Theatre Rice

Theatre Rice!
Founded Fall 1998
Founder Duy Nguyen
Michael David Cheng
Type Modern Asian-American Theatre Group
Origins University of California, Berkeley
Area served
Dedicated shows in UC Berkeley
External performances throughout the Bay Area
On-tour shows throughout California
Members
24 (Fall 2014)
Key people

Delaney Woo, Producer
Alex Lee, Assistant Producer

Janae Spinato, Artistic Director
Revenue
Ticket Sales, Merchandise
Website theatrerice.com

Theatre Rice is an ASUC sponsored theater group that conducts dedicated shows on the University of California, Berkeley campus regularly, performs externally throughout the San Francisco Bay area, and tours throughout California. Shows traditionally include improvisation, sketch comedy, drama, films, live music, adaptations, musicals, dances, and duologues. Other forms of performance have been featured as well.

History

Theatre Rice, the first modern Asian American theatre group at Berkeley, was started in the autumn of 1998. Since its conception, Theatre Rice has grown considerably, both artistically and physically. In the past several years, the group has begun to attract an increasingly larger audience and a greater membership. Theatre Rice has emerged from a relatively unknown group to a group whose performances have become an anticipated community event.

Mission

Theatre Rice was conceived to provide people (particularly, but not exclusively, Asian Americans) who might not otherwise have a chance to participate in theatrical arts the opportunity to act, write, sing, direct, dance, and learn behind-the-stage techniques. What sets Theatre Rice apart from other dramatic groups is its open and unintimidating environment, and the basic ethic that effort and commitment are more important than experience or innate talent. Because the group contains both seasoned and fledgling actors, there exists a healthy dynamic within which members can share their experiences and learn from each other.

The Asian American aspect of Theatre Rice is important because it is a step towards combating the misrepresentation, as well as the lack of representation, of the Asian American community in popular culture. By its mere existence, Theatre Rice is fulfilling its purpose of putting forth ideas that stem from the minds of Asian Americans, and therefore addressing the Asian American population as well as the greater community within Berkeley and beyond.

Charity work

A percentage of every show's profits goes to a charity or nonprofit organization, selected out of a pool of organizations usually submitted by the cast and alumni.[1] Organizations have traditionally been associated with Asian American and performing arts communities, such as the Asian American Theater Company, the API Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership, Youth For Asian Theatre, and the National Asian Women's Health Organization. More recent donations include Theatre Rhinoceros, the Japanese Red Cross in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Direct Relief International to help Hurricane Sandy survivors, and St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Awards and recognitions

Theatre Rice was voted Best On-Campus Acting Group by the Daily Cal's Best of Berkeley 2009 and Best Performance Group in the Best of Berkeley 2011.

Show history

Fall 2014 Showcase Show - Adventure Awaits

Fall 2014 Midsemester Show - Rated TR

- "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore
- "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle
- "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Spring 2014 Showcase Show - What If

- "It's All About Understanding" by Ka Kei Hon
- "Tears on Memory Lane" by Angie Warstler
- "Prison Break" by Clifton Ng
- "What I No Longer Feel" by Eric Zhao
- "A Day in the Life of" by Shivek Behl

Spring 2014 Midsemester Show - Questionable Life Choices

- "Words, Words, Words" by David Ives
- "The Universal Language" by David Ives

Fall 2013 Showcase Show - Fancy That

- "Don't Ask Jack" directed by Chris Lam, adapted by Jaimie Park
- "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" directed by André Adricula and Alex Liu, adapted by Ian Fun
- "Snow, Glass, Apples" directed by Nicco Marcus and Kyo Yohena, adapted by Nicco Marcus

Fall 2013 Midsemester Show - License Revoked

- "Burmese Restaurant" by Alexander Wong
- "Chinatown" by Simon Chen
- "Shopping Incident" by Alex Liu
- "The Relationship" by Jocelyn Chiou
- "Good Girls" by Rachel Yuen
- "Same Coin" by Nicco Marcus

Spring 2013 Showcase Show - Seal of Approval

- "Orange" by Duy Nguyen
- "Egalia's Astronauts" by Hærang Lee
- "Devil Deeds" by Uriel Mendoza

Spring 2013 Midsemester Show - Uncommon Sense

- "Taylor & Dani"
- "Seth & Roxie"
- "Iris & Henry"

Fall 2012 Showcase - Error 404

- "They Fell" by John Cariani
- "This Hurts" by John Cariani
- "Hear Heart" by John Cariani

Fall 2012 Midsemester Show - High Voltage

- "Mulan" based on the Disney film
- "Mean Girls" based on the screenplay by Tina Fey
- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" based on the film directed by Michel Gondry
- "Ron Bobby Had Too Big a Heart" by Rolin Jones
- "Double Murder" by Scott Klavan
- "Kitty the Waitress" by Christopher Durang

Spring 2012 Showcase Show - Challenge Accepted

Spring 2012 Midsemester Show - Occupie

Fall 2011 Showcase Show

Fall 2011 Midsemester Show - Spellcheck

- "Peter & Wendy" based on the novel by J.M. Barrie
- "White Oleander" based on the novel by Janet Finch
- "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Spring 2011 Showcase - Don't Touch That!

- 4AM (Open All Night) by Bob Krakower
- Devil in the Details

Spring 2011 Midsemester Show - Instant Gratification!

English Made Simple
Sure Thing

Fall 2010 Showcase - Checkmate!

- Captive Audience by David Ives
- Because I Wanted to Say by Sean O'Donnell
- Big Fish, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace

Fall 2010 Midsemester Show - Right Angle

- What Lies Beneath (original piece)
- Nighthawks (original piece)

Spring 2010 Showcase - Aged to Perfection

Spring 2010 Midsemester Show - Spacebar

- Monster (original piece)
- Isolation (original piece)

Fall 2009 Showcase - Apocalypse: Later
Fall 2009 Midsemester Show - Local Warming
Spring 2009 Showcase - Lucky You
Spring 2009 Midsemester Show - Stimulus Package

Notes

  1. ↑ Theatre Rice
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