- Chil Kong
-
Chil Kong Born Korea Occupation Director, Actor Spouse Erin Quill[1] Website http://www.chilkong.com Chil Kong is a Korean American actor and director. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Marketing and Psychology. While at Virginia Tech he performed with The New Virginians a touring musical performance group. He also attended the master of fine arts Program at Boston Conservatory and is a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab West. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Theatre at San Diego State University. He has held Artistic Director positions at several Asian focused theater companies including Asia On Stage in Boston, The Northwest Asian American Theatre in Seattle and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles.[2]
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble was the second largest Asian American Theater company in Los Angeles, with Co-Artistic Directors, Chil Kong and Philip C. Chung[3] serving for the entire ten year run[4] The Company began as a response to the Los Angeles Riots[5] to serve the stories of Asian Americans of a younger generation.
Over their ten year run, Kong and Chung were hailed as ground breaking innovators and gave stage time to actors such as Daniel Dae Kim, Dennis Dun, Roger Fan, Camille Mana, Eddie Shin, James Kyson Lee, Erin Quill , Blythe Matsui. At their ten year benefit, guests who took the stage to honor them included the Host, Alec Mapa, Sandra Oh, Newsman David Ono, Kelly Hu, John Cho, The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, and many more[6]
The stage production of The Mikado Project written by Ken Narasaki and Doris Baizley was cited in the book The Japan of Pure Invention by author Josephine Lee.[7] This production came to the company as a early draft, as the playwrights had only been writing it a short time prior to it's submission. After working extensively with director, Chil Kong and the cast, it grew to include hip hop versions of some songs as well as the outrage that stereotypes of Asians continue to exist and be portrayed on stage by Caucasians in this day and age. The Mikado Project was one of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble's most successful plays, and the only one to be made into a film. The screenplay of the film was adapted by Erin Quill, Chil Kong, and Ryun Yu[8]
Since the closing of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, Mr. Kong has remained active in the Los Angeles Theater scene, and serves on the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Committee.[9] He continues to focus on both his acting and directing, and his second feature film, QWERTY, is currently in post-production[10][11]
Kong has appeared in many roles on television, including on ABC's Lost in the episode ...In Translation, played a morgue technician in House M.D., a minister in HBO's Six Feet Under in the episode Hold my Hand, a cook in the episode Open and Shut of the Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy Freddie and as Chen Wu in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He has also appeared in Michael Kang's West 32nd, Richard LaGravenese's, Freedom Writers, Wayne Kramer's Crossing Over and Curtis Hanson's Too Big To Fail.
Kong has directed the films Pollen in 2006 and Screening Party in 2008. In 2010, he directed the feature film, The Mikado Project[12] He is a member of the ABC DGA Director's program[13] He was one of the Co-Artistic Directors for the entire ten year run of the Lodestone Theater Ensemble, where he directed many of the shows, including the stage version of The Mikado Project, which he later turned into a film[14]
His stage direction credits include Tea,[15] FOB at the Asian American Repertory Theater[16]
Kong is married to Erin Quill who was member of the original Broadway cast of Avenue Q and has also guest starred on NYPD Blue, DAMAGES, and many musicals. He holds a 3rd degree Taekwondo black belt having begin training in his native Korea at age 6.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Quill - Kong Wedding". Garden City News. December 23, 2005. http://www.gcnews.com/news/2005-12-23/Community/Quill__Kong_Wedding.html. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ^ "BEING FIRST NOTHING NEW TO DIRECTOR.". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle Post). April 21, 1998.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243631/".
- ^ [9]
- ^ [10]
- ^ "`Tea' a fragrant blend of comedy, drama". The San Diego Union - Tribune. May 24, 1997.
- ^ CHURNIN, NANCY (Mar 6, 1997). "'FOB,' David Henry Hwang's First, Is Stale". Los Angeles Times.
External links
Categories:- American actors of Asian descent
- American theatre directors of Asian descent
- American film directors of Asian descent
- Living people
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
