BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield College’s Theater Program will perform Celestials: The Chinese Question at the Edward Simonsen Performing Arts Center's Indoor Theatre. The show will take place from November 17th through November 19th.
Celestials: The Chinese Question is an artistic verbatim theatre performance of real documented events relating to Chinese immigrants in America during the 19th century. The performance includes oral history and poetry from the era.
“Celestials... was a commissioned play I adapted, produced, directed, and acted in over 27 years ago, and I felt that, because of recent sentiments, the play is needed now more than ever. Our actors’ words are taken directly from the mouths of those brave souls who uprooted their lives and families in hope of a better life across the ocean; hence, verbatim theatre. Many people do not know this part of American history and it's important not to forget it and bury it over,” said BC Theatre Professor and director of Celestials: The Chinese Question, Kimberly Chin. “I hope that Celestials... will be eye and heart opening to our audiences and that they will see the many parallels between the experiences of Chinese immigrants in the past and the experiences of so many others who have immigrated to the United States.”
For information on the event, visit BC's Performing Arts webpage.
