1. art and entertainment
2. theatre

Volume XX - Number 1
2014-2015
Artistic Director / President’s Message
In early 2014, CATS celebrated our 20th
Anniversary with the Tony award-winning musical,
Miss Saigon, receiving rave reviews from area
critics and audiences alike. It also received five
Elly nominations from SARTA (Sacramento Area
Regional Theatre Alliance) for Best Set Design by
Pamela Hodges, Best Costume Design by Jill
Kelly, Best Lighting Design by Erin Beatie, Best
Sound Design by Chris Christensen and Best
Lisa Moon
Actor by Jared Lee. A huge THANK YOU to the
entire cast, directors, designers and crew for
making our 20th Anniversary show the most memorable to date.
Upcoming in Spring 2015, CATS is proud to present the California
premiere of the New York Times Bestseller, Hotel on the Corner of
Bitter and Sweet, written by Jamie Ford, and adapted and directed by
Annie Lareau from April 16 to May 9, 2015, at the Nevada Theatre in
Nevada City. Hotel is the New York Times Bestseller about a budding
romance between a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl in Seattle, only to
be thwarted by World War II and the Japanese Internment. Hotel is an
historic fiction on the humanity and the injustice of war.
The play is performed in the Book-It Style™, transforming great
literature into great stage productions. Hotel covers forty years with
flashbacks from the 1940s to the 1980s performed by a huge cast of
nearly thirty. It is CATS’ most diverse cast ever with Asians,
Caucasians, and African-Americans, who hail from Nevada City, Grass
Valley, San Francisco, Reno, Seattle and exchange students from
Japan. The cast for Hotel includes Randy Nakano, Kevin M Lin, Lyra
Dominguez, Kai Lin, Michael Lewis, Victoria Sanders, Hock Tjoa,
Lisa Moon, Gordon Sakaue, Olivia Pritchett, Henry Smith, Xochitl
Husted, Ben Hedenland, Devon Douros, Laurence Hughes, Chris
Whitlock, Virgil Wong, Patty Lum-Ohmann, Brett Torgrimson,
Aneka Qing Mei Torgrimson, Ava Pritchett, Mathew Parks, Siyu
Wang.
Tickets to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet make great
gifts. (See page 3)
CATS appreciates your generous donations, which help us continue
to bring to the community productions that are culturally diverse,
entertaining, and educational.
Photography by David Wong
presents
at The Nevada Theatre
401 Broad St., Nevada City, CA
Book by
Jamie Ford
Adapted and
Directed by
Annie Lareau
April, 2015
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
16 7pm ✬ 17 8pm ❖ 18 8pm ▲
24 8pm 25 8pm ■
23 7pm
30 7pm
May, 2015
7 7pm
1 8pm
8 8pm
2 8pm
9 2 & 8pm
Sun.
19 2pm
26 2pm
3 2pm
✬ Final Dress: All Tickets $10
❖ Preview: All Tickets $15
▲ Opening Night with Gala Reception
■ Meet the Author Jamie Ford
Congratulations to the Elly nominees for Miss Saigon
by the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance
(SARTA) in September 2014.
Thursday Evenings:
Advance: $20 $15 (17yrs & under)
Door: $23 $15 (17yrs & under)
Best Male Lead Actor:
Jared Lee
Best Costume Design:
Jill Kelly
Friday, Saturday Evenings and Matinees:
Advance: $23 $15 (17yrs & under)
Door: $25 $15 (17yrs & under)
Best Set Design:
Pam Hodges
For ticket information: www.catsweb.org
or call Jeannie Wood 530-265-2990
Best Lighting Design:
Erin Beatie
Jared Lee as the Engineer in Miss Saigon
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS)
Tickets available in December 2014
at
www.catsweb.org
the Briar Patch
Book Seller in Grass Valley
Best Sound Design:
Chris Christensen
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Director's Notes
Wartime Tragedy in Nanking Still Echoes on
Both Sides of the Pacific, Decades On
When I received the phone call from
CATS that they would like to bring my
adaptation of Jamie Ford’s novel, Hotel
on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, to
Nevada City, I was overjoyed. This
novel, and subsequently this play, has
a great hold over me. When I first was
presented with the idea of adapting the
book into a play, the task seemed overwhelming. How do we capture the story
of the Chinese and Japanese communities that lived in Seattle during World
Annie Lareau
War II? As I forged ahead, I knew that
telling this story was an imperative one and, despite my own
fears of “getting it right”, I must keep going.
