Join us for a theatrical feast! Be part of a unique event that will engage your creative imagination and your cultural flavors... It is time to mount this jewel of a theater piece for one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. Cross the cultural divide!

September 26 through October 1, 2000

Limited engagement!!

Great Leap will produce 10 performances of Great Leap’s multicultural performances of “A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens” in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo from September 26, 2000 - October 1, 2000, reaching over 2,400 people. Great Leap will theatrically produce four evening performances for general admission audiences.

ADULT PERFORMANCES, Thursday 9/28 through Sunday, 10/1 - 8 pm

VIP Ticket and Opening Night Gala Reception, $50
General Admission Tickets, $20
EWP Season Subscriber, JANM member or ArtsCard, Groups 10 or more, $18

FAMILY MATINEES, Saturday, 9/30 and Sunday 10/1 - 2 pm, $10

A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens

“A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens” is a fun-filled mix of stories that give vivid insight into contemporary Latino, African, Asian and Deaf American experiences. In this show, four performers tell personal stories that capture both the difficulties and joys of their diverse identities. Descriptions of the pieces:

Paulina Sahagun examines the challenges of negotiating life in two distinct cultures and languages in “Two Channels” - one for English, one for Spanish.
Louise Mita Jung tells of the confusion she experienced as an Asian American girl growing up in a Black and Latino neighborhood of Harlem in “Trust.”
Chic Street Man an African American urban acoustic folk blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, ties the vignettes together through his songs, speaking of his love for people, music, and the planet.
Arlene Malinowski tells her story her growing up with deaf parents as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) in “What Does the Sun Sound Like?”

“A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens” demonstrates the power of storytelling to transform everyday events, places, and people to a fuller and deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Following the performances, the artists and audience will participate in an extensive Talk-Back Session which gives the audience the opportunity to ask questions and explore their identities by sharing their own experiences and stories.

Kids on Tour

The “Kids on Tour” component of the project will bus over 1,400 students from underserved local schools to Little Tokyo. The children will visit the Japanese American National Museum to learn about the Japanese American immigrant experience, and will then walk to the David Henry Hwang Theater at East West Players to see Great Leap’s multicultural theater show, “A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens.” Great Leap will organize school tours for four children’s matinees. The Japanese American National Museum tour is made possible by a grant from The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation. To book a tour, call (310) 264-6696.

Tuesday, 9/26 through Friday, 9/29 - 10:30 am & 11:30 am
Performance and tour of Japanese American National Museum

This project is made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Los Angeles County Arts Commission and City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department. This project is sponsored by Edison International, Bank of America, Sony Pictures Entertainment, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Meissner Manufacturing, Co., Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., Aihara Insurance Agency, The Aaroe Associates Charitable Foundation, Grancell, Lebovitz, Stander, Marx & Barnes, and Bindu Records (partial list of sponsors). The Japanese American National Museum tour is made possible by a grant from The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation.

For tickets or other information, call 310/264-6696.