Celebrasian at Ithaca and Cornell in early Mary: Come celebrate!

CELEBRASIAN: AN ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION

Friday, May 4, 2007 @ 7:00 pm. – Ithaca College Clark Theatre

Saturday, May 5, 2007 @ 7:00 pm. – Cornell University Statler Auditorium

Open to the public. Admission fee: $ 5.00

Ithaca, NY—Come join the Ithaca city community in a celebration of Asian and Asian American culture not just once, but twice!

This year the Ithaca Asian American Association, the Cornell University Asian American Studies Program (AASP), the Ithaca College Department of Theatre and the Ithaca College Department of Cinema, Photography and Media Arts (CPMA) presents the most diverse Asian cultural show in town. Partnering with Cornell University and Ithaca College student performers, student organizations, local actors and professional entertainers, CELEBRASIAN brings you a show of traditional Asian dances, mixed with theatrical expressions of Asian American culture in the Ithaca College Clark Theatre and the Cornell University Statler Hotel Auditorium.

The highlight of CELEBRASIAN will be two theatrical performances, but you should not miss the rare chance to see Egyptian belly dancing, traditional Asian drummers, contemporary Asian pop songs and traditional Korean fan dance in one night! The belly dancing performance will feature a solo dancer from Teszia, Cornell University’s student dance troupe, and we are also proud to present the SHIMTAH Korean drumming group from Cornell University. The fan dance will feature the enchanting solo fan dancer in traditional Korean dress (hanbok) with traditional music as accompaniment. Stick around to view traditional Asian paintings and enjoy snacks.

CELEBRASIAN features two monologues among the other group performances: “A Slant on American Life from One of the Bunch,” written by local Suzanne Schwartz, and “On Becoming Japerican,” written by Sachiko Tankei-Aminian. The monologues vividly capture the experiences of Suzanne and Sachiko as adjusting (sometimes unhappy) Asian American women in the United States. Sachiko, who is a Japanese immigrant, has performed her monologue in numerous venues, including academic conferences and public performances. Sachiko will perform her own monologue at both CELEBRASIAN performances.

CELEBRASIAN: NOT YOUR TYPICAL HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION PAGE 2 OF 2

In the monologue “A Slant on American Life from One of the Bunch,” the Korean adoptee monologist, Marty, tells life as it is for an ostracized girl, who is constantly living outside of social circles. The story is not all edgy though, and the monologue contains critical moments of comic relief, as a subtle reminder that laughter sometimes is the best medicine. Although the story is about a Korean adoptee, anyone who is not a part of a mainstream society will surely empathize with Marty, as played by local actor Carolyn Lee.

The Ithaca College Department of Cinema, Photography and Media Arts (CPMA) proudly announces its collaboration with CELEBRASIAN in the production of a cinematic adaptation of “A Slant on American Life from One of the Bunch” via a senior capstone course taught by Assistant Professor Changhee Chun. Professor Chun, a director/producer of over 30 major television commercials, fiction films, and award-winning documentaries. The seniors enrolled in the capstone course are among the top film students in the nation, with their student films screened regularly at competitive film festivals. Together with Professor Chun, Ithaca College students will videograph the live event at the Clark Theatre and the Statler Auditorium, using footage from both performance locations in their final dramatization of “A Slant of American Life from One of the Bunch.” The film, Chopsticks in the Road, currently in production, will be a short film with four main sections of unique film style, produced on high-definition (HD) and film. Be one of the first to see the trailer for Chopsticks in the Road, which will be screened on both nights of CELEBRASIAN.

Come join us in celebrating the many cultures of Asia through theatre, music, dance and film!

Tickets will be sold at the Clinton House Ticket Center, the Cornell University Asian American Studies Program Office, the Dillingham Box Office at Ithaca College and at the Cornell University Willard Straight Hall (WSH) Box Office. Tickets will also be available at the door. For Cornell community members, please contact AMY KUO (ayk3@cornell.edu) for inquiries about ticketing and special accommodations. For Ithaca College and Ithaca city community members, please contact REGINA HERMOSILLO (rhermos1@ithaca.edu).

This event is funded and sponsored by: the Ithaca Asian American Association, the Cornell University Asian American Studies Program (AASP), the Pendleton Instructional Development Grant at the Ithaca College Park School of Communications, the Department Class Support Funding from the Ithaca College Department of CPMA, the Ithaca College Provost’s Grant for Creative, Collaborative and Community Service projects and the Ithaca College Department of Theatre.