The Heart Sellers

Northern California Premiere

By Lloyd Suh
Directed by Jennifer Chang ^†

A Coproduction with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Aurora Theatre Company, and Capital Stage

READ THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE STORY ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE COPRODUCTION!

IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES
February 8-March 9

STREAMING PERFORMANCES
March 4-9

RUN TIME
1 hour, 30 minutes
There will be no intermission.

Intimate. Interwoven. Inviting.

Luna and Jane are both immigrants to the United States, alone on Thanksgiving while their husbands are on rotation at the hospital. Still, they are determined to try and make something of their new country’s holiday. Over a bottle of wine and an ill-attempted turkey, the two near-strangers bond over the dreams of possibility promised in their new home, and the painful loneliness of missing the homes they left behind. Against the backdrop of the Hart-Celler Act opening a path to citizenship for professional workers, playwright Lloyd Suh explores the experiences of Asian immigrants in the 1970s in this funny and moving two-hander.

“Finally, ‘The Heart Sellers’ is the fitting tribute to your immigrant parents.”- Lily Janiak, The San Francisco Chronicle

EXPLORE THE DIGITAL PROGRAM FOR The Heart Sellers

We're saving trees and offering more content by moving to digital-only programs!

Masks are required for Wed eve and Sun matinee performances.

Post Show Discussions
Please join us for a discussion of Aurora's production of The Heart Sellers, hosted after the show on the select days listed below. Discussions will be led by Aurora staff or members of the Creative Team, who may be joined by the actors, director, community members, or local storytellers.

Tuesday, February 18
Wednesday, February 26
Thursday, March 6

COMMUNITY PARTNER

For The Heart Sellers, Aurora is thrilled to partner with Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO).

Established in 1975, API Legal Outreach provides legal representation and social services, training and technical support, and community education and outreach. Our mission is to provide holistic, culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services to ensure social justice for the most marginalized segments of the community.

We provide accessible services throughout the Bay Area in areas including immigration, domestic violence/family law, anti-human trafficking, consumer finance, elder abuse, disability rights, public benefits, housing, anti-API hate violence, and youth violence prevention.

www.apilegaloutreach.org
help@apilegaloutreach.org

Community Night
Friday, February 28

Join Aurora team members and representatives from Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach for a pre-show reception and post-show Q&A to learn more about the important mission of APILO and how they support our local API immigrant communities.

6:00pm - Pre-Show Reception with presentation by APILO
7:00pm - The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh
Post-Show Discussion with representatives from APILO

All are welcome to this pre-show reception, but tickets are required to attend the performance.

Production photos by Kevin Berne.

ARTISTS

CAST

Nicole Javier*
Luna

Wonjung Kim
Jane

CREATIVE TEAM

Lloyd Suh
Playwright

Jennifer Chang†
Director

Rebs Chan
Directing Fellow

Arnel Sancianco**
Scenic Designer

Lisa Misako Claybaugh
Costume Designer

Christopher Fitzer
Properties Designer

Ed Lee
Sound Designer

Isaiah Leeper
Lighting Designer

Nicole Limon
Dramaturg

PRODUCTION TEAM

Taylor McQuesten*
Stage Manager

Bella Campos Hintzman
Asisstant Stage Manager

Emma Buechner
Lead Electrician &
Props Coordinator

Del Medoff
LX Programmer

Charlie Mejia
Electrician

Brittany Mellerson
LX Programmer

Nori Quist
Electrician

Sarina
Carpenter

Kyler Stanion
Electrician

Brendan Yungert
Carpenter

The Production Team at Capital Stage
Carpentry, Scenic Charge, and Props Coordination

* Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers,
**United Scenic Artists Member, †Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Member

Lloyd Suh

Lloyd Suh (Playwright) is the author of plays including The Far Country (2023 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), The Heart Sellers, The Chinese Lady, Frankinland, Bina's Six Apples, American Hwangap, and many others. His work has been produced across the country, including at Atlantic Theater Company, The Public, Alliance, Huntington, Berkeley Rep, and with Ma-Yi Theatre Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre among others, and internationally at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and with PCPA at the Guerilla Theatre in Seoul, Korea. Awards include the Steinberg Playwright Award, the Horton Foote Prize, the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, and the Guggenheim Fellowship. He was elected in 2016 to the Dramatists Guild Council, and serves as a Professor of the Practice at Princeton University.

Jennifer Chang†

Jennifer Chang† (Director) is a multihyphenate storyteller. Select theatre directing credits: Primary Trust (Barrington Stage), What Became of Us (World Premiere at Atlantic Theater Company), The Far Country (West Coast Premiere at Berkeley Rep), King of the Yees (Signature Theatre DC, Helen Hayes nom Best Production), On Gold Mountain with LA Opera, Vietgone (LADCC AWARD for Direction). New Play/ Musical Development/ Residencies: Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, The Mercury Store, The Geffen Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Ashland New Plays Festival, O’Neill Playwrights Conference, New Harmony Project, Center Theatre Group, Sông Collective, Black and Latino Playwrights’ Conference, Theatre Mu, Chance Theater, Boston Court, PlayOn!, East West Players, Artists at Play. Playwriting: The Devil Is a Lie at Quantum Theatre. Geffen Writers Room 23-24, Drama League Beatrice Terry Residency. Member: SDC, AGMA, SAG-AFTRA, AEA. Drama League New York Fellowship, Classical Directing Fellow at The Old Globe. BFA – NYU, MFA – UCSD. Associate Professor UCLA. More info: www.changinator.com.

Rebs Chan

Rebs Chan (Directing Fellow) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist based in the Bay Area. They have developed and presented original work through Yun Theatre, Festival Playhouse, Queer Theatre Kalamazoo, the Theatre Kalamazoo New Playfest, Taipei Shorts 6, and the Asian American Music Video Fest. Current In Dialogue Coordinator at Berkeley Rep, Artistic Associate at Center REP, and Head of Dramaturgy and Audience Engagement at Bay Area Independent Chinese Dancers. Former Peter F. Sloss Artistic Fellow at Berkeley Rep and English Teaching Assistant through Fulbright Taiwan. Previous assistant directing credits include POTUS, The Far Country, and Mother Road at Berkeley Rep.

Nicole Javier*

Nicole Javier* (Luna) is reprising the role of Luna from the world premiere of The Heart Sellers at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Regional work includes San Francisco Playhouse, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Aurora Theatre Company, Crowded Fire Theatre, Silicon Valley Shakespeare, New Conservatory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Provincetown Playhouse, and Shakespeare Orange County. TV: Bosch Legacy, Film: We’re All Gonna Die. Nicole earned her BFA from Chapman University and MFA from UC San Diego, and is a Resident Artist at A Noise Within in Pasadena, CA. More at www.nicolejavier.com, IG: @nicjavi. Maraming salamat sa aking pamilya at mga kaibigan <3

Wonjung Kim

Wonjung Kim (Jane) is a Korean American actor based in LA & NYC. Since graduating from University of Southern California with an MFA in Acting, Wonjung has performed in regional theaters and in New York including Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Fountain Theater. She is also actively pursuing on-camera work and has filmed several projects including various commercials. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading role for NYC Web Festival in 2024. Wonjung is represented by Vanguard Management. AEA and SAG/AFTRA eligible.