OUR STAR
Ann Hu, (as Fiona Yu, et al)
Ann Hu is delighted to be part of Hello Kitty Must Die. Off-Bdwy: The Bilbao Effect (World Premiere-Theater at Center for Architecture), Private Jokes Public Places (Theatre at Center for Architecture); Beach Radio, the musical (CAP21 Theatre); 99 Histories (by Julia Cho, Mentor Project); Young Playwrights Festivals 2000 & 2001 (Cherry Lane); The Joy Luck Club (Pan Asian Repertory) Regional/LA theater: The Baby Project and Cooperstown (The Road Theater Co., LA), Blueprint for Paradise (Hudson Main Stage, LA) Private Jokes, Public Places (Wellfleet Theatre, MA); An Infinite Ache ( Triad Stage, NC and The Public Theatre, ME); Redwood Curtain (Dorset Theatre, VT and Schoolhouse Theatre, NY) Film: 88 Keys Salute, 5th Passenger, Wicked Moms Club (Lifetime), How to Seduce Difficult Women, The Brooklyn Heist, The Last New Yorker, Petty Crimes TV: NCIS, Pearson, Man with a Plan, Extant, Castle, Switched at Birth, Last Man Standing, Law & Order; Cyberchase (PBS), GAME FARM (Nickelodeon). Hu is a mezzo soprano and occasionally does stand up comedy. WWW.ANNHUACTOR.COM
TEAM (author of novel)
Angela S. Choi (Kate Kamen)
Angela S. Choi, author of novel is a writer who lived in San Francisco and now resides in Los Angeles, California. Born in Hong Kong, she is proficient in both Cantonese and English. She practiced law until she no longer wanted to live life in six-minute increments, and so took up the pen at the tender age of 30. When she is not writing, she spends her time molesting her fat parakeet, Meatball, who is arguably the best toe-nibbler in the world. Hello Kitty Must Die was her debut novel.
FYI Angela is now Kate Kamen. Here's how she explained it:
" I just want to start a new chapter of my life. And I thought it would be a great idea to do it with a new name. In case anyone's wondering how I came up with Kate Kamen... Well, Kamen is actually my Chinese name. And I picked Kate because it's a lovely one syllable, plus it starts with a "K". Someone told me the double K is lucky. Kind of the way the double M was lucky for Marilyn Monroe. Oh well, we'll see."
"I always saw (Hello Kitty) as embodying a lot of the stereotypes of what Asian women are about," she says. "You're supposed to be nice, you're not supposed to have a mouth - and you're certainly not supposed to go around enjoying killing people."
team (co-adaptor)
Gail Rastorfer
Gail’s obsession with HKMD began in August, 2011 when she read the novel on a whim. She'd never felt more seen or understood and it became her dream to share Fi with the world. When Kurt Johns directed Gail in the The Unfortunates, the obsession grew and the partnership was born to bring Fiona to life. A Chicago-based actor, she has worked with theatres such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Northlight, and The Goodman as well as The Cleveland Playhouse, Indiana, Asolo, and Merrimack Repertory Theatres, and Maltz Jupiter Theatre. She’s worked with Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Theresa Rebeck, Risa Brainin, Gary Griffin, Sean Daniels and up and comer Marti Lyons.
Recently, she made the jump to L.A. TV includes Chicago Fire, Crisis, Boss, Chicago Code and AHS: 1984.
She loves bringing new projects to life and looks forward to developing the next novel she keeps under her pillow into a kick-ass series filled with diverse womxn over the age of 35. She’s a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.
You can get more of Gail at gailonline.net
team (Director, co-adaptor)
Additional Information
Was introduced to HKMD by Gail Rastorfer while directing The Unfortunates. "We were trading passion projects, she lent me the HKMD Ebook, I inhaled the whole book in a night and well here we are." Kurt is a 20 year resident of New York had a great performing career in regionals, Broadway and National Tours before repatriating to Chicago to concentrate on directing and writing.
Kurt is one of the co-founders of SoloChicago Theatre, whose production of Churchill, the Play won a Jeff Award for Best Solo Performance, was a runaway hit in Chicago before moving to New York City to play 6 months at New World Stages. Kurt also directed SoloChicago's critically acclaimed 2nd production The Unfortunates starring Gail Rastorfer which was Jeff award Nominated. Kurt directed The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey for American Blues Theater which garnered a Jeff Award for Best Solo Performance. Kurt has directed for theaters such as Apple Tree Theater, The Auditorium Theatre, Light Opera Works, Chicago College of Performing Arts, and of course SoloChicago. HKMD is the 3rd work Kurt's written for the stage.
You can read more about his work at kurtjohns.com
team (dramaturg)
Carol Ann (Cat) Tan
Carol Ann Tan, dramaturg is a Singapore-born, Chicago-based director, writer, and dramaturg. Her work focuses on issues surrounding race and immigration, particularly those involving the Asian diaspora. Directing/writing credits: Domestic Departure for the Director's Haven 2016 (Haven Theatre); Apartment Complex, Domestic Departure (University of Chicago).
In 2015, Domestic Departure was awarded second place for the Olga and Paul Menn Foundation Prize by the University of Chicago. Upcoming directing projects: assisting Elly Green on You for Me for You(Sideshow Theatre). Dramaturgy credits include peerless (First Floor Theater), In The Wake (The Comrades), assisting on The Audience (TimeLine Theatre), and Wild Boar (Silk Road Rising). www.carolanntan.com
