Digital Program: Yellow Face
The Footlight Club Presents
YELLOW FACE
by David Henry Hwang
YELLOW FACE is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
Originally produced by the Center Theatre Group, Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director; Charles Dillingham, Managing Director, and The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Mara Manus, Executive Director.
YELLOW FACE was first developed at the Lark Play Development Center, New York City, and later was developed in collaboration with the Stanford Institute for Creativity in the Arts, Stanford University.
The Center Theatre Group production of YELLOW FACE was presented in association with East/West Players.
The cast and crew of Yellow Face dedicate this show to the memory of Randy Tow.
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited
Time: 1990’s
Location: New York, Boston, California
Yellow Face runs for approximately 2 hours. There will be a 15-minute intermission.
CONTENT WARNING: Talk of suicide, guns onstage, flashing lights.
Based on the true story of Tony Award-winning playwright for M. Butterfly, David Henry Hwang and set against the backdrop of his reaction to the casting of actor Jonathan Pryce as a Eurasian character in the Broadway musical Miss Saigon in 1990, this semi-autobiographical self-mocking drama examines the idea of casting shows in accordance with race/ethnicity while also examining family dynamics, immigrant status, and cultural misappropriation.
“Shall We Dance?”
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
This selection is used by special arrangement with The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, www.rnh.com.
Recording of Dong Folk Songs: People and Nature in Harmony
used by permission of Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith.
Eliot Hall, 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Information: 617-524-3200
The Footlight Club is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the state of Massachusetts administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Footlight Club is also supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events.
Our newly accessible Eliot Hall, completed in February 2022, is supported by grants from
the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund, the Community Preservation Fund, and the George B. Henderson Foundation.
Unmasking Yellow Face
Jonathan Pryce, wearing eye prosthetics, in the original 1989 London production of ‘Miss Saigon’
What is yellowface?
The practice of a non-Asian (usually white) actor donning exaggerated makeup, appropriating traditional wear such as a qipao or a rice worker’s hat, and modifying their features to look “more Asian.” It was commonplace in Hollywood and on stage before Asian actors were allowed to inhabit characters of Asian descent. Unfortunately, even after the end of Civil Rights movement in 1968, this practice still occurred frequently until enough outcry stemmed the tide (hopefully).
What happened with Miss Saigon?
In the original West End production, the Eurasian character of the Engineer and fully Vietnamese Thuy were portrayed by white actors Jonathan Pryce and Keith Burns, respectively. The actors used bronzing cream and eye prosthetics for their yellow face casting. While this went unchecked in the UK, for its Broadway transfer it was hotly debated.
The Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) refused Pryce’s casting due to the yellowface. Actor BD Wong and playwright David Henry Hwang (aka DHH) wrote letters of protest.
Miss Saigon producer Cameron Mackintosh threatened to cancel the show, heedless of the 29 AAPI actors cast. Major media like the WSJ and the Washington Post all insisted on Pryce’s artistic freedom, as did some AEA members. Eventually the AEA caved and reversed their decision, allowing Pryce to keep his role — although he ditched the makeup and prosthetics for Broadway.
Learn more about this whole debacle here.
How did the protesters feel?
Not great. That being said, since the 2014 Miss Saigon revival, only Asian actors have played Asian roles in official productions.
As for how DHH felt about all this? Well, he wrote a play called Yellow Face.
