T.A.B. at the Manhattan Rep!

Where have I gone, you say? I have been balls deep in rehearsals for T.A.B. and it opens tonight! So I have resurfaced to give some details to those on the Internets who would like to come.

Presented by the Manhattan Rep, T.A.B. is a surreal examination of a true story. In 2000, an MIT student named Elizabeth Shin was found burning alive in her dorm room and suicide by self-immolation was discussed as the cause. Like so many Korean-Americans and people of all ethnicities with immigrant parents, Elizabeth suffered from an inability to reconcile her parent's heritage with the American society that consumed her life. After having mono in high school, she missed a Physics test that contributed to her only being Salutorian, not Valedictorian--something her parents also attributed to racism and Elizabeth's laziness. One day after her family visited her at MIT with groceries and stories of home, Elizabeth lit some candles, wrote in her journal a macabre entry about how yoga is the only way she was able to feel relaxed, and the next minute she went up in flames. Like a Buddhist monk she became an offering, a sacrifice.

Playwright Susan Pak read a NY Times article about Elizabeth and it prompted her to write: about Elizabeth, about Koreans, about Americans, and the imagery and words flow on the page like a stream-of-consciousness from someone on the verge of a great discovery.

It's fun. It's insightful. It's heartbreaking. But most of all, it's something that I don't think has been done in theatre before. If you want to argue that point with me, why don't you come see for yourself? (see what I did there?)

Also, you might be wondering why myself, as a Whitey McWhiterton, is anywhere near this play. As well as Erin the producer, I've been with this project since its first New York premiere playing this part of the semi-retarded and totally clueless roommate. Growing up with 60% of my friends Asian really informed how I worked on this character...I was indeed the white friend, but I can only hope I treated my friends better than Kathy treats Victoria. And the worst part is that Kathy's insensitivity is never intentional.

So go to manhattanrep.com to find out more and to listen to a podcast our director Tracy recorded with the Artistic Dir of Manhattan Rep. For tickets you can call (646) 329-6588. We go up tonight at 8pm, and tomorrow and Friday at 6:30pm. Seating is VERY limited, it is black to the box. And if you're industry and wanna come, first of all, hey! And second of all, just call the number and mention you're industry and you should be able to get comps. One caveat: apparently they check business cards when you show up to get a comp ticket. Sketchy much?

In other news, I shot a short little piece for a Columbia grad student a few days ago about...dun dun DUN....abortions! That was a lot of fun, actually. I got the call to do it last minute so I went from eatin nachos on my couch to crying on a stranger's bathroom floor in about an hour. Ah, the actor's life.

Finally, I was an extra in a movie with a star type person last week, and it was my first experience with a name actor being a total douchebag to everyone. She was such a bitch. And we weren't paid, and kept there hours longer than we were promised we would be out by, and they ran out of food. Serves me right for working on a non-union, unpaid job. I learned my lesson though. But luckily I was able to make friends!

The End?