Be Like Water

Be Like Water
Be Like Water
	World Premiere poster
Original language	English
Written by	Dan Kwong
Characters	Tracy Fong; Ghost of Bruce Lee; Kimiko Fong; Frank Fong; Bruce Lee; Jeremy Morton; Tina Kawai MacDonald; Two Black-hooded Ninjas
Subject	Asian American family, identity and oppression, Bruce Lee
Genre	Drama, Asian American theatre
Setting	Spring, 1978; Chicago - Uptown
Premiere
Date	September 2008
Place	East West Players'; David Henry Hwang Theater; Los Angeles, California

Be Like Water (2008) is a play written by Dan Kwong, originally produced at East West Players, in association with Cedar Grove OnStage. The play received its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 17, 2008, directed by Chris Tashima, at East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Los Angeles. The story follows a young Asian American girl in 1970s Chicago, who is visited by the Ghost of Bruce Lee.

Play summary

Tracy Fong is a 13-year-old ass-kicking, gung-fu fanatic tomboy, challenged by school bullies, airhead rivals, and a mother who just wants her to be a "normal girl." When bad goes to worse, the Ghost of Bruce Lee appears to teach her the true meaning of strength and the true power of water.

Characters

Tracy Fong: 13, Chinese Japanese American. Tomboy-ish, tough, quick-tempered, defiant.
Ghost of Bruce Lee: 32, Tracy's mentor, Chinese American. The greatest martial artist in the world. Cocky, intense, philosophical yet funny.
Kimiko Fong: 38, Tracy's mother, Japanese American. Elegant, tightly-wound, upper-class roots, can go from cheery to icy in a flash.
Frank Fong: 35, Tracy's father, Chinese American. Easy going working-class guy, droll sense of humor, not easily angered.
Bruce Lee: 13, Tracy's best friend, Chinese American. Scrawny, nerdy, acerbic wit, great disco-dancer. An unapologetic oddball.
Jeremy Morton: 14, School bully, Caucasian. Working-class, tough, angry.
Tina Kawai MacDonald: 13, Tracy's classmate, Hapa (Japanese Caucasian). Pretty, fashionable dresser, highly groomed, rather superficial.
Two Hooded-Ninjas: Companions of the Ghost in his Nether-world domain.

World Premiere company

East West Players, Los Angeles, California; Opened September 17, 2009; Closed October 12, 2009

Original Los Angeles cast

(in order of appearance)

Ghost of Bruce Lee – Cesar Cipriano
Tracy – Saya Tomioka
Bruce Lee – Shawn Huang
Jeremy – Jonathan Decker
Frank – Michael Sun Lee
Kimiko – Pam Hayashida
Tina – Ariel Rivera
Hooded Ninjas – Michael Sun Lee, Pam Hayashida, Ariel Rivera, Jonathan Decker

Los Angeles production staff

Director – Chris Tashima
Martial Arts Choreographers – Diana Lee Inosanto & Ron Balicki
Dance Choreographer – Blythe Matsui
Set Designer – Akeime Mitterlehner
Costume designer – Naomi Yoshida
Lighting designer – Jose Lopez
Sound Designer/Music Composition – Dave Iwataki
Projection Designer – Alexander Gao
Property Master – Ken Takemoto
Hair, Makeup & Mask Design – Alyssa Ravenwood
Stage Manager – Ondina V. Dominguez

Reviews

9/19/08 review by F. Kathleen Foley for Los Angeles Times
9/19/08 review by Cristofer Gross on theatertimes.org
10/03/08 review by Lynda Lin for Pacific Citizen
10/17/08 review by William Hong on Asia Pacific Arts (UCLA Asia Institute)
Oct. '08 review by Edward Pollard for Black Belt (magazine)

Awards

2009 Backstage Garland's Critics List (Jennie Webb):
- CHOREOGRAPHY – Ron Balicki, Diana Lee Inosanto, and Blythe Matsui
- SOUND DESIGN – Dave Iwataki

References

1 2 Be Like Water on EWP site
↑ Be Like Water listing^{[link removed]} on Playbill site
↑ Garland Critics List^{[permanent dead link]} on Back Stage site - 3/13/09

External links

Playwright Dan Kwong's website

[Be_Like_Water_on_EWP-1] 1 2 Be Like Water on EWP site

[2] Be Like Water listing^{[link removed]} on Playbill site

[3] Garland Critics List^{[permanent dead link]} on Back Stage site - 3/13/09