.

WL: When Mike’s son was born a few months ago, he told me he has a new respect for parenting. It’s going to be interesting to see if he becomes a tiger dad.

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People the world over journey to homeland

countries from which their families emigrated, hoping to connect with their roots, relatives and ancestral culture. On a deeper level, some travelers seek a stronger sense of belonging to the country of their forebears and to their own identity.

WHERE DO I BELONG? Navigating Chinese American Identity Between Two Worlds

Many second-generation Chinese Americans try to negotiate the territory between honoring their parents’ culture and meeting the expectations of their peers who, despite generations of assimilation, may see them as perpetual foreigners. When they travel to China to connect with their roots, their “homecoming” experience does not always unfold as expected. They can find themselves between two worlds and at ease with neither.

In Tiger Style!, second-generation Chinese American siblings Albert and Jennifer travel to their ancestral land with the expectation that they will be free from the stereotype of being the “model minority” (i.e., highly-educated, over-achieving, docile and exotic). Soon after they arrive, they experience being stereotyped – Chinese style. They may look the same as everyone else, but with little familiarity with Chinese history, unable to speak the language and lacking the cultural skills to blend in, their authenticity is challenged by the local population.

They’re not considered American enough in America and not Chinese enough in China.

At first surprised and delighted by what is offered them in their new environment, they soon become confused by the cultural schism that stems from the very fact of their ancestors’ departure to America.

Perceived as neither fully Chinese nor fully American, the siblings begin to feel displaced and alien in the country they thought would accept them. As they struggle to negotiate the complexity of their American identity and its relationship to their heritage, they are forced to re-evaluate who they are and where they belong.

While playwright Mike Lew treats the circumstances of the siblings’ upbringing and flight from American racism with humor, he doesn’t disguise the reality of their existential pain. As many Americans who have traveled to homeland countries have discovered, they have been shaped by their American experience and may return home with a stronger sense of their identity, but may still face the condition of being seen as “the other.”

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