By Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy
Suggested by the Memoirs of Arthur Miller and Ying Ruocheng
Chinese Translations by Fang Zhang
Directed by Jovanni Sy
World Première
“A SMALL MAN CAN BE JUST AS EXHAUSTED AS A GREAT MAN.”
In 1983, American playwright Arthur Miller travelled to China to direct a production of his classic play, Death of a Salesman. Working with the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Miller and his collaborators struggled to bridge the gap between languages, cultures and national identities with local audiences having been long shut off from the West. Salesman in China retells this daring act of cultural cross-pollination on stage.
Production support is generously provided by Marilyn Gropp, by Martie & Bob Sachs and by Esther Sarick.
2024: Zhu Xu in Salesman in China. Second season. Stratford: Clown in Othello, appeared in Twelfth Night. Elsewhere: Kralahome in The King and I (Huron Country Playhouse); Serpent Kills (Crow's Theatre); Urban Donnelleys (Theatre Passe Muraille); The Taming of the Shrew (Skylight Theatre). Film/TV: The Unrestricted War, Mary Kills People, Mayday, Dark Matter, McKenna Shoots for the Stars, The Bridge, Cracked, Eloise at the Plaza, Plague City, The Tracker, Hawk's Vengeance. Musicals: Golden Lotus (Librettist/Composer). Albums: Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical(Deluxe Edition). Books: The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey, The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing. Awards: Golden Lotus: Best Original Work (Hecklers Awards/Hong Kong); Best Picture (World Independent Cinema Awards, Film Fest International Paris); Best Musical Film & Best Original Score (numerous). Online: georgechiang.org, goldenlotusthemusical.com, @chiang_george, @goldenlotusthemusical.
(he/him)
2024: Gregory in Romeo and Juliet and Ding, Policeman in Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Swing in Forgiveness (Arts Club and Theatre Calgary); Banger in The Five Vengeances (Affair of Honor); Passenger Seat (Library Performance Co.); New Societies (Re:Current Theatre); Collider (Single Thread Theatre). Assistant Directing: Forgiveness; East Van Panto 2023 (Theatre Replacement). Training: BFA in Theatre Performance (SFU). Online: www.howarddai.com; @howardai. Et cetera: 2022 digital-artist-in-residence with PuSh Festival and Royal Court Theatre with his play 菠蘿麵包Pineapple Bun; Associate Artist with rice & beans theatre. His performances and creations have existed in theatre, films, public spaces, Zoom screens, Google Sheets, automated phone calls, interactive websites and virtual reality. Much love to mom and every mentor/teacher/friend that's been in his life. Proud to be Taiwanese.
2024: Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Li Shilong in Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Canadian Stage); Pirithous/Wooer in The Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare Bash'd); Scott The Rat Man/Mr.Rumpelstiltskin in Storybook Search (Bad Hats Theatre); Cockroach in Cockroach (Tarragon Theatre); Duke of Burgundy/Gentleman in King Lear (Shakespeare Bash'd); Dionysus/Zeus in Trojan Girls & Outhouse of Atreus (Outside the March/Factory Theatre). Director: A Perfect Bowl of Pho (Kick & Push Festival/Toronto Fringe Festival); Death to Prometheans (Studio 180); Ordinary Days (Shifting Ground Collective). Training: Toronto Metropolitan University, RBC Emerging Artist Program with Musical Stage Company. Awards: Toronto Workshop Productions (George Luscombe Award); Harold Awards (House of Daniel MacIvor); RBC Emerging Director's Prize (Studio 180). Online: @steven_haoby. Et cetera: Steven is approachable, he rarely bites, please say hi!
(she/her)
2024: Zhu Lin in Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Elsewhere (selected): Woking Phoenix (Theater Passe Muraille); Orphan Song (Tarragon Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (Bad Hats Theatre); Mary Poppins, Cabaret (Grand Theatre); Beauty and the Beast (YPT); Comfort (Red Snow Collective). Film/TV: Wedding Season (Netflix), Tallboyz (CBC), Spin (Disney). Voiceover: Assassin's Creed: Mirage. Training: Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Sheridan College, National Taiwan University (B.A. in Foreign Languages & Literatures). Awards: Triple Threat Award - Randolph College. Online: thosewhowandertw.com/phoebehu, @phoebe.h.hu. Et cetera: Grateful for my agent Stephanie, and love to K, the furry kids, my sister Charissa & my chosen family in Canada.
(he/she/they)
2024: Tink in Wendy and Peter Pan and appears in Salesman in China. Second season. Stratford: Angel Dumott Schunard in Rent and Mrs. Whatsit in A Wrinkle in Time. Elsewhere: The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz: The Panto (Drayton Entertainment); Miss Understanding in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stage West Calgary); Derrick in Peter Pan: The Panto (Neptune Theatre); Papa Ogre/Bear in Shrek The Musical (Globe Theatre). Training: Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance, Sheridan College; Wexford Performing Arts. Online: @nestorlozanojr. Et cetera: Love to family, friends, 10 Talent and the Festival. Nestor dedicates this season to all the little fairies - may all your dreams come true with faith, trust and a little bit of pixie dust.
