Miami Light Project presents
Mad Cat Theatre Company’s
production of
CAT LADY
WRITTEN BY AND FEATURING KRISTINA WONG
AND DIRECTED BY PAUL TEI
The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse
JANUARY 3, 2013 TO JANUARY 20, 2013
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 8, 2012 –
How do you get a cat to stop spraying while simultaneously usingCat Lady explores the parallel worlds of two polar opposite archetypes living at the margins of the dating world — musty cat ladies and the fast-talking male pick-up artists who hunt among them.
theater to end existential loneliness AND racism? This frequently asked question is tackled by Kristina Wong in her devastatingly hilarious play Cat Lady which will open Mad Cat Theatre Company’s 13th season.
Wong, a multi-talented performance artist whose diverse body of work ranges from stand-up comedy to commentary on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” to film documentary and articles in Playgirl magazine, has been called “sassy” and “original” (LA Times), “raucous and irreverent” (AP) and an “Asian American Lily Tomlin” (American Theatre Magazine). Cat Lady is her fifth full-length show, and her first full-length ensemble piece.
A theme uniting Wong’s various performances is her offbeat curiosity and social conscience. Whether it’s exploring the high incidence of depression and suicide among Asian American women (Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) or the contradictions of the bio-fuel movement (Going Green the Wong Way), Wong consistently displays a subversive intelligence and a knack for interpreting the strangeness of our times. Cat Lady, which will be directed this time around by Paul Tei, is no exception.
Wong’s cat, Oliver, and his rash spraying problems was the inspiration of Cat Lady, which premiered as a work-in-progress at the REDCAT NOW Festival in Los Angeles followed by runs in Houston at Diverseworks and at the ODC Theater in San Francisco. In Cat Lady, Wong delves into the psychology behind hoarding – of both animals and humans. Unmarried women who live alone with cats (“cat ladies”) and aggressive pick-up artists commingle in Wong’s pop culture universe which manages simultaneously to draw on VH1 and Martha Graham.
In addition to featuring Wong, Mad Cat company member Ken Clement will be playing Oliver the Cat, along with the pick-up artists who wish to remain anonymous… for now. So stay tuned.
With Designs by: Matt Corey* (Sound), Melissa Santiago Keenan (Lights), Leslye Menshouse (Costumes) and the scenic team of Paul Tei* & Joe Kimble*.
* Mad Cat Company Member.
Tickets are on sale now! Preview Night January 3rd – $15, Opening Night January 4th – $45 (with food & drink); thereafter General Admission Tickets $30 and Student $15 (with valid ID). Applicable service charges apply. Tickets may be purchased online at www.madcattheatre.org OR https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/32115 OR by calling OvationTix at 866.811.4111.
This production is made possible by the Miami Light Project, WLRN and with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners.
About the history of the play:
Cat Lady was created with the support of the MAPFUND, Center for Cultural Innovation Artistic Innovation Award, National Performance Network Creation Fund, Center for Cultural Innovation Artist Resource to Completion Grant, the MacDowell Colony, the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Hermitage Retreat for Artists, and the UCLA Hothouse Residency for Artists.
Cat Lady was co-commissioned by DiverseWorks with ODC Theater, in association with Circuit Network and the National Performance Network and was supported by the National Performance Creation Fund and Residency Program and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the Playwright and Director
Kristina Wong (Playwright):
Kristina Wong is an internationally presented solo performer, writer and cultural commentator named “One of the Seven Funniest Eco-Comedians” by Mother Nature Network. Her most notable touring show– “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” looked at the high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American women and toured to over 40 venues since 2006. It’s now a broadcast quality DVD that has been acquired by university libraries nationwide and is also available for home use at Amazon.com (www.flyingwong.com <http://www.flyingwong.com> ). “Going Green the Wong Way” which had its world premiere with Mad Cat in 2010, has toured extensively in the U.S. and now internationally in Scotland as a part of the Edinburgh Fridge Festival in 2012. She’s been a commentator for American Public Media’s Marketplace, PBS, Jezebel and Playgirl Magazine. Her work has been awarded with grants from Creative Capital, The Map Fund, Center for Cultural Innovation, the Durfee Foundation, National Performance Network, four grants from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and a residency from the MacDowell Colony. www.kristinawong.com <http://www.kristinawong.com>
Paul Tei (Director):
Paul Tei is the founder and Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. Since its humble origins in the fall of 2000, Mad Cat has been providing South Florida audiences with an opportunity to engage in the type of low budget/high value theatre usually associated with Chicago, L.A.’s theatre row, and off off Broadway. He has directed over 70 productions and his work has been seen from Miami to San Francisco, LA to New York. He wrote the plays SO MY GRANDMOTHER DIED, BLAH BLAH BLAH, RPM, ARTFUL DODGERS and he is the co-author of HELLUVA HALLOWEEN, SHEPHERD’S PIE, HERE IN MY CAR, TERMINAL BAGGAGE and THE HAMLET DOG AND PONY SHOW. A member of the Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA Paul has appeared in several films, several national commercials and has guest starred on the TV shows CSI Miami, CSI, Going to California, Franklin & Bash and most notably his recurring roles on USA’s Burn Notice as Barry the money launderer and on Disney’s Zeke & Luther as Eddie Coletti. Paul received his MFA in directing at The Theatre School at De Paul University and his BA in Theatre from Barry University. He currently resides in LA.
