La Jolla Playhouse has announced that Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, written and performed by Kristina Wong, and directed by Chay Yew, will replace Mother Russia in the 2022/23 season, running September 20鈥揙ctober 16. Mother Russia is now tentatively planned for the 2023/24 season.
Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord previously enjoyed a successful run Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, where it was streamed to the digital public twice.
鈥淜ristina Wong is a one-of-a-kind performer and activist whom we鈥檙e delighted to bring back to the Playhouse 鈥� this time in person,鈥� said Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse. 鈥淒uring the pandemic, Kristina started a volunteer mask-sewing group of 鈥榓unties,鈥� which inspired this acclaimed, wildly-funny new solo performance piece.鈥�
In the piece, Wong navigates through thoughts on the coronavirus crisis鈥攊ncluding finding community amid isolation. Early in the pandemic, Wong sewed masks out of old clothes and household materials, eventually leading a virtual cohort of volunteers that blurred the lines between 鈥渇eminist care utopia鈥� and 鈥渕utual aid doomsday cult.鈥�
Ashley continued, 鈥淚n consultation with the show鈥檚 creative team, the Playhouse has postponed the world-premiere play Mother Russia in light of current events still unfolding. The production is currently planned for 2023, allowing the creative team additional time for reconsideration of certain script and production elements. We remain excited to produce Lauren Yee鈥檚 timely exploration of the ongoing political systems we find ourselves in.鈥�
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