Cast
DHH: Mordecai Choi
Marcus Gee & others: Bradley Belanger
Leah Cho & others: Audrey Adji
Carla Chang & others: Jenine Florence Jacinto
Jane Krakowski & others: Abby Kesselman
NWOTAOC & others: Chanta Luk
Dorothy Hwang & others: Vivian Liu-Somers
Stuart Ostrow & others: Kayla Maloney
DHH Understudy & others: David Kim
Featuring Special Guest, Michael Tow as HYH
Production Team
Director: Michelle Aguillon
Producer: Michael Colford
Stage Manager: Cassidy Guimares
Assistant Stage Manager: Bea Life
Technical Director: Paul O’Shaughnessy
Set Designer: Nolan Dupont Love
Set Dressing & Props Designer: Jasmine Santos
Scenic Painter: Sinead Bergeron
Lighting Designer: Tim Gregor
Sound Designer: Chris Brousseau
Sound Board Operator: Juan Jose Boschetti
Costume Designer: Nancy Ishihara/Emma Joyce
Hair & Make-Up Designer: Troy Siegfried
Dramaturgs: Susan Harrington & Jamie Lin
Intimacy Coordinator: Kristin Espiritu
Set Construction Crew
Susie Almono, Sinead Bergeron, Michael Colford, Irene Colon-Nava, Caitlin Enright, Tim Gregor, Cassidy Guimares, Ryan Guimares, Joan Hazard, Julia Hazel, Kaitlin Hiciano, Brandon Hung, Janice Kimsey, Sonia Lee, Bea Life, Noah Magaziner, Rose Nakeeb, Leslie Nordstrom, John S. Savoia, Rani Schloss, Andrew Stone Meredith Weaver, Jerry Wheelock
Costume Assistance
Nancy Ishihara, Troy Siegfried, Meredith Weaver
Special Thanks
Jamie Alley, Elizabeth Bean, Jennifer Bean, Amanda Bovosso, Coco Coviello, Brian Crete, Beth Curran, Karen Dervin, Itene Ediger, Steven Key, Samantha Moon, Troy Siegfried
Cast and Crew Biographies
Audrey Adji (she/her - Leah Cho/Others) moved to Boston to continue performing after touring and receiving a Bachelor’s in Music. Credits include Christmas Time at Reagle Music Theater, The Jungle Book (Kaa, others), A Christmas Carol (The Ghost of Christmas Past, others), The Moors (Marjory), Cabaret (Ensemble), Emperor’s New Clothes (Villager 2, Swindler US), Into The Woods (Jack's Mother), and In The Heights (Vanessa). Adji received a nomination in 2019 for Best Actress in a Musical at the Stephen Sondheim Awards for her role as Vanessa. In the summer of 2022, Adji had the pleasure of interning at Peterborough Players as a 2nd Co member. Adji has 7 years of cello training and was gifted a cello from the Paul Miller Foundation. Adji released her first emo/metal-inspired EP The Beginning of The End which can be found on all streaming platforms. Audrey is expanding her artistry to Voice Over and Film/TV.
Michelle Aguillon (she/her - Director) Recent directing credits: In The Heights (Firehouse Theater, Newburyport), Appropriate (Hovey), The Elephant Man (O4FXSake Productions), Natural Shocks (Hope Rep), Middleton Heights (World Premiere) and Dracula - A Feminist Revenge Fantasy (Umbrella Stage Co), Piano Lesson (Vokes), Passion (Theater Uncorked), Augusta and Noble (Emerson), Vietgone (Company One), Proof (Central Sq Theater), Sense and Sensibility (Concord Players), and Miss Saigon (Turtle Lane) amongst others. She produces the Annual Asian-American Playwright Collective Annual PlayFest 2020-2024. Michelle is the Executive Director at the Creative Arts School in Reading. She studied acting at San Francisco State University and the National Theater of London. Michelle writes with the Asian American Playwright Collective of Boston; 2 of her short plays have been produced by the Annual Boston Theater Marathon. Upcoming shows: The Kittie Knox Plays with Plays in Place (Sept 2025) and Once On This Island with Arlington Friends of the Drama (March 2026).
Bradley Belanger (he/him - Marcus G/Others) is a local dog dad and renowned visual thing. Contrary to unpopular belief, he is not Asian. Bradley spends his free time picking up theater gigs around the Boston area and searching for his own face. His success can be credited to his family, his partner, and his dogs - who have all had to put up with a lifetime of sporadically blurting out lines until they are memorized.
Sinead Bergeron (they/he - Scenic Painter) is a graphic designer and artist. As the child of a school theater director and an artist/carpenter, they were helping build sets before they were 10. Last year they won the Massachusetts Education Theater Guild's High School Excellence in Technical Theater Award for their set design for Clue. This is Sinead's first show with the Footlight Club, and they had a great time working on the set.
Juan Jose Boschetti (he/they - Sound Board Operator) is excited to run the sound board for Yellow Face! Juan has started their sound journey in theater in the past year and has enjoyed doing board op and sound for shows like the Love is Love Festival, and for the Asian-American Playwright Collective Playfest! He looks forward to continuing his journey in sound in the future and hopes you all enjoy this wonderful show.
