NAATCO, National Asian American Theater Company, is set to conclude its 25th anniversary season with the New York premiere of MJ Kaufman’s Sagittarius Ponderosa, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll. The play represents the organization’s mission to also produce works not written for, or by an Asian American playwright, but staged with an all-Asian cast.
Performances are scheduled to begin October 24 at 3LD, located at 80 Greenwich Street in Manhattan. Opening night will be October 31.
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Here’s how NAATCO bills Kaufman’s play: In Sagittarius Ponderosa, “Archer, still known as Angela to his family, returns home to Central Oregon to be with his ailing father. With a hard-of-hearing Grandma obsessed with planning her ’granddaughter’s’ wedding, a father who keeps sneaking out for sugar binges, and a mother wound tightly with worry and anger, Archer goes through the transitions of life and death, growth and decay, and the passage of time, revealing the enduring ties between the roots beneath our feet and the mysteries of the human heart.”
Performances will continue through November 19. Sagittarius Ponderosa will have scenic design by Kimie Nishikawa, costume design by Brynn Almli, lighting design by Oliver Wason, projections design by Thomas Kavanagh, puppet design by Tom Lee and sound design by Miles Polaski. Props master is Chloe Kirkwood.
READ MORE: WHY WE NEED TO START TELLING A DIFFERENT KIND OF ASIAN-AMERICAN STORY
Tickets are priced between $10-$40 and may be purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com.
