Complete Cast and Creative Team Announced for San Diego REP's production of Julia Cho's AUBERGINE

 

San Diego Repertory Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for the fourth production in their 43rd season, Julia Cho's Aubergine. Directed by San Diego REP Associate Artistic Director Todd Salovey, Aubergine is an unforgettable story of love, family and the healing power of food. Performances run January 24 - February 17, 2019, in the Lyceum Space Theatre. Tickets start at $25 and are currently on sale to the general public. Previews are January 24 - 29, 2019.

Ray believes in the power of food. As a gourmet chef, he's seen a bowl of berries help a woman to fall in love. He's heard stories of a meal prepared by a mother to keep a son from leaving home and moving to the other side of the world. Now with the help of his uncle, who arrives unexpectedly from Korea, Ray is tasked with preparing a family soup recipe to keep his father alive.

When words fail, a home-cooked meal transcends differences in this touching story of intergenerational connectedness, forgiveness and the sweetest spice of life: love. As a Korean family struggles to relate across emotional and cultural divides, it's the ingredients they share in common that lead to understanding. Aubergine is a mouthwatering meditation on the beauty of life where hope is no mere ingredient, it's the main course.

"Our favorite foods transport us to special places, loved ones, and memories," shared director and San Diego REP Associate Artistic Director Todd Salovey. "Why does a bowl of matzo ball soup bring me right back to my grandmother's kitchen? In Aubergine, Ray is a maestro chef who somehow knows the delicacy your heart and soul most needs. This is such a beautifully written, magical play. I love bringing playwright Julia Cho's sparkling voice to The REP."

The cast features Brian Kim as Ray (Guthrie Theatre, Pan Asian Rep, Olney Theatre) and veteran actor of the stage and screen, Dana Lee as Ray's Father. Lee's extensive credits include roles in "Dr. Ken," "Hawaii Five-O," and "Rambo: First Blood, Part II." They are joined by Minneapolis-based actor Audrey Park as Cornelia (Theatre Mu, Penumbra Theatre), San Diego local and Brown University/Trinity Rep graduate, Terrell Donnell Sledgeas Lucien (Cygnet Theatre's Wind and the Breeze), Yong Kim as Uncle ("Spa Night" and "Dog Bowl") and San Diego REP favorite Amanda Sitton(REP's The Oldest Boy, Road to Mecca, Doubt) as Diane.

The creative team includes Justin Humphres (Scenic Design), Elisa Benzoni (Costume Design), Melanie Chen Cole (Sound Design), Kristin Swift (Lighting Design), Marie Jahelka (Stage Manager), Carla Harting (Assistant Director), Dr. Elise Kim Prosser (Dramaturgical Consultant), Walter Byongsok Chon (Dramaturgical Consultant), Gursimrat Kaur (Dramaturgical Coordinator), Chelsea Smith(Production Manager) and Kim Heil (Associate Producer & Casting Director).

Performances for Aubergine run January 24 - February 17, 2019, in the Lyceum Space Theatre in Horton Plaza. Tickets range from $25.00 to $69.00and can be purchased in-person at the San Diego REP Box Office, by calling the box office at 619-544-1000, or online at sdrep.org.

Julia Cho (Playwright): Julia's plays include Durango, The Winchester House, BFE, The Architecture of Loss and 99 Histories. Her work has been produced at The Vineyard Theatre, The Public Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, South Coast Repertory, New York Theatre Workshop, East West Players, The Theatre @ Boston Court, Theatre Mu and Silk Road Theatre Project, among others. Honors include the 2005 Barrie Stavis Award, the 2005 Claire Tow Award for Emerging Artists and the 2004 L. Arnold Weissberger Award. She was also a two-time finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. An alumna of The Julliard School and NYU's Graduate Dramatic Writing Program, Julia also served as a resident playwright at New Dramatists.

Todd Salovey (Director & San Diego REP Associate Artistic Director): Todd is in his 29th season at The REP. He is founding Artistic Director of The REP's Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival and last year was honored for its 25th anniversary. Recent REP directing credits include Outside Mullingar and the world premiere of The Dybbuk for Hannah and Sam's Wedding, which he also wrote, and Herbert Siguenza's Steal Heaven. Other REP work with Siguenza includes the premieres In the Time of the Butterflies and A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, which has also played at The Alley Theatre in Houston, Denver Center, Arizona Theatre Co, San Jose Stage, Los Angeles Theatre Center and Center Arts REP. Acclaimed REP shows include A Hammer, A Bell and A Song to Sing, and The Blessing of a Broken Heart, which he authored, The Dybbuk, King Lear, Uncle Vanya, The Illusion, the world premiere of Yehuda Hyman's The Mad Dancers and Hamlet starring Jefferson Mays. Salovey is on faculty in Theatre and Dance, and the Rady School of University of California, San Diego, where he received a 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award. tsalovey@ucsd.edu.

Aubergine (1/24-2/17), Hershey Felder, Beethoven (2/21-3/24) and Sweat (4/18-5/2).

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) produces intimate, exotic, provocative theatre. Founded in 1976, San Diego Repertory Theatre is downtown San Diego's resident theatre, promoting a more inclusive community through work that nourishes progressive political and social values and celebrates the multiple voices of our region. The company produces and hosts over 550 events and performances year-round on its three stages at the Lyceum Theatre. Since moving to the Lyceum, The REP has produced 50 main stage productions by Latino playwrights and more than 40 world premieres. The company has received more than 200 awards for artistic excellence from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, Patté Theatre Awards, NAACP, Backstage West, Dramalogue and StageSceneLA. In 2005, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented The REP with the Craig Noel Award "For 30 Years of Artistic Dedication to Downtown and Diversity." San Diego Repertory Theatre feeds the curious soul. To learn more about San Diego Repertory Theatre, to purchase tickets, or make a donation, visit www.sdrep.org.