Chris Brousseau (he/him - Sound Design) Recent credits: Now. Here. This., Umbrella Stage (Audio Tech); The Minutes, Umbrella Stage (Audio Tech); Sweat, Footlight Club (Sound/Video Design, DASH nominated); Appropriate, Hovey Players (Sound Design); Proof, Footlight Club (Sound Design); Xanadu, Footlight Club (Sound Design); Woman in White, Footlight Club (Technical Direction, Virtual Theater, DASH Award for Excellence in Technical Direction); Next to Normal, Riverside Theatre Works (Sound Design). More at chrisbrousseau.com
Mordecai 수제 (Soo Jae) Choi (he/him - DHH) is honored to be returning to the Footlight Club in David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face. He made his community theater debut at the Footlight back in 2022 as Spike in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and then was cast in Xanadu as Sonny. Since then, he has performed with the Dream Role Players, AAPC's Playfestival, Chuang Stage, Burlington Players, TCSquared Theatre Company, Boston Choral Ensemble, SACC Festival, and has directed in the Boston Theater Marathon and AAPC. He would like to give thanks to his friends and family who have always supported him. Special thanks to Michelle Aguillon (director), Michael Colford (producer), Michael Tow (co-star), Laura Parker (first drama teacher), and Gabrielle Jaques (fiancée). Mordecai hopes the show will invoke joy, laughter, and thought. Sit back and enjoy DHH's Yellow Face.
Michael Colford (he/him - Producer) is excited to be producing a show for Michelle Aguillon. His past directing work includes Sweat, Xanadu, and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike on the mainstage; three 7A shows, Proof, The Great God Pan, and Marion Bridge; co-directing Honk!, and assistant directing Heathers: The Musical. In addition, Michael has produced several memorable shows at the Footlight Club, including Promises Promises, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, The Rocky Horror Show, and Clybourne Park. Michael would like to thank all the directors with whom he has worked that have informed many of his choices going forward. Michael is the Footlight Club Board Vice President, and serves on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. He is the President of the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film (http://chlotrudis.org), the Board Clerk for the Provincetown Film Society, and the Director of Library Services for the Boston Public Library.
Tim Gregor (he/him - Lighting Designer) is excited to be working for the first time with The Footlight Club! Recent lighting credits include: Elephant Man (O4FxSake), As She Likes It (CCP), Blood Relations (Theatre III), tick tick…Boom! (CCP). Thank you to the cast, crew, and production team!
Cassidy Guimares (she/her - Stage Manager) is proud to return to the Footlight as a part of the production team for Yellow Face! Stage management credits include Elephant Man (ASM, O4FXSake Productions), A Fun Play About How Scary Climate Change Is (La Plaza Cultural), Seasons of Love and The Long White Line (Lime Arts Twenty by Twenty Fringe), and Alight (Golden Hour Theatre). Boston theater credits include Kay (Out of Sight, Out of Murder, The Footlight Club), Echo (Eleemosynary, Curtain Call Theatre), Andy (Stepping Out, The Footlight Club), and P.B. (One Slight Hitch, Arlington Friends of the Drama). Cassidy is also a published writer and proud member of The Dramatists Guild of America. Her work has been nationally recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. A big thank you to her family and to Michelle, Michael, Nolan, and Bea. (@cass_guimares)
Susan Harrington (she/her - Dramaturg) has served as Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters (EMACT) Recording Secretary and Membership Director. At present Susan is the Massachusetts State contact for Region I of the American Association of Community Theaters (AACT). Susan has served as the co producer of The Lexington Players (TLP) winner of AACT Fest ’19 Outstanding Production of Who Will Sing for Lena and the AACT Fest ’21 Outstanding Production of The Mountaintop. In the summer of 2021 Susan traveled to Monaco with TLP when they represented the United States at Mondial du Théâtre with Who Will Sing for Lena and to aactWorld Fest in the summer of 2022 in Venice, Florida with The Mountaintop.
Jenine Florence Jacinto (they/them - Carla Chang/Mark Linn Baker/Beatrice Chang/Others) is a nonbinary California raised Filipino-Chinese American actor/creative now turned New England native. Most notably found on stage playing Luna Jaffe in The Interrobangers (Company One), Izzy/Boy in Middleton Heights (Umbrella Stage Company), Green in Skinless (CHUANG Stage), and Kit/Ellery in Lyric BackStage (Lyric Stage Company). Their voice can be heard in various audio dramas like The Bastard Presents, Beyond the Furthest Stars, and Thank You D6. They are part of the CHUANG Stage team as their marketing and communications associate. When not on stage, you can find them producing Thank You D6, playing board games, or crafting! @jenine.florence
Emma Joyce (any - Costume Designer) is an actor and costumer who has worked with various Boston-area theatre groups, including Theatre@First, the Post-Meridian Radio Players, and the Belmont Dramatic Club, and last worked with the Footlight Club in an onstage capacity as Inspector Lestrade in Miss Holmes (2023). Emma's next project is costuming Arlington Friends of the Drama's production of The Humans, which goes up in March.
