Syracuse Symposium 2008 presents critically acclaimed theater director and
installation artist Ping Chong in a special appearance at Syracuse University on
Monday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3.
The lecture is presented in conjunction with the world premiere of Chong's
"Tales from the Salt City" at Syracuse Stage Oct. 14-Nov. 2. Lecture parking is
available in the University Avenue Garage for $3.50 (garage closes at 10 p.m.).
Chong has created more than 50 multidisciplinary works for the stage, which
have been presented at major festivals and theaters around the world. His world
premiere of "Tales from the Salt City" is a powerful exploration of the changing
face of Syracuse through an interview-based theater work. As the latest work in
Chong's world-renowned Undesirable Elements series, the production weaves
together the compelling and inspiring narratives of citizens of Syracuse-both
recent arrivals and longtime residents-who are in some way living between
cultures.
Chong is recipient of two Obie Awards, including one for Sustained
Achievement in 2000; six National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships; a
Playwrights USA Award; a Guggenheim Fellowship; a TCG/Pew Charitable
Trust National Theatre Artist Residency Program Fellowship; a National
Institute for Music Theatre Award; and two "Bessie" Awards for Sustained
Creative Achievement and for Outstanding Creative Achievement. In 2006,
Chong received a USA Prudential Fellowship from the United States Artists
Foundation.
"Ping Chong is a legendary pioneer, and I am honored to count him as a friend
and mentor," says Tim Bond, Syracuse Stage producing artistic director. "His
innovative theatrical work defies definition. He commands the stage with
economy and passionate storytelling, and he invites us to experience our
connectedness in a very real and unavoidable way."
Further information on Chong's Undesirable Elements series is available on the
Web at http://www.UndesirableElements.org. Information about "Tales from the Salt
City" is available on the Syracuse Stage website at http://www.syracusestage.org.
Syracuse Symposium is a semester-long intellectual and artistic festival
celebrating interdisciplinary thinking, imagining and creating, presented by The
College of Arts and Sciences to the entire Syracuse community. The fall 2008
symposium theme is migration. Further information about the symposium is
available at http://syracusesymposium.org.
