Historical Comedy
The King’s Language

- Title : The King’s Language
- Date: Friday, March 22nd, 2019 at 7:30PM (75 Min.)
- Place: Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles 3rd Fl. Ari Hall
- Presenters : Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles
- Online Reservation: www.kccla.org/english/programs_reservation.asp
- For more Info: hannah@kccla.org or 323-936-3015 Hannah Cho


Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles (KCCLA) proudly presents the historical comedy “The King’s Language” on Friday, March 22, 2019 at 7:30pm on the 3rd floor of Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles in the Ari Hall.

THE ONLY ASIAN ENSEMBLE SHOW OF FRINGE
Encore Award Winner!

2017 UTM DIVERSITY IN AMERICAN THEATER AWARD FINALIST.
2017 INKWELL PLAYWRIGHT’S PROMISE AWARD FINALIST.

“I teared up twice. There aren’t enough stories like this... So empowering!”
Brenda Banda, writer/director of Urban Unrest

“..packs an astonishing emotional and intellectual punch through a magical blend of historical reenactment, social theory, comedy, and traditional costumes and music. This is the kind of visionary theater that we need looking forward on the scene in Los Angeles as well as nationally and trans-pacifically.”
Sunyoung Park, Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture at the University of Southern California

“Chris Yejin and her talented troupe have produced an engrossing rendering of the story… with humor, wit, and a performative intensity that made for a moving and rousing theatrical experience.”
Massimo Grassia

After the successful world premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2017 and USC Pacific Asia Museum in 2018 fall, The King’s Language once again returns to Korean Cultural Center this spring. In a unique blend of contemporary and folk theater, “The King’s Language” retells a culturally specific story about the genesis of a nation’s formative growth as a people yet ultimately serves to reexamine the universal human experience of language. It flows to the beat of a native Korean instrument, staccatoed by poetic monologues and movement from the cast. Combined with primarily English-spoken dialogue that’s idiomatically American, this retelling of a distinctive watershed in Korean history is relatable in spite of the cultural tone because of its clear, challenging cry about society’s use of language today where the truth of what we say and read are often blurred--casting a spotlight on the risk of eroding one of our most rudimentary tools as a species. This Korean musicality performed playfully traverses culture to incite awareness in audiences of a fundamental human tool we often take for granted-casting a spotlight on what we risk as a species if it is eroded.

The performance is free, but phone or online reservation is required.



Director & Writer: Chris Yejin
Actor & Actress: Steve Lim, Jessica Yang, Monica Cho, Do Bae

WRITER & DIRECTOR’S BIO
Chris Yejin is a first-generation Korean American who has been working steadily as a theatre director, actor and writer for both theater and film. She helmed the world premieres of the original musical “I Do for You” at the Complex Theater in Hollywood; “Your Final Moment” at Group PAN; “Three Girls, Their Dreams, The War” at Korean Cultural Center; and “Ahn’s Three Daughters”, “Midnight Romance”, “His Ladies” at Space GG/PAN in Los Angeles. As an actor, she performed in Fractured, “Joy Joy Nail Salon” (Tribeca 2017), “Spa Night” (Sundance 2016) and “DOL” (Sundance 2012). Strongly influenced by both Korean and American culture, she has assimilated her experiences and given it voice through her work.

ACTOR & ACTRESS’s BIO
Jessica Yang received her BA in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a 2nd generation Korean American who dabbled with Korean traditional dancing as a kid, and then she even joined a Korean traditional drumming group in college all so she could continue dancing with some Korean flair. She is honored to be a part of this production and hopes she could bring the story alive for those watching the performances.

Steve Lim is excited to return to the stage after a long hiatus from theatre. In the meantime, he has worked in new media, reality TV programming, and award-winning short films such as “Surface”, “The BC”, and “One Lunch”. He is a Baltimore native and a graduate of the University of Southern California. He currently studies at the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio and trains in long-form improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He is a fan of comedy and community-building and has extensive experience working behind the scenes to produce live shows such as Kollaboration DC and The Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival. Upon the urging of his parents, he had once considered becoming a doctor, but lost all motivation for med school once he realized that laughter is the best medicine.

Monica Cho is a Korean American actor, producer, and director and is very excited to be a part of this piece! She started her artistic journey at Cornell University with a BFA in painting and sculpture, but was drawn to acting after graduating. After years of performing on stage and in film, she has delved into producing and directing and continues her pursuit of storytelling. With several commercials, music videos, and short films directed under her belt, she is currently writing her first feature film.

Do Bae is a Korean American actor and writer and is happy to be part of this project. He has been working on theater more than 15 years as a main part of Korean-American theater history. He performed in “The Time-traveling of Mr. Scrooge” at the Ebel theater, “Ahn's Three Daughters”, “Your Final Moments”, and many more with PAN Performing Group. He is currently working on his first novel, hopefully to be published this fall.