Stephanie Wong in Other Inland Empires. Photo: Tim Matheson
Other Inland Empires
A California-born Jew travels to a landlocked country to learn to surf.
Dick Dale plays in the backseat of a too hot car.
The smell of the beach.
Shimmering between here/now, then/there, this place/another place, Other Inland Empires is a new stage performance that traces the Jewish roots of surf culture from Europe to California and back again. Pop music meditations, inflatable palm trees, slow dances, and untold family stories mix with playful humour, seagulls, and the one and only Gidget.
Artistic Team (2019):
Written & directed by Julie Hammond
Performed by Stephanie Wong, Dominique Hat, Bana Biltaji, and Matthew Ariaratnam
Sound design: Matthew Ariaratnam
Scenic design: Robert Leveroos
Lighting design: Gillian Hanemayer
Dramaturg / Expert Jew: Caroline Liffmann
Stage Manager: Xin Xuan Song
Press:
Portland Monthly - Other Inland Empires surfs from SoCal to Slovakia
The Peak - Shimmering with Julie Hammond and Other Inland Empires
Vancouver Presents - Surfing and the Holocaust Intersect
Artistic Team (2017-18):
Written & directed by Julie Hammond
Performed by Amanda Sum, Nicola Rough, Montserrat Videla, and Dominique Hat
Sound design: Matthew Ariaratnam
Scenic design: Robert Leveroos
Lighting design: Gillian Hanemayer
Dramaturg / Expert Jew: Caroline Liffmann
Technical direction: Jocelyn Kim
Stage Manager: Rita Wei
Past Performances:
June 26-30, 2019 at Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR
May 22-26, 2019 at the Cultch Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC - presented by the 2019 rEvolver Festival
July 12-15, 2018; Z Below, San Francisco, CA - part of the 2018 FURY Factory Festival of Devised and Ensemble Performance
October 5-7, 2017; Studio T at Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancouver, BC
