‘The Dance and the Railroad’

Two workers. One strike. A shared dream. Asian American theater collective Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company reunite for their fourth collaboration in four years with a rare revival of The Dance and the Railroad, a haunting and deeply moving early work by David Henry Hwang. Directed by Artists at Play producing member Katherine Chou, the production opens October 3 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, with performances continuing through November 1. Two low-priced previews take place on October 1 and October 2.

Tony Jin and Scott Keiji Takeda, who recently appeared together in Flower Drum Song at East West Players, star here as Lone and Ma, immigrant laborers building the transcontinental railroad during the Chinese Railroad Workers’ Strike of 1867. The two men form an unexpected bond through their shared love of Chinese opera. Together, they practice the ancient art form atop a mountain in the Sierra Nevada, finding connection and a sense of possibility even as their fellow workers below confront brutal labor conditions, isolation and cultural displacement.

A play about labor, identity, friendship and the power of artistic expression, Hwang says The Dance and the Railroad “rejects the stereotype of submissive immigrant laborers, and depicts assertive men who demanded their rights despite great personal risk. The play compares the optimistic and idealistic Ma to the pragmatic and independent Lone, and juxtaposes the hard labor of working on the railroad with the dream to practice traditional Chinese opera. At a time when some are attempting to rewrite the central roles that people of color have played in American history and belittle the contributions of immigrants, The Dance and the Railroad is arguably more timely now than ever.”

“David wrote this play decades ago, but the questions it raises about immigration, labor, belonging and who gets to tell our country’s story still feel incredibly timely,” says Artists at Play producing artistic leader Stefanie Lau. “As we celebrate Artists at Play’s 15th anniversary and the nation’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to revisit a work that reminds us of the people whose labor helped build this country, and whose stories deserve to be remembered.”

The Dance and the Railroad opens on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 1. Two preview performances take place Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2, each at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for previews and for all Thursday performances and $48 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances. Tickets for students, seniors, veterans and LAUSD teachers are $24. Opening night (Oct. 3) is $75 and includes a post-performance reception.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $8 with box office validation at Los Angeles Garage Associate Parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater).

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to latinotheaterco.org.