Cambodian Rock Band
San Diego Premiere
November 12 – December 15, 2019 Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Production of CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND
By Lauren Yee Featuring songs by Dengue Fever
Directed by Chay Yew
A Co-Production with Portland Center Stage at The Armory
Critic’s Choice! – UT San Diego
Dubbed “fierce, gorgeous and heartwarming” by The Los Angeles Times, this epic play/rock concert thrusts us into the life of a young woman trying to piece together her family history thirty years after her father fled Cambodia. Featuring a cast that performs a mix of contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, playwright and UC San Diego alum Lauren Yee brings to vivid life the Cambodian rock scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s, a movement cut short by the Khmer Rouge’s brutal attempt to erase the music (and musicians) once and for all. A story about survivors, the resilient bond of family and the enduring power of music.
Complete your evening at Cambodian Rock Band by making a reservation at our onsite restaurant James’ Place, just steps away from the theatre, or stop by for a drink. Click HERE to reserve your table. James’ Place opens at 5:00 pm. Please note that James’ Place will be closed on December 14 for a private event. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Approximate run time: 2 hours 15 minutes, plus one 15-minute intermission.
NATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND
“You’re watching a breakout moment for a playwright…a haunting, wise, political and personally searing show” » Read More at The Chicago Tribune
“Fierce, gorgeous and heartwarming” » Read More at The LA Times
“A remarkable and, frankly, quite important piece of theater” » Read More at BroadwayWorld
“One of the best plays of the year” » Read More at The Chicago Reader
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES FOR PLAYWRIGHT LAUREN YEE
2019 Doris Duke Artist » Read More
2019 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award (Cambodian Rock Band) » Read More
2019 Whiting Award for emerging writers
2019 American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award » Read More
2018 Horton Foote Prize for Outstanding New American Play (Cambodian Rock Band) » Read More
Was named one of ten finalists for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for female playwrights
Production Sponsors
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Una K. Davis
Brian & Silvija Devine
The Paula Marie Black Endowment for Women’s Voices in the Art of Theatre
Tickets start at $25
»Click here to read the program online
ACCESS Performance (ASL interpretation, audio description): Saturday, November 30 at 2:00 pm
Discovery Sunday: December 1, 2:00 pm
Guest speaker Dr. Chinary Ung (bio)
Top banner photo credit: (L-R) Joe Ngo, Brooke Ishibashi, Abraham Kim, Jane Lui and Moses Villarama in CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND; photo by Jenny Graham, Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Cast & Creators
- Creators
- Cast
- Design
Lauren Yee
Playwright
Lauren Yee’s play Cambodian Rock Band premiered at South Coast Rep, with subsequent productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Victory Gardens, Portland Center Stage and many others. Her play The Great Leap has been produced at theaters across the country. Honors include the Doris Duke Artists Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Whiting Award, Steinberg/ ATCA Award, Horton Foote Prize, Kesselring Prize, and the #1 and #2 plays on the 2017 Kilroys List. She is a New Dramatists member, Ma-Yi Writers’ Lab member, and Playwrights Realm alumni playwright. TV work includes Pachinko (Apple) and Soundtrack (Netflix). She is currently under commission from Geffen Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Portland Center Stage, Second Stage and South Coast Rep. B.A.: Yale. M.F.A.: UC San Diego. www.laurenyee.com
Lauren Yee Playwright
Chay Yew
Director
Chay Yew’s Off-Broadway credits include: The Public, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, National Asian American Theatre Company, Ma-Yi Theatre. Regional: Victory Gardens Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, South Coast Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre, Denver Center, Humana Festival, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre, East West Players, Cornerstone Theater, Theatre @ Boston Court, Highways, Northwest Asian American Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre, among many others. Opera: Tanglewood Music Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic. Awards: Obie, Drama-Logue awards.
Chay Yew Director
Brooke Ishibashi
Neary/Sothea
Abraham Kim
Rom
Jane Lui
Pou/Guard
Joe Ngo
Chum
James Ryen
Understudy for Duch
Daisuke Tsuji
Duch
Moses Villarama
Ted/Leng
- Takeshi KataScenic Design
- Sara Ryung ClementCostume Design
- David WeinerLighting Design
- Mikhail FikselSound Design
- Matthew MacNellyMusic Director
- U. Jonathan ToppoFight Director
- Mica ColeRepertory Producer, OSF
- Joy DicksonCasting Director, OSF
- Rebecca Clark CareyVoice & Text Director, OSF
- Amrita RamananDramaturg, OSF
- Gwen TurosStage Manager
- Tyler LarsonAssistant Stage Manager
- Benjamin SeibertProduction Manager
- Graham SchmidtAssistant Director
- Se Hyun OhAssociate Scenic Designer
- Phil KongAssociate Lighting Designer
- Ben Truppin-BrownAssociate Sound Designer
- Quy TonProduction Assistant
Gallery
“Brilliant…Crazily clever and compelling…there really isn’t a dull moment”
– Chicago Sun-Times“You're watching a breakout moment for a playwright…a haunting, wise, political and personally searing show.”
– Chicago Tribune
Venue Info
Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
The third and newest of La Jolla Playhouse's theatres, the 6,500-square-foot Sheila and Hughes Potiker theatre is the centerpiece of the first permanent year-round home for the Playhouse — the $17 million Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center.
Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
