R&D: KHAM (Crossing)
Join us for a cold reading of KHAM (Crossing) by Tidtaya Sinutoke, our 2nd R&D of 2024!
Event Details:
Saturday, October 5th @ 4pm
ART/NY Spaces @ 520
520 8th Ave, 3rd Fl - Bruce Mitchell Room
New York, NY
Free Admission! Doors open @ 4pm. We recommend coming early so folks can get comfortable and enjoy the complimentary refreshments! Reading will start within 15-20 minutes of doors opening. Due to limited space, we lovingly ask folks to please reserve your spot in advance.
Run time: approx. 85 min, followed by a brief Q&A with the playwright.
Due to limited capacity, prior RSVP is strongly encouraged.
Synopsis:
"KHAM" (Crossing) is an investigative, bilingual memoir solo play with music installation. It unravels the deeply personal journey of a Thai immigrant, as she traverses the notorious Death Railway Bridge. Renowned for its brutal and unforgiving conditions, this railway bridge bore witness to the suffering of countless Allied prisoners of war and Asian migrant workers, including Chinese immigrants in Thailand, who were forcibly involved in its construction during World War II. As our protagonist treads upon this historic bridge, her own memories of being an immigrant in America come flooding back, unveiling both the joys and hardships of her experiences.
About the Playwright: Tidtaya Sinutoke
Tidtaya Sinutoke (ฑิตยา สินุธก) is a Jonathan Larson Grant, Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award, Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, McKnight Composer Residency and Fred Ebb Award-winning theatre composer and writer. Composition credits: HALF THE SKY (The 5th Avenue Theatre's First Draft Commission & 20/21 Digital Season); SUNWATCHER (The Civilians R&D Group); and LITTLE DUGONG AND HER SEAGRASS SONG (American Opera Project). Writing credits: DEAR MR. C (Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative Award); THE ADVENTURES OF SKY AND FRIENDS (New Victory Theater's LabWorks); and KHAM Crossing (Dramatic Quetsion Theatre). Her works have been developed and supported by the Composer-Librettists Studio at New Dramatists, Yale Institute for Music Theatre, Johnny Mercer Foundation, NYFA IAM Mentoring Program, Robert Rauschenberg Residency, Kurt Weill Foundation, Drama League, Tofte Lake Center, Loghaven Artist Residency, and Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. A proud member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild, Maestra, MUSE and Thai Theatre Foundation. MFA: NYU. tidtayasinutoke.com
About the Director: Keng S. Meateanuwat
Keng S. Meateanuwat (เก่ง สัณหวิชญ์ เมธีอนุวัตร) is a Thai theatre director/writer based in NYC. They taught acting/directing at Bangkok University for three years, where they directed, adapted, and translated numerous productions. Recent directing credits include Lanna Dream (The Den), The Adventure of Sky and Friends (New Victory Labworks), A Sisyphean Dream (Pan Asian Rep’s Nuwork 2023), and The Revolutionists (Heartland Theatre Company). Assistant Directing: Sanctuary City (Seattle Rep), Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love (Roundabout Theater Company), Nightwatch (NPC, The Eugene Oneill' Theater Center). 2022 National SDC Directing Fellowship at KCACTF. 2023 The John Cauble Emerging Producer/Leader Award. 2023 The Drama League's Irene Gandy Directing Assistantship recipient. Leon Levy Foundation Roundabout Directors Group cohort 5. His adaptation, Walk to the Stars, is a semifinalist for the 2024 National Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill. Sanhawich is also Co- Executive Director of Thai Theatre Foundation US (TTF-US). M.F.A. Directing: Illinois State University.
What is R&D?
R&D (also known as "Reading & Drinking") is Step1’s co-reading series, created in 2017. It is a casual reading set-up where volunteer actors read a piece out loud that is either new or in development, followed by a brief Q&A feedback session with a small audience. We offer refreshments and beverages, both boozy and non-alcoholic. Each session is catered to the needs of the individual playwright, please reach out to us if you have any questions! There are four R&D sessions per season (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). R&D is always free to attend.
