LA Theatre Works

A sheet of ice sits in the desert of New Mexico. A mad eco-terrorist plants a bomb in order to save humankind. A beleaguered film crew tries to get in one last shot before losing the light. Storytelling and science collide with hilarious and devastating consequences."Continuity" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in December 2022.Directed by Anna Lyse EriksonProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergAn L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring:Johnny Berchtold as Jake/GeorgeSeamus Dever as David CaxtonSarah Drew as Eve/NicoleMark Holden as Sound GuyDesirée Mee Jung as First ADKurt Kanazawa as The PAStacey Martinez as Second PABukola Ogunmola as Dr. Anna Gerber/LilyDevon Sorvari as Second AD/Camera OpStephen Tobolowsky as LarryLiza Weil as MariaSenior Producer: Anna Lyse EriksonAudio Concept Design by Mark HoldenRecording Engineer and Editor: Neil WogensenSound Design: Mark Holden, David Wilson and Charles CarrollMixing Engineer: Charles CarrollPrepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join Johnny Berchtold as David, a beleaguered filmmaker, who grapples with the chaos of a struggling film set while confronting personal fears about mortality. Alongside Stephen Tobolowsky as Larry, the blunt science advisor, they navigate the clash of artistic vision and scientific accuracy. As David wrestles with criticism of the film’s portrayal of climate events, tensions rise over creative control and the implications of cinematic liberties. It's a wild blend of humor and serious reflection on life, art, and the relentless march of science.

Pia is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on changing the way we process traumatic experiences. Will Pia’s emotionally distant mother - who survived the Khmer Rouge in 1970’s Cambodia – benefit from her daughter’s work? Or are some things just too terrible to remember?"What You Are Now" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in November 2022Directed by Anna Lyse EriksonProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergAn L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring:Carie Kawa as PiaTess Lina as ChantreaJoe Ngo as DaranySamantha Quan as SiobhanMark Jude Sullivan as EvanGreg Watanabe as the NarratorSenior Producer: Anna Lyse EriksonPrepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodRecording Engineer, Editor and Mixer: Charles CarrollSound Design: David Wilson and Charles CarrollSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerThe original song “What You Are Now” is by Him Sophy, founder of the Him Sophy School of Music in Pnomh Penh.Special thanks to Professor Craig Woodson and Dr. Terry Miller for their recording of “The Sorrowful King” from “Roots of Rhythm.net.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pia is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on changing the way we process traumatic experiences. Will Pia’s emotionally distant mother - who survived the Khmer Rouge in 1970’s Cambodia – benefit from her daughter’s work? Or are some things just too terrible to remember?"What You Are Now" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in November 2022Directed by Anna Lyse EriksonProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergAn L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring:Carie Kawa as PiaTess Lina as ChantreaJoe Ngo as DaranySamantha Quan as SiobhanMark Jude Sullivan as EvanGreg Watanabe as the NarratorSenior Producer: Anna Lyse EriksonPrepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodRecording Engineer, Editor and Mixer: Charles CarrollSound Design: David Wilson and Charles CarrollSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerThe original song “What You Are Now” is by Him Sophy, founder of the Him Sophy School of Music in Pnomh Penh.Special thanks to Professor Craig Woodson and Dr. Terry Miller for their recording of “The Sorrowful King” from “Roots of Rhythm.net.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pia, a neuroscientist studying how to alter traumatic memory, drives the story. Chantria, Siobhan, and Durrani appear as family and community figures caught between past horrors and present survival. Evan is a lab colleague whose personal history intersects with Pia’s work. They explore trauma, cultural memory, displacement, and the ethics of changing what we remember.

Sam Chanse's play "What You Are Now" asks if there's a way to alter our traumatic memories. To help us gain insight into this idea, we spoke with Dr. Daniela Schiller, a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. As director of the school’s laboratory of affective neuroscience, her research concerns the discovery of the neural mechanisms underlying emotional control and flexibility."What You Are Now" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pia is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on changing the way we process traumatic experiences. Will Pia’s emotionally distant mother - who survived the Khmer Rouge in 1970’s Cambodia – benefit from her daughter’s work? Or are some things just too terrible to remember?"What You Are Now" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in November 2022Directed by Anna Lyse EriksonProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergAn L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring:Carie Kawa as PiaTess Lina as ChantreaJoe Ngo as DaranySamantha Quan as SiobhanMark Jude Sullivan as EvanGreg Watanabe as the NarratorSenior Producer: Anna Lyse EriksonPrepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodRecording Engineer, Editor and Mixer: Charles CarrollSound Design: David Wilson and Charles CarrollSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerThe original song “What You Are Now” is by Him Sophy, founder of the Him Sophy School of Music in Pnomh Penh.Special thanks to Professor Craig Woodson and Dr. Terry Miller for their recording of “The Sorrowful King” from “Roots of Rhythm.net.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Actor and activist George Takei joined us for a panel discussion after a performance of Sisters Matsumoto in 2018, along with playwright Philip Kan Gotanda and director Tim Dang.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stockton, California 1945. Three Japanese-American sisters return to their farm after years in an internment camp, but the once prosperous family finds it’s not easy to pick up the pieces of their former lives. As the details of their deceased father’s final arrangements emerge, the sisters must work together to keep their dreams alive.Sponsored in part by the California Civil Liberties Program from the California State Library.Directed by Tim DangProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergKeiko Agena as Rose MatsumotoJune Angela as Grace MatsumotoRon Bottitta as Mr. HershamKurt Kanazawa as HenrySuzy Nakamura as Chiz MatsumotoGreg Watanabe as BolaRyun Yu as HideoAssociate Artistic Director: Anna Lyse EriksonRecording Engineer, Sound Designer and Mixer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerProduction Manager: Nikki HydeEditor: Mitchell LindskoogSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stockton, California 1945. Three Japanese-American sisters return to their farm after years in an internment camp, but the once prosperous family finds it’s not easy to pick up the pieces of their former lives. As the details of their deceased father’s final arrangements emerge, the sisters must work together to keep their dreams alive.Sponsored in part by the California Civil Liberties Program from the California State Library.Directed by Tim DangProducing Director: Susan Albert LoewenbergKeiko Agena as Rose MatsumotoJune Angela as Grace MatsumotoRon Bottitta as Mr. HershamKurt Kanazawa as HenrySuzy Nakamura as Chiz MatsumotoGreg Watanabe as BolaRyun Yu as HideoAssociate Artistic Director: Anna Lyse EriksonRecording Engineer, Sound Designer and Mixer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West HollywoodSenior Radio Producer: Ronn LipkinFoley Artist: Jeff GardnerProduction Manager: Nikki HydeEditor: Mitchell LindskoogSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.