Cardboard Piano at ICT in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. - April 10, 2018 - PRLog -- A secret wedding ceremony between the daughter of an American missionary and a local teenage girl is disrupted by violence when a child soldier fleeing the atrocities of war stumbles into their remote Ugandan church. The Los Angeles premiere of Cardboard Piano by Whiting Award-winning playwright Hansol Jung opens May 4 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, with two low-priced previews set for May 2 and May 3.

Set against the backdrop of the 21-year-long civil war in northern Uganda, Jung's haunting drama confronts the religious and cultural roots of intolerance, as well as the human capacity for hatred, forgiveness and love.

"Religion can do two opposite things," the South Korean playwright said in an interview. "It can destroy, hurt, and be an instigator of violence, but it can also be the only thing capable of controlling that violence."

Developed during a residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwright's Conference, Cardboard Piano premiered in 2016 as a part of the Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in Louisville, KY.

"I saw the premiere in Louisville and have chased the rights ever since," says director caryn desai [sic]. "This play is incredibly powerful and touching, and it's relevant to so many issues we face in the world today."

Cardboard Piano runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., May 4 through May 20. Two preview performances take place on Wednesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 3, both at 8 p.m. Tickets are $47 on Thursdays and Fridays, and $49 on Saturdays and Sundays, except for Oct. 20 (opening night) for which tickets are $55 and include a post show reception with the actors. Low-priced tickets to previews are $35.
International City Theatre is located in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at 330 East Seaside Way in Long Beach, CA 90802. For reservations and information, call  562-436-4610 or go to http://www.ictlongbeach.org
Recommended for mature audiences, ages 16 and up. (Adult content, including strong language and gunshots.)