W Productions Announces World Premiere of Alum Weiko Lin's "The Best Man"

Cathy Shim (Reno 911, Mad TV) and Leonard Wu (Veronica Mars) star in Weiko Lin’s Four Person Play Presented as a Guest Production at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater May 9 through June 3, 2007; Opening night is Saturday May 12, 2007

After a solid workshop production in September

2005, producer Lisa Woon is excited to announce the world premiere of Weiko Lin’s “The Best Man.” Woon reunites with award-winning playwright Lin after their successful

collaboration on the musicals “Heavenly Peace” (1999) and “Parachute Kid” (2001), both of which premiered at UCLA Royce Hall. While the large-scale musicals dealt with the

1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre and latchkeys kids in Los Angeles respectively, “The Best Man” is an intimate, character-driven psychological exploration of the battle of ages,

sexuality, and masculinity.

Leading the ensemble piece in a comedic and tragic role is Cathy Shim (Reno 911, Mad

TV) alongside rising actor Leonard Wu (Veronica Mars) who just wrapped the feature

thriller “While She Was Out,” starring opposite Kim Basinger and Lukas Haas. This also

marks Wu’s reunion with Woon and Lin since co-starring in “Heavenly Peace.” Rounding

out the cast is Lisa Faiman and Lin. This guest production is presented at the David

Henry Hwang Theater, the long time home for East West Players, the premier Asian

American theater company in the United States.

Here in “The Best Man,” audience members get a front row seat to witness the collision

between a dysfunctional fraternal relationship and the sexually overt and vindictive

antics inflicted by the women in their lives. Mitchell (Leonard Wu) spends the evening

before his wedding at a hotel suite with his best man and older brother, Danny (Weiko

Lin), a burn-out-never-been DJ who makes his money pimping his young, naive

girlfriend, Misty (Cathy Shim). Mitchell is marrying Julia (Lisa Faiman), who is also

Danny’s ex-wife. When the women arrive, the drinks flow and the charade begins.

Beneath

its high-stakes surface and temptation, a dark vengeful secret explodes as the

night unfolds. The fast-paced Mamet-esque dialogue pits masculinity against sexuality

in a war of guilt, secrets, and vengeance.

“I’m very honored to bring The Best Man to David Henry Hwang Theater as a guest

production,” adds producer Lisa Woon. “Weiko Lin’s modern day take on the battle of

the sexes and masculinity hasn’t been dealt with such fine balance of comedy and

tragedy since Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. The audience will have a

tough time choosing who to root for with such an ensemble of flawed yet sympathetic

characters.”

With “The Best Man,” playwright Lin captures the pulse of these two couples, a mix of

Generation X and Y crashing against the coveting and lusting of the two brothers. Every

revelation opens new doors that drive the characters deeper into the chasms from

which none can recover. The audience will undoubtedly leave with a haunting residue.

Directed by tyro helmer Kevin Lau, preview performances for The Best Man are May 9

through May 11, 2007, with Opening Night occurring on Saturday, May 12, 2007. The

play runs through June 3, 2007.

WEIKO LIN (PLAYWRIGHT/DANNY)

Born in Taiwan, Weiko immigrated to Los Angeles at the eight years of age. An

emerging independent playwright and screenwriter, he received his MFA from UCLA’s

School of Theater, Film, and Television where he studied under Oscar nominated

screenwriter and playwright Jose Rivera (Motorcycle Diaries). Weiko’s original plays and

musicals have been produced at UCLA Royce Hall, Veterans’ Wadsworth Theater, and

Century City Playhouse. As an actor and playwright, his credits include “Tracks of Tears”

Chinese railroad workers in 1800’s America, “Heavenly Peace” 1989 Tiananmen Square

Massacre, “Parachute Kid” latchkey and immigrant kids, and Blind Street life colliding

on a Los Angles street corner. On the film side, he is currently set to write a feature

drama for The Mark Gordon Company (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Grey’s Anatomy”). Weiko has

also won the William J. and Lee Phillip Bell “Young and the Restless” Fellowship and

David C. Baumgarten Endowed Award for musical theatre. Recipient of a Samuel

Goldwyn Writing Award, he is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and cochairs

its Asian American Writers Committee.

David Henry Hwang Theater

@ The Union Center for the Arts

120 North Judge John Aiso Street (Little Tokyo)

Los Angeles, CA 90012

THE BEST MAN (World Premiere)

By Weiko Lin; Directed by Kevin Lau

Show runs May 9 through June 3, 2007

Previews: May 9 through May 11, 2007

Opening Night: May 12, 2007

Cast (in order of appearance)

WEIKO LIN Danny

LEONARD WU Mitch

CATHY SHIM Misty

LISA FAIMAN Julia

Production Credits

Producer: Lisa Woon

Scenic Designer: Haibo Yu

Costume Designer: Leah Piehl

Lighting Designer: Chris Singleton

Sound Designer: Dennis Yen

Production Stage Manager:

Tickets ($25) are on sale at the East West Players Box Office 2 hours prior to curtain,

($21) advance sales and discounts online at www.BestManThePlay.com, special group

rates via credit card phone order at (310) 824-5316. Five performances are scheduled per

week: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. For general

information, please email info@W-Productions.com or call (310) 824-5316.

Keywords

"aaron chung" "weiko lin" 

Share This

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Delicious

Permalink