Silk Bath – Toronto Fringe 2016 Press Release

Silk BathWho, and what, does our culture include and accept? Who decides? And who gets left out?

From press release:
Silk Bath is a ruthless, satirical, physical exploration of what it means to be accepted by society, after the citizenship paperwork is signed. Set under the lights of a live reality TV show taping, four immigrants battle it out for a place in their new home. Can we ever shed the label of the outsider?

Performed in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English (with Chinese and English surtitles), Silk Bath is accessible to a community that is often excluded from Canadian stages. The play explores the existing contradiction in Western Media which deems Asians as “safe” for Western consumption, yet continually whitewashes Asian stories and roles. As one of three Culturally Diverse Artist Projects in the Toronto Fringe this year, Silk Bath Collective is thrilled to be presenting this necessary and relevant story. Who has the power to decide the fate of immigrants in today’s society? And who gets to deem someone as “safe”?

Silk Bath Collective is comprised of three Chinese Canadian theatre-makers (Bessie Cheng, Aaron Jan and Gloria Mok) who first met as members of fu-GEN Theatre’s K12 Playwriting Unit. They collaboratively wrote Stuck, seven intersecting stories that explored the dynamics of race, power, and politics which was presented as part of fu-GEN’s annual Potluck Festival in 2015.

Director Aaron Jan was the youngest person to win “Best of Hamilton Fringe” at 20 years old for his play Drafts presented by Fulcrum Theatre in 2012. Jan was selected as one of Factory Theatre’s 2015-2016 Foremen – a new training program led by Nina Lee Aquino for mentoring directors of colour in staging new work. Performer En Lai Mah has been praised for his roles in Served (NNNN) at the 2015 Toronto Fringe, and Van Groovy (NNNN) at the 2013 Toronto Fringe. Performer Amanda Zhou appeared in Madame Mao (NNNN) at the 2014 Summerworks Festival. Zhou is the granddaughter of Zhou Xuan, the Golden Voice of China’s Seven Singing Stars.

Details

  • Silk Bath plays at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. (30 Bridgman Ave)
  • Tickets are $10 at the door, $12 in advance. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Honest Ed’s Alley, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
  • Content Warnings: Realistic Violence or Gore, Mature Language.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible.

Performances

  • Wednesday June 29th, 08:45 pm
  • Saturday July 2nd, 09:45 pm
  • Monday July 4th, 04:30 pm
  • Tuesday July 5th, 01:15 pm
  • Thursday July 7th, 09:15 pm
  • Friday July 8th, 04:15 pm
  • Saturday July 9th, 08:00 pm