I’m a playwright based in Los Angeles. my new game “Keep deceiving until you succeed.” I was commissioned by the Center Theater Group and was about to start production at their Mark Taper Forum. Two weeks before my director, Michael Jon Garces, began rehearsals, the organization “paused” the theater season at Taper. However, there is no “unpause” date or guarantee at this time, so it will effectively be cancelled.
The play was the first stage performance by a Native American playwright and was to be the final play of the historic all-female/gender nonbinary season. Chai Yu’s production of Lauren Yi’s ‘Cambodia Rock Band’ has also been cancelled. I am writing this letter because the cancellation of these productions has taken a toll on communities here in Los Angeles and across the country, and I must acknowledge the damage.
“The Cambodian rock band was born in Southern California, which has the largest Cambodian-American population in our country.It’s a community with which we have developed deep and meaningful relationships – Community teeth It’s part of this show,” Lauren told me. Chey shared an online post by actor Joseph Ngo. “This is heartbreaking news for my Khmer community. For at least a year, they have been planning to see this work…we want to see it, let it know, tell our story. I wanted you to listen.”
In my case, I’ve heard from Native Americans across the country about the anger and hurt they’re feeling when they hear the news. This is more than just a game for us. We have been erased from our land for centuries. It wasn’t just my voice as a Lakota woman that was silenced, but two Southern California Native actors (among other Native artists) who tried to reclaim the Taper stage for their people. was the voice This cancellation is part of a legacy that constantly reminds us that we are powerless here. that we are never safe. Again, our stories are either throwaway or totally irrelevant.
My family and my team have lost a significant amount of money due to this decision. Plus, I wanted this production to premiere in my hometown theater, so I gave up Broadway’s co-commission (more money) to run this play on CTG’s preferred timeline. CTG also turned down a collaboration with another theater that might have given it enough support to continue next week. At the very least, it would have ensured production elsewhere. With a production on Broadway this season and a national tour underway, I am humbled to learn that my play was canceled with just three hours’ notice before it was announced.
This is difficult to write. Because I was on the board of the Theater Communications Group with Megan Pressman and Snehal Desai, and I considered them friends. Having spoken with them before writing this article, I can see how deeply they both care about art, artists and audiences. I know the board made the extreme and unexpected decision to cancel. I also know that CTG’s financial situation is really dire. Ticket sales are also sluggish. donations have decreased. job was lost. However, this does not relieve them or the board of responsibility to affected artists and communities. The board needs to back Snehal, the upcoming artistic director of color, who has been handed the keys to chaos. It caught fire. He’s going to need all of our help to put out the fire.
I went online to reread CTG’s 2020 Commitment to Change and a follow-up post about CTG’s failed promise. It reminded me of the words of Rachel Davidson, the daughter of our founding artistic director, Gordon Davidson. His dream was to create a theater that builds community and makes the Angelenos realize they are part of the community too. It was a place to give voices to those who had not yet heard them. ’ I was so shocked because that’s what Lauren and I are trying to achieve in our work.
I believe this moment, though painful, is a true resetting opportunity for CTG. Playwright Jeremy O. Harris, the instigator of female/nonbinary playwrights this season, commented: “I hope CTG will dedicate all its resources to come back next season with a diverse, mouth-watering audience ready to see your show. I am working to do so.”
As CTG rebuilds financially, it needs to invest in programs that actually listen to and incorporate the voice of the community. Invest in your community to make it a partner, not a patron. Change the culture of spaces that welcome everyone. This theater is built on indigenous land. For years there has been a commitment to the community, but one promise after another has been broken. Land is lost, trust is lost, our Khmer language and Aboriginal theater are now taken away. It’s time to get better.
Go back to Gordon Davidson’s mission of this theater and start the reparations process with a real reset. Show specific and targeted actions. To regain our trust, let the new budget reflect their core values. There are other works, but this project was intended to be a work composed entirely of Los Angeles artists for the Mark Taper Forum. This is the stage it belongs to. Please invite us all so that Lauren and I can bring the play home safely.