Abby Kesselman (she/any - Newman/Jane Krakowski/Rocco/Others) is an actor, musician and recent graduate of Northeastern University - and is so excited to be making her Footlight Club debut! Recent acting credits include Emilie in The Moors, Ivy/Isabella in Problem Play, and Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. Offstage, Abby is an avid reader of magical realism, player of narrative video games, and watcher of actual play D&D. She is also an illustrator and graphic designer. Check out her work on Instagram at @abigailjuliart or at abbykesselman.com. Thanks to all the cast and crew!
David J. Kim (he/him - DHH Understudy, Sen. John Kerry, George F. ill, and Others) is thrilled to make a debut at The Footlight Club. He is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the talented production team and cast members as he learned so much from all of them. This is David’s first year performing on stage, and he is excited to see what the future holds for him. If you are interested in following up with more of David’s shows, please come check out Urinetown in Concord this May.
Bea Life (she/her - Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to return to the FLC for yet another amazing show! Previously she has worked on Out of Sight, Out of Murder, Tuck Everlasting, Sweat, and Camelot in various capacities. She would like to thank the cast and crew of Yellow Face for bringing so much talent and passion to the production, Cassidy for reaching out to me about this opportunity, and Robbie and Milka for being such supportive friends.
Jamie Lin (she/her - Dramaturg) is a Taiwanese-American theater artist originally from the Bay Area. She’s excited to co-dramaturg alongside Susan Harrington to help fill out the world of YELLOW FACE and was last seen at Footlight as Queenie in HONK!, directed by Michael Colford & Eleza Cort. She is passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion & accessibility and serves as Theatre@First’s EDI Coordinator. Offstage, she is a graphic designer and avid D&D player.
Vivian Liu-Somers (she/her - Frank Chin/Margaret Chung/Dorthy Hwang/Others) is proud to be part of another Footlight Club production many years after appearing as the Head Nun in House of Blue Leaves. She is an actor/writer/director based in the Boston area who has collaborated with the Asian American Playwrights Collective (AAPC), Asian American Theater Artists of Boston (AATAB), the Newton Theatre Company, TC Squared, the Nora Theater Company, the Umbrella Stage Company, Company One, Chuang Stage, Fresh Ink, Pao Arts Center, the Boston Theater Marathon, Boston One Minute Play Festival, and SlamBoston. She is proud to have written and performed in the 10 minute play Secret Menu as part of the Boston Theater Marathon XXVI. You can see examples of her work at rebrand.ly/vliusomers. Thanks to my number one fan Jeff for the love and support!
Nolan Dupont Love (he/him - Scenic Designer) is excited to be a part of his first show at The Footlight Club. Nolan is an Actor represented by SAG-AFTRA actors union of the New England Local working in productions such as Madame Web and Julia. Nolan graduated from Emmanuel College with a double major in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing with a minor in Communications and has used this background to design shows such as Cinderella, Addams Family, and Legally Blonde for Community Theatres and Colleges around Boston. Nolan would like to thank Michael Colford, Michelle Aguilon and Cassidy Guimares for this opportunity to design this set. @nolan_dupont_love
Chantha Luk (he/him - BD Wong, Rodney, NWOAOC, and others is ecstatic about his first play with Footlight. He has acted with a number of theater companies including The Burlington Players, Dragonfly Theater, The Quannapowitt Players, and the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Some stage acting credits include playing Ryan Becker in Deuce, Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, Carlos/Padamadan in Legally Blonde: The Musical, Salvatore Soo in Sandbag, Stage Left and the Fakir in The Secret Garden (Musical). Chantha is an award winning screenwriter, director, and musician. When he's not on a stage, Chantha is writing and filming with his film company Blatant Product Placement Productions, or singing for preschoolers all over the Northshore.
Kayla Maloney (she/they - Stuart Ostrow, Julia Dahlman, Bookstore Owner, and others) is thrilled to be making her Footlight Club debut! Kayla is a boston-based actress most recently seen in Callisto Stage Co's A Christmas Carol, a collector of many things, a former Walt Disney World cast member and a whopping four awards away from obtaining an EGOT (though, she does have a good feeling about it!) This performance, as well as anything she ever does in life, is done in memory of her grandmother Eleanor Maloney. Sending much love and many thanks to her mother, supportive friends, Audra McDonald, The Muppets and her small dog, Pickles, who handles her finances. For more personal information contact her mother. ¡Viva Palestina!
Matt McKee (he/him - Poster Photography) is thrilled to be creating posters and character portraits with the amazing talent (both on and off stage) at The Footlight Club. With over 75 Footlight Club poster productions, and counting, spanning 20 years, every new production brings an opportunity to show the world live theater. He loves applying the imaging and marketing principles he uses for his corporate clients to promoting the performing arts. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the amazing world that is theFootlight Club!
