Thursday, October 6, 11:30 AM - Picnic by Joned Suryatmoko (Indonesia), Translated by Barbara Hatley
Hilmar, Sobirin and Wid have come to Bali to be happy. Hilmar wants to see Tanah Lot with a pretty woman on his arm, like the cigarette ad he saw on a billboard. Wid wants to cure the pain of never having visited any beautiful places in his whole life. Sobirin has come to Bali because if his friend Hilmar is happy, he will be happy too. However, when they end up working as bathroom attendants in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Bali, they struggle to find what they’re looking for.
Thursday, October 6, 2:00 PM - The Emperor's Nightingale by Damon Chua
This new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Nightingale,” set in eighteenth century China, brings to light the younger days of Emperor Qianlong, who would become one of the greatest rulers of the Middle Kingdom. As a young man, however, the Prince was headstrong and easily distracted, and it took nothing less than a magical bird to show him the wonders of his land, and what he must do to be King.
Friday, October 7, 11:30 AM - Two Mile Hollow by Leah Nanako Winkler
A parody coupled with moments of disorienting sincerity, Two Mile Hollow explores the dysfunctional family with brutality, awe and compassion. When the Donnellys gather for a weekend in the country to hash out belonging from their recently sold estate, an emotional storm breaks inside while a literal storm brews outside. As this family of famous, longing-to-be-famous, and kind-of-a-mess-but-totally-Caucasian characters come together with their personal assistant, Charlotte, some really really really really really complicated and totally unique secrets are revealed (over white wine).
Friday, October 7, 2:00 PM - You Mean to Do Me No Harm by Christopher Chen
In this sharp and fantastical play, an innocuous comment at a dinner with two interracial couples leads to a surreal escalation of cold war-style paranoia. A psychological exploration of China-U.S. foreign relations and of the mysteries of the personal relationships we hold most dear.
Saturday, October 8, 2:00 PM - Oskar & the Curiously Colorful Clash by Matt Ackels and Prince Gomolvilas
The Oskar Plays are an acclaimed series of shows for young audiences that deal with relevant and challenging subject matter-bullying, resilience and grit, diversity, gender stereotypes-and feature outrageous costumes and props, colorful sets, heaps of humor, and wild theatrical imagination. In Oskar and the Curiously Colorful Clash, Ten-year-old Oskar loves his brilliantly orange hat. And why wouldn’t he? He’s had it all his life, it’s absolutely perfect, and all his friends have one too. But when a new kid named Billy moves to town, Oskar is shocked and confused-Billy wears a blue hat! For Oskar, this is not the way things are supposed to be. So he’ll stop at nothing to bring order to his perfectly orange and unassorted world-but he’ll soon find out that it sure isn’t going to be easy. Recommended for ages 5-10.
CAATA presents the 2016 National Asian American Theater Conference & Festival (ConFest), a week of performances, panel discussions, plenary and breakout sessions, new play readings, parties, and networking. The 2016 ConFest is hosted by Oregon Shakespeare Festival from October 1-9. Visit caata.net for more details.