Fiji Theater Company Inc

FIJI THEATER COMPANY, INC. CREATES WORKS OF THEATER AND ART THAT REVEAL BEAUTY, PRECISION, AND A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. FOUNDED BY PING CHONG, THE COMPANY CREATES ORIGINAL INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKS BY A GROUP OF AFFILIATED ARTISTS AND IS COMMITTED TO ARTISTIC INNOVATION, COLLABORATION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND AMPLIFYING UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES. THE FIJI THEATER DEVELOPS WORKS IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS RANGING FROM SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, TO REGIONAL THEATERS, INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVALS,, AND GRASS ROOTS SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.

IN DECEMBER 2022, THE RETIREMENT OF FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PING CHONG AND BRUCE ALLARDICE, LONGSTANDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERALDED A MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION. THE COMPANY IS NOW IN THE SECOND YEAR OF A PLANNED THREE-YEAR TRANSITION PERIOD, AND HAS ANNOUNCED AN INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL, IN THE FORM OF A COLLABORATIVE FIVE-PERSON ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP TEAM (ALT) WHICH WILL DEVELOP AND REALIZE A VISION FOR PCCS FUTURE. IN 2022-2023, WE PRESENTED:INSIDE/OUT...VOICES FROM THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, AN UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS PRODUCTION THAT SHARED SEVEN CAST MEMBERS REFLECTIONS ON LIVING WITH DISABILITY. INSIDE/OUT WAS PRESENTED AT LINCOLN CENTERS SUMMER FOR THE CITY FESTIVAL IN AUGUST 2022.LAZARUS 1972 2022 WAS PING CHONGS FINAL WORK WITH THE COMPANY AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. LAZARUS WAS THE FIRST WORK THAT PING CHONG CREATED AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST IN 1972. THE NEW PRODUCTION PREMIERED IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 AT LAMAMA, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, IMAGISTIC MEDITATION ON ALIENATION AND BELONGING, THE PASSAGE OF TIME, AND THE EVOLUTION OF HIS ARTISTRY.TESTIFY (THE WORST IS YET TO COME), A LECTURE AND SOLO PERFORMANCE BY NILE HARRIS WAS PRESENTED AS PART OF THE PUBLIC THEATERS UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL IN JANUARY 2023. THIS WORK WAS DEVELOPED IN FALL 2022 AS PART OF THE THIRD YEAR OF THE CREATIVE FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES PAID 8-MONTH FELLOWSHIPS TO TWO EMERGING ARTISTS OF COLOR. ON FEBRUARY 2023, A TWO-DAY UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM CELEBRATED THE HISTORY OF UE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW SCHOOL'S EUGENE LANG COLLEGE AND COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS. THE CELEBRATION BROUGHT CAST MEMBERS, PRESENTERS, CREATIVE COLLABORATORS, PRODUCING PARTNERS AND COLLEAGUES IN THE FIELD OF DOCUMENTARY THEATER TO THE UNIVERSITY FOR A STUDENT WORKSHOP, PANELS, AND A CULMINATING EVENING PERFORMANCE FROM WORK-IN-PROGRESS, UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS: UKRAINE. GENERATIONS RISE: RESTON, DIRECTED BY SARA ZATZ AND TUY?T TH? PH?M WAS HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RESTON COMMUNITY CENTER (RCC) ON MARCH 24-25, 2023. IN THIS UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS PRODUCTION, CAST MEMBERS RANGING IN AGE FROM 14 TO 57 REFLECTED ON RESTON'S UNIQUE HISTORY AND UTOPIAN VISION AS THE NATION'S FIRST PLANNED COMMUNITY, AND WHAT BROUGHT THEIR FAMILIES TO RESTON. THE PRODUCTION ADDRESSES THEMES OF HEALING, GRIEF, GROWTH, STRUGGLES WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND IDENTITY, THE IMPACT OF COVID, AND THE SEARCH FOR COMMUNITY.UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS: UKRAINE (DIRECTED BY PING CHONG AND VIRLANA TKACZ, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF YARA ARTS GROUP), EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCES OF UKRAINIAN AMERICAN NEW YORKERS AND RECENT UKRAINIAN ARRIVALS: UKRAINIAN IDENTITY, IMMIGRATION, INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTIONS, THE HISTORY OF UKRAINIANS IN THE U.S., AND THE DISASTROUS EFFECT OF RUSSIAS WAR. THE WORK IN PROGRESS WAS SHARED AT NEW SCHOOL UNIVERSITY AS PART OF UE 30TH ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM, AND PREMIERED MAY 5-14, 2023 AT THE UKRAINIAN MUSEUM.AN EXTRA ORDINARY AFTERNOON WITH PING CHONG AND COMPANY WAS HELD AT LA MAMA THEATER IN JUNE 2023, A DAY-LONG GATHERING OF CURATED CONVERSATION AND NEW PERFORMANCE. THIS EVENT INVITED NEW AND RETURNING PCC AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO ENGAGE WITH NEW CREATIVE VISIONS AND ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS, AND REPRESENTED THE FIRST PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS CURATED BY THE COMPANYS NEW LEADERSHIP MODEL.EDUCATION PROGRAMS: PCC CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ITS ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM TO SIX NYC SCHOOLS IN FY23. STUDENTS IN 19 CLASSROOMS IN THE BRONX, MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, AND QUEENS, WORKED WITH TEACHING ARTISTS TO EXPLORE IDENTITY, CULTURE, AND SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTION. PCC ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NEW VICTORYS EDUCATION PROGRAM, NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ALASKA, TO CREATE CURRICULAR MATERIALS BASED ON PCCS WORK. PCCS NEWLY LAUNCHED A CREATIVE AGING PROGRAM PARTNERED WITH A NYC SENIOR CENTER, AND HIGHER EDUCATION WORKSHOPS HAPPENED AT THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DRAMA, UC DAVIS, UCONN, SAN JOSE STATE, AND MARS HILL UNIVERSITY.