CALENDAR LISTING
Mad Cat Theatre Company
Cat Lady
Written by and Featuring Kristina Wong
Directed by Paul Tei
January 3 to January 20, 2013
Preview January 3 at 8:00 pm
Opening Night January 4 at 7:00 pm (food & drink with show starting at 8:00 pm)
Thru January 20
Shows Thursday to Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm
The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse
A Mad Cat Production
Presented by Miami Light Project
404 NW 26th Street
General Admission $30
Student with Valid ID $15
Opening Night $45
Preview Night $15
(all tickets have applicable service fees)
For tickets: www.madcattheatre.org, https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/32115 or call OvationTix at 866.811.4111.
For additional high-resolution production photographs, please contact Ann Kelly at ann@skymar.com
Prices, artists, dates, times, and program are subject to change without notice.
ABOUT MAD CAT THEATRE COMPANY
Mad Cat Theatre Company was founded in Miami in the fall of 2000 by actor/director/writer Paul Tei. Its mission remains the same to this day: to create something new that’s exciting for you, us and them. A core group of designers and actors with one artistic director and twelve years later with 32 productions under its belt, Mad Cat is still clawing its way into the cultural consciousness of the citizens of Miami with original works such as “Shepherd’s Pie”, “Here in my Car”, “Tin Box Boomerang”, “Artful Dodgers”, “Terminal Baggage”, “Mixtape”, “Viva Bourgeois”, “Going Green the Wong Way” and “So My Grandmother Died, Blah Blah Blah” mixed with their renditions of previous produced play such as “70 Scenes of Halloween”, “Matt & Ben”, “Mr. Marmalade”, “Animals & Plants”, “Some Girls(s)” and “Macbeth and the Monster”. Mad Cat has brought originality, vitality and bite to everything they have done. They’ve received rave reviews and have been decorated with such accolades as best new works, best productions, best fringe theatre, best ensembles, best designers, best director from folks from the Miami Herald, the Sun Sentinel, the Miami New Times and the Sun Post, plus a sprinkle of Carbonell awards, but it’s the respect and return engagement of its fan base that makes Mad Cat purr.
For information on Mad Cat visit www.madcattheatre.org
ABOUT MIAMI LIGHT PROJECT
Miami Light Project is a not-for-profit cultural organization which presents live performances by innovative dance, music and theatre artists; supports the development of new work by performing artists; provides workshops for local artists and educational programs for students of every age. Since MLP’s inception in 1989, they have reached out to under-served communities through an extensive outreach effort that includes partnerships with other arts organizations, universities and social service agencies. MLP is a cultural forum to explore some of the issues that define contemporary society.
About The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse
The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse was created by Miami Light Project order to address the needs of our artistic community within the changing cultural landscape of Miami and within the context of an evolving international field of art and culture. Envisioned as a laboratory for artists and an intimate place of gathering where new work is experienced in its various stages of development, The Light Box will provide a creative setting in which artists are able to intersect with audiences in new ways. Our intent is to create a space where artists have the opportunity to research and make work, explore their artistic disciplines, and hone their unique voices through extended residencies, international cultural exchange, cross disciplinary approaches and the presentation of new work.
Of equal importance in The Light Box concept is the notion that cultural workers, the producers of the new work being developed by artists, will also benefit from increased creativity and productivity by sharing workspace and developing a cooperative work model. We intend to develop alternative approaches to fundraising, audience development and marketing via our collaborative setting. The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse is home to Miami Light Project, The M Ensemble Theater Company and Arts for Learning, three of Miami’s premiere non-profit cultural organizations.
The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse was made possible through support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Knight Arts Partnership Program, Goldman Properties, Art Place America and the FordFoundation. The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse is designed by Oscar Glottman.