Fiji Theater Company Inc

FIJI THEATER COMPANY, INC. CREATES WORKS OF THEATER AND ART THAT REVEAL BEAUTY, PRECISION, AND A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. FOUNDED BY PING CHONG, THE COMPANY CREATES ORIGINAL INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKS BY A GROUP OF AFFILIATED ARTISTS AND IS COMMITTED TO ARTISTIC INNOVATION, COLLABORATION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND AMPLIFYING UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES. THE FIJI THEATER DEVELOPS WORKS IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS RANGING FROM SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, TO REGIONAL THEATERS, INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVALS,, AND GRASS ROOTS SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.

IN 2021-22, PING CHONG AND COMPANY JOYFULLY RETURNED TO LIVE THEATER, WHILE CONTINUING TO INNOVATE AND PRESENT ONLINE OFFERINGS. ACTIVITIES DURING FY22, BOTH LIVE AND VIRTUAL, INCLUDED:GENERATION RISE IS AN INTERVIEW-BASED PRODUCTION IN THE UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS SERIES FEATURING BLACK, LATINX AND ASIAN AMERICAN TEENS FROM NEW YORK CITY TELLING THEIR OWN STORIES AND REFLECTING ON THEIR LIVES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER 2020A YEAR OF CRISIS AND TRANSFORMATION. WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY SARA ZATZ AND KIRYA TRABER, GENERATION RISE WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE NEW VICTORY THEATER AND CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH URBAN WORD NYC. THE LIVE PRODUCTION PREMIERED FROM NOVEMBER 5-14, 2022 AT THE NEW VICTORY THEATER, MARKING THE NEW VICTORYS RETURN TO IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING. THE DIGITAL PRODUCTION REMAINED AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NEW VICTORY WEBSITE UNTIL JUNE 30, 2022.CHINOISERIE REDUX IS A NEW FULL-LENGTH FILM BY PING CHONG THAT LINKS OUR CONTEMPORARY MOMENT, AND THE INCREASE IN VIOLENCE TOWARDS ASIAN AMERICANS, WITH THE FRAUGHT HISTORY OF EAST AND WEST AND ITS ONGOING IMPACT ON THE PRESENT DAY. PRODUCTION, FILMING, AND EDITING WERE COMPLETED IN JUNE 2022, AND THE FILM WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC IN 2022-2023SPECIALLY PROCESSED AMERICAN ME IS A SURREAL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PERFORMANCE BY JAIME SUNWOO, A FORMER PCC CREATIVE FELLOW AND CURRENT AFFILIATED ARTIST. IT USES SPAM, THE CANNED MEAT, AS A PORTAL INTO SUNWOOS ASIAN AMERICAN UPBRINGING AND HER FAMILY'S EXPERIENCES OF THE KOREAN WAR. CO-PRODUCED BY PING CHONG AND COMPANY AND FREE REIN PROJECTS, SPECIALLY PROCESSED AMERICAN ME HAD A DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOP IN BRIC IN OCTOBER 2021, FOLLOWED BY A SOLD-OUT WORLD PREMIERE RUN AT DIXON PLACE FOR THREE WEEKS IN FEBRUARY OF 2022. CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP: NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR, THE CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES PAID FELLOWSHIPS TO EMERGING ARTISTS OF COLOR WHO ARE IN RESIDENCE WITH THE COMPANY FOR 6-8 MONTHS. THEY RECEIVE MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE COMPANY, AND CREATIVELY ENGAGE WITH THE COMPANYS ARCHIVE, CULMINATING IN A LIVE PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE OF NEW WORK. THE 2022 FELLOWS ARE NILE HARRIS AND JU-EH, WHO BEGAN THEIR FELLOWSHIPS IN MAY.EDUCATION PROGRAMS: PCC CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ITS ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM TO FIVE NYC SCHOOLS IN FY22. STUDENTS IN 16 CLASSROOMS IN THE BRONX, MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, AND QUEENS, WORKED WITH TEACHING ARTISTS TO EXPLORE IDENTITY, CULTURE, AND SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTION AFTER A YEAR OF DISCONNECTION AND DISTANCE. PCC ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NEW VICTORYS EDUCATION PROGRAM TO CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE A TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE BASED ON PCCS UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS: GENERATION NYZ PRODUCTION,PCC REMAINS COMMITTED TO CREATING AND PRESENTING LIVE THEATER WORK MOVING FORWARD, APPROACHING OUR WORK IN WAYS THAT ARE CREATIVE, NIMBLE, AND FLEXIBLE TO MEET SHIFTING NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.