Theatre Rice
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| Founder(s) | Duy Nguyen Michael David Cheng |
|---|---|
| Type | Modern Asian-American Theatre Group |
| Founded | Fall 1998 |
| Origins | University of California, Berkeley |
| Key people | Producer: Jonathan Villaluz |
| Area served | Dedicated shows in UC Berkeley External performances throughout the Bay Area On-tour shows throughout California |
| Revenue | Ticket Sales, Merchandise |
| Members | 27 (Fall 2011) |
| 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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Charity Work
A percentage of every show's profits goes to charity.[1] In Fall 2008, the show raised money for Kearney Street Workshop. In Spring 2008, the shows raised $1500 for AATC, Asian American Theater Company. The fall 2007 shows raised $1000 for AYPAL, the Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership. Proceeds from Spring 2007's shows donated $650 to YFAT (Youth For Asian Theatre) and another $650 to NAWHO (National Asian Women's Health Organization). In the 2010-2011 academic year, Theatre Rice donated funds to Theatre Rhinoceros, a LGBT theatre group based in San Francisco, and the Japanese Red Cross in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Show History
Fall 2011 Midsemester Show - Spellcheck
- "Shaboomba!" directed by Paul Huang
- Duologues directed by Abby Panares and Chris Tong
- - "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
- "The Art of Theatre Rice: A Docu-ART-ary" directed by Aileen Ma and William Tran
- "For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls" by Christopher Durang directed by Isaac Long, assistant directed by Jess Ju
- General Meeting (Tech & Transitions) directed by Tiffany Chiao and Lindsey Tee
Spring 2011 Showcase - Don't Touch That!
- "Murder Mystery" Troupe directed by Mark Lee and Aileen Ma
- "Awesome Troupe" (Monologues & One-Act) directed by Joy Regullano and Alan Uy
- One-Act Troupe directed by Kelly Ngai
- - 4AM (Open All Night) by Bob Krakower
- - Devil in the Details
- Short-Form Comedy Troupe directed by Rosa Ma
- General Meeting (Tech & Transitions) directed by Anne Chen and Chihiro Hirai
Spring 2011 Midsemester Show - Instant Gratification!
- Musical Improv directed by Mark Lee and Jordy Rose
- David Ives Troupe directed by Jonathan Gu and Chihiro Hirai
- English Made Simple
- Sure Thing
- Music Video Troupe directed by Jerry Lee and Jonathan Lee
- American Born Chinese: based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang directed by Jess Ju and Tom Liu
- General Meeting (Tech & Transitions) directed by Alan Uy
Fall 2010 Showcase - Checkmate!
- Duologues directed by Patricia Nguyen
- - Captive Audience by David Ives
- - Because I Wanted to Say by Sean O'Donnell
- - Big Fish, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace
- Stage Combat Troupe directed by Jonathan Lee
- Musical Guest - Kenneth Ronquillo
- Sketch Comedy Film Troupe directed by Alex Ramirez
- From Rejection to Inception directed by Christian Ting and Abigail Panares
- General Meeting (Tech & Transitions) directed by Natalie Friess and Paul Huang
Fall 2010 Midsemester Show - Right Angle
- Ba-Bimprov-Bap Improv Troupe directed by Jonathan Lee and Rosa Ma
- Wind-Up (film) directed by Jordy Rose
- Experimental One-Act Troupe directed by Natalie Friess and Ching Ching Liu
- - What Lies Beneath (original piece)
- - Nighthawks (original piece)
- Long-Form Comedy Troupe directed by Anne Chen and Kelly Ngai
- General Meeting (Tech Transitions) directed by Paul Huang
Spring 2010 Showcase - Aged to Perfection
- One-Act Troupe directed by Joy Regullano and Amanda Owyang
- Music Video/Musical Stage Troupe directed by Jonathan Villaluz and Tom Liu
- Strange Territories by Jim Chin directed by Jerry Lee and Ching Ching Liu
- Short-Form Comedy Troupe directed by Jacek Wnuk and Jack Wang
- General Meeting (Tech and Transition) directed by Jonathan Lee
Spring 2010 Midsemester Show - Spacebar
- Improv Troupe directed by Jonathan Lee and Jerry Lee
- One-Act Troupe directed by Chihiro Hirai and Sanket Alekar
- - Monster (original piece)
- - Isolation (original piece)
- Variations on the Death of Trotsky by David Ives directed by Jonathan Villaluz and Ching Ching Liu
- Long-Form Comedy Troupe directed by Kathleen Mendoza
- General Meeting (Tech & Transitions) directed by Amanda Owyoung
Fall 2009 Showcase - Apocalypse: Later
Fall 2009 Midsemester Show - Local Warming
Spring 2009 Showcase - Lucky You
Spring 2009 Midsemester Show - Stimulus Package
[edit] External links
- Theatre Rice Main Website
- UC Berkeley Main Website
- Best of Berkeley 2009: Theatre Rice, Best On-Campus Acting Performance
- Negotiating The Third Space Hardboiled Magazine (pp. 9)
- Theatre Rice: Student Theater Exploring Berkeley
- Breaking cultural barriers through comedy The California Aggie
- Senior moments from Engineering News Engineering News
- Engineers in Theatre Rice discover the joys of being onstage Engineering News
- Rice Up Your Life Daily Cal
- Lifting the Curtain Daily Cal
