PL AYBILL cowboy versus samurai
cowboy versus samurai michael Golamco }{
A pproxi m at e ru n ni ng t i m e: 2 hou rs T her e w ill be one 20 m i nu t e i n t er m ission
ARTIST NOTE: JONATHAN TAN
Growing up as new immigrants at the edge of suburbia, my loving parents did what so many conscientious immigrants do: they packed their kid’s lunch so he’d fit in. A bologna sandwich. A granola bar. A juice box. An apple. At the time, a char siew bao or bowlful of noodles were invitations to be called out as Different. So I ate the same. Talked the same. Dressed the same. And (more or less) fit in.
questions about colour, about identity, about shame. Do I see myself as the Other? Where do I fit in? What colour do I look – or feel? When Chester calls Travis a Twinkie – yellow on the outside and white on the inside – Travis contends that “we are all just people, confused people, and it doesn’t matter what the colour of the wrapping paper is.” It’s a nice thought. I haven’t decided if Travis believes it.
Except for my “chinky eyes”.
So here we are on this exploration of sexual attraction, self-identity, and having racial “preferences”. Travis sees a beautiful woman. Veronica sees an Asian man. My castmates are brilliantly endowing their characters with humanity, complexity, and wit. And I still don’t have all the answers to my questions. One thing I do have is my lunch for tomorrow: a tofu stir-fry with yu choy and rice. It’s something I like, and it’s delicious. It may not be much. But it’s a start.
In our play, Golamco uses the term lightly. But like all good humour, the joke’s got some weight. One day in rehearsal, Ins cautiously asked me to “try doing the eyes”. I paused. Squirmed a little. Then went back on the scene till we hit the line again. “He keeps making chinky eyes at me,” I offered, then tugged at the corners of my eyes till they were tiny slits. “GAH—it feels AWFUL,” I said, as the room collectively cringed. I remember kids doing this to me; as it turns out, we all did. And since that rehearsal, I’ve come back to old
s t u dio s e r i e s s p on sor
JONATHAN TAN, Travis in Cowboy Versus Samurai
CREATIVE TEAM
COWBOY VERSUS SAMURAI
CAS T
TJ Riley Del
Rosie Simon Veronica
Miquelon Rodriguez Chester
Jonathan Tan Travis
Produc tion
Ins Choi Director
Samuel Sholdice Sound Designer
Robert Harding Production Stage Manager
Ken MacKenzie Set & Lighting Designer
Simon Fon Fight Director
Kat Chin Stage Manager
Jackie Chau Costume Designer
Kelly McEvenue Alexander Coach
Neha Ross Assistant Stage Manager
Emma Zulkoskey Dresser
Michael Ahn Bill Stahl Carpenters
SOULPEPPER PRODUC T ION
Jacqueline Robertson-Cull Wigs Running, Head of Hair & Makeup Geoff Hughes Cutter
Jennifer Hambleton Andrea Harrington Scenic Painters
Barbara Nowakowski First Hand
Greg Chambers Props Builder
Paul Boddum Interim Head of Scenic Paint
special thanks: Moss LED. The video and audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Cowboy Versus Samurai is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. The Heritage Minute is provided courtesy of Historica Canada
i l l u s t r at ion : gr ac i a l a m
BACKGROUND NOTES
G
rowing up, one of playwright Michael Golamco’s favourite movies was Roxanne – a modern day take on Edmond Rostand’s beloved Cyrano de Bergerac that starred Steve Martin. That classic story concerns a man who has a huge nose, which he believes makes him ugly and unloveable. He falls in love with a stunningly beautiful woman but does not dare to tell her, at least not directly, because he’s sure he’ll be rejected. In Golamco’s version, as he says, “the nose is race,” and he tackles it head on. This fiercely funny, politically savvy play blithely combines sharp commentary, wild comedy and an emotionally resonant story. The setting is pure Sam Shepard: Breakneck, Wyoming, population 1,000. Amid the ranches and rodeos, Travis Park, the only Korean American, is an outsider. Originally from L.A., he teaches English and, along with his friend Chester, is one of two members of the town’s Asian Association. Where Travis endures the town’s prejudices quietly, Chester speaks up. But Chester is a local himself: raised in Breakneck by adoptive parents who somehow forgot to ask which Asian country he came from. When Veronica, a sexy Korean American woman joins the English department, Travis is instantly smitten but unfortunately she falls for Del, the ruggedly handsome but intellectually under-endowed PE teacher, and Travis must confront his outsider status in new, hilarious and poignant ways.
In a comedy as unpredictable as a bull ride, Travis grapples with the pain and selfdiscovery of unrequited love. His struggles open out into a universal story about what it takes to find acceptance. Can Travis embrace both his American and Korean selves and claim his place and his love? Can the local grocery actually stock some tofu? The journey is at least as delicious as the destination here. The cherry on top is that Soulpepper Resident Artist and Academy graduate, Ins Choi, creator of the beloved Kim’s Convenience, makes his Soulpepper directing début with this production. If you’re looking for a great time, you came to the right place.
Playwright Biography
Michael Golamco is a graduate of UCLA in English Literature. His first full length play, Achievers, appeared in 2000. Cowboy Versus Samurai premiered in 2005 in New York City. It gathered great reviews, and has since delighted audiences internationally. His play Year Zero was the Grand Prize winner of the Chicago Dramatists Many Voices Project. Currently, he writes for the NBC series Grimm. His film Please Stand By, comes out in 2016. Michael is a passionate runner (40 miles a week) and an ardent fan of Twix.
Background Notes by 2016 Soulpepper Resident Artist Paula Wing
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SOULPEPPER’S CABARET SERIES PRESENTS
Mondays With Molly February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 at 8:30pm $25 ($20 students) Molly Johnson, Canada’s queen of pop and jazz takes a break from her global touring to host an intimate cabaret series. Backed by some of Toronto’s top musical talent and featuring a stunning list of surprise guests, an evening with Molly Johnson is the cure for the Monday blues.
music su pport:
cabaret series:
Molly Johnson photo: Chris Nicholls