Jasmine Santos (she/her - set dressing/props) is excited to be a part of the talented Yellow Face production team. This is her third Footlight Club production, and she is eager to support the creativity behind its rich story. Jasmine is grateful for this opportunity.
Zackery Shine (he/him - Master Carpenter)
Michael Tow, (he/him - HYH) a versatile actor on stage and screen returns to theater after a 6 year hiatus having focused on Film and TV. He’s created memorable characters in Boston theaters from Norton award nominated shows After the Quake at Company One to David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at the Lyric Stage. Other theater credits include: Proof Central Sq Theater, Love from Halifax Gloucester stage, Wild Swans American Repertory Theater, Warrior Class Lyric Stage, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Wheelock Family Theater and yes he has played the King in The King & I. On TV you’ve seen him in the Taylor Sheridan universe of Landman opposite Demi Moore and Billy Bob Thornton and Lioness opposite Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman. He was a series regular on Apple TV’s City on Fire, recurring on many shows such as STARZ’s Raising Kanan and Law & Order and guest starring on shows including FBI International, Blacklist, MacGyver & The Resident. Outside of acting he is a senior pro pickleball player. He would like to thank his wife Nancy and daughters Alana, Mikayla & Sienna for their loving support. He would like to dedicate this show to his dad, Randy Tow.
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Bean, Michael Colford, Zach Best, Rob Guptill, Brian Bakofen, Jerry Wheelock, Rachel Veto, Val Tracy, Meredith Weaver, Lorie Komlyn, Juliette McClendon, Paul O’Shaughnessy, Melissa Paz, Amanda Bovoso, Ryder Nguyen, Trevor St. Pierre
Board of Trustees
Paul Campbell, Shannon Daly, Katie Taylor, Shelly Norton, Stephen Lussier, Lorie Komlyn, Jerry Wheelock, Jason Sheehan, Bill Shamilan, Matt McKee
Promotions and Publicity
Juliette McClendon (Promotions Director), Kristin MacDougall, Michael Colford, Elizabeth Curran, Matt McKee (Photographer)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Michael Colford, Kara Chu Nelson, Lessie Tyson, Ally Rzesa, Amanda Bedford, Melissa Paz, Mordecai Choi, Steven Key
Special thanks to all our dedicated volunteers who continue to help keep the Footlight Club running day in and day out, from front of house, to club clean-outs, we appreciate you!
If you are interesting in becoming a volunteer, please contact us at volunteers@footlight.org
And to our loyal members and patrons, thank you for continuing to support the Footlight Club!
Our 148th Season
Out of Sight… Out of Murder by Fred Carmichael
Bright Star, music and lyrics by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; book by Steve Martin
A Carol Christmas
Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang
The Prom, Book & Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, Book by Bob Martin, Music by Matthew Sklar, Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel
Thank You to Our Footlight Family
We Are So Grateful for Your Support
As you walked in this evening, you no doubt noticed the beautiful new accessible entrance to the Footlight. This project – a new exterior ADA-compliant ramp and interior elevator to all four floors of Eliot Hall – ensures that all our guests can fully access all our spaces. Along the way, extensive repairs needed to be made to the foundation and existing chimneys. New spaces in our basement and on the third floor will provide essential props storage, and we’re already feeling warmer with an upgraded furnace system.
These upgrades were only possible through the generous financial support of our community partners. We extend our thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund, the Community Preservation Fund, and the George B. Henderson Foundation. Most of our funding came from donations large and small from our Footlight Family. Thank you to everyone who donated.
Our most urgent need is clear: We need to restore our exterior façade, [carpentry, building envelope repairs, and painting] to ensure the historic character of Eliot Hall is preserved and to keep our building strong and safe. Our goal is to complete this work by January 2027, our 150th Anniversary!. This work will improve energy efficiency, safety and security; present the building as a welcoming neighborhood landmark; and ensure future generations enjoy the benefit of this important community resource. The Board of Directors voted to approve this approach in April 2024.
The continued revitalization and restoration of Eliot Hall will always be one of Footlight’s top priorities. Your contributions will continue to make it possible to take on large-and-small-scale restoration projects, as well as maintaining the day-to-day operations of the building.
Every Gift Counts
If you are thinking about making your first gift, now is the time to make a gift in any amount.
Please give now at: www.footlight.org/donate
Or mail a check payable to The Footlight Club to:
Treasurer, The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot Street , Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Other Ways to Give
Email Treasurer@Footlight.org to make a gift of stock.
Become a Footlight Club Monthly Sustainer. For gift of over $500, your donation will renew, and your credit or debit card will automatically be billed each month. Please email Development@Footlight.org for more details