Birmingham Conservatory, 2002
2024: Tesman in Hedda Gabler and Anthony Calderon in Salesman in China. 15th season. Stratford (selected): Calogero Di Spelta (Grand Magic), Don Armado (Love's Labour's Lost), Iago (Othello), Dr. Caius (The Merry Wives of Windsor), James Tyrone Jr. (Long Day's Journey Into Night), God the Son (Paradise Lost), Pentheus (Bakkhai), Laurent (Tartuffe), Biondello (The Taming of the Shrew), Scrub (The Beaux' Stratagem), Andrei (Three Sisters), Apollodorus (Caesar and Cleopatra), Roderigo (Othello), Flaminius (Timon of Athens). Elsewhere: A&R Angels (Crow's Theatre); Pride and Prejudice, Robin Hood (Globe Theatre); A Doll's House (Montgomery/TNB). Film/TV: Fargo, Suits, Republic of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries, The Ron James Show, Warehouse 13, Lost Girl. Training: National Theatre School of Canada; Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Awards: Tyrone Guthrie Award (2003, 2007, 2018), John Hirsch Award (2004) and the Richard Monette Travel Grant (2009).
2024: Mrs. Darling in Wendy and Peter Pan and Liu Jun, Qiu in Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Sarah in The Birds and The Bees, Beckett/Jasmine/Lenore in carried away on the crest of a wave, Connie in The Great Leap, Phyllis in The Shoplifters, Jess in King Charles III, Amanda in 4000 Miles (Arts Club Theatre); Janet in Kim's Convenience (Chemainus Theatre). Film/TV:A Million Little Things (ABC), Superman & Lois (CW), The Good Doctor (ABC), Charmed (CW), Under Wraps (Disney), The Romeo Section (CBC). Upcoming: recurring role in Ellen (new series), 1000xResist (video game). Training: Studio 58. Online: @aggyT. Etc: Agnes is a breathworker and her offerings can be found at www.healingbreathworks.com. Much love to her husband Brahm, her agents Josh and Candace, her director and friend Jovanni Sy for all the magic that has unfolded thus far.
2024: Assistant Director and understudy in Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Directing (Elsewhere): They Must Have Smoked (Calgary Fringe); The Bystander Game, The Storm: Festival (Kingston Baby Grand Theatre); The Bus Stop, The Zoo Story (UCalgary School of Creative and Performing Arts); Rhinoceros in Love (Queen's University Isabel Bader Centre). Program: 2021-22 CanStage RBC Emerging Artist, 2022-23 Lunchbox Theatre Associate Artist. Training: MFA in Theatre Directing (University of Calgary), BAH in Drama (Queen's University). Online: fangzhengwang.net, Instagram: @nickw_096. Et cetera: An interlingual worker, director, actor and playwright. Researcher focusing on contemporary Chinese theatre.
2024: Mi Tiezeng in Salesman in China and appears in Romeo and Juliet. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Greg in Peace Country (rice & beans theatre); Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (Gateway Theatre); Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (Bard on the Beach); Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show (Studio 58); Chorus in East Van Panto: Alice in Wonderland (Theatre Replacement). TV: Appears in Lucky Hank (AMC). Training: Langara College, Studio 58. Online: @anguzyam. Et cetera: Angus is a Hong Konger-Canadian artist based in Vancouver, BC, on the unceded traditional Indigenous territories. Shout-out to Mamei, hater sister, and friends. Glory to God.
2024: Director of Salesman in China. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Directing: Murder on the Orient Express (Vertigo Theatre); Stitch (Native Earth);《食盡天下》(rice & beans theatre); God of Carnage, Antigone, Blackbird (Theatre du Pif 進劇場); The Orchard (After Chekhov) (Arts Club Theatre). Playwriting: Nine Dragons (Vertigo Theatre/Gateway Theatre), A Taste of Empire (Cahoots Theatre), The Five Vengeances (Affair of Honor). Acting: Mr Miyagi in pre-Broadway tryout of The Karate Kid, the Musical (Stages St. Louis); Prison Dancer (Citadel Theatre/National Arts Centre); Forgiveness (Theatre Calgary); Noises Off (Arts Club Theatre). Awards: Playwriting: Jessie Richardson Award - Nine Dragons; PGC Comedy Award - The Tao of the World; Playwrights Guild Drama Award - Kowloon Bay. Et cetera: Former Artistic Director of Gateway Theatre (Richmond, BC) and Cahoots Theatre (Toronto).
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