The story centers on young Henry Lee, a Chinese boy living
in Seattle and his tumultuous childhood during World War II. His
love and longing for a young Japanese girl named Keiko bridges
us to the 1980s when Henry, now widowed and lonely, discovers
some belongings on the Japanese family that were left behind
during their forced evacuation and internment. This discovery
leads him not only back to his heart but also back to his
estranged son.
Another lovely aspect to this story is young Henry’s love of
jazz and his unlikely friendship with Sheldon, an African-American sax player of the time who becomes like an older brother to
him. Their connection is very deep and loving and also bridges
the decay of time.
When we first did this production in Seattle in 2012, it was
widely celebrated and I hope Nevada City will also embrace it in
the same way. We have cast some wonderful local actors whose
own histories intertwine with those represented in this story. This
play may be a work of fiction, but the history is so much a part of
us all that I am committed to discovering the truth between the
lines. I believe it will be the same for this cast in Nevada City as
it was for those involved with the Seattle production. During our
first rehearsals there, we shared stories of our own families’
immigration to this country. We talked about race and community and the importance of honoring the ancestors in our past.
This was so paramount, in fact, to all of us that in a moment of
silence toward the end of our first rehearsal, one actor leaned in
to everyone and said, “To honor the history of the people we
play, whether we are in actuality of the same ethnicity or not, we
must get it right. We must get it right.” It is my hope that we will
bring you the same passionate performances and the same
powerful telling of our combined histories, that you will walk
away from this play with a renewed sense of importance of our
combined histories and that you, too, will think that we “got it
right.”
Photos from the Seattle production
in 2012 at Book-It Repertory Theatre (www.book-it.org) by AlabastroPhotography.
Jose Abaoag as “young Henry” and
Stephanie Kim as “Keiko”.
Photo by AlabastroPhotography
By Jeff Hudson
Year after year, events that occurred
in China in the 1930s continue to impact
my family life.
During the 1930s, my wife’s grandfather, Miner Searle Bates, was a missionary in China, and a professor at Nanking
University. He stayed when the Japanese Imperial Army took the city in 1937,
and he documented what he witnessed
during what we now call the Rape of
Nanking. After the war, he gave important testimony at the Tokyo war crimes trial.
Like many Americans, Miner Searle Bates left China after the
1949 Revolution. He settled in New York City, and held a various
academic posts. Late in life, he started writing a history of the
Protestant faith in China – a project he was not able to complete. His later years were doubtless frustrating – he was a
China expert, locked out of the country due to the Cold War. He
died in 1978, about four years before I met (and eventually married) his granddaughter.
When my wife and I married in 1985, my father and my wife’s
father naturally conversed, and we realized that Miner Searle
Bates had been my father’s library advisor when my father was
a grad student in the late 1950s.
Then in the 1990s, Iris Chang interviewed my wife’s father
during her research for her book The Rape of Nanking (Miner
Searle Bates comes up several times). And the topic returned in
2004, when Chang (who suffered from depression after publication of the book) took her life. In 2007, my wife, her parents, and
other relatives visited the Nanjing museum that memorializes
those who died in 1937-38 – as descendants of Miner Searle
Bates; they were honored guests.
China also intervened when I served as best man at a Japanese-American friend’s wedding in the 1980s. My friend was a
Watsonville strawberry grower – he proposed to a ChineseAmerican woman from Oakland. Her grandparents were in
China during the Imperial Japanese Army’s brutal occupation…
not in Nanking, but they witnessed other horrors. And the bride’s
grandfather was reticent at the prospect of his granddaughter
marrying a Japanese American. The bride insisted that the
groom’s family had left Japan around 1920, and had been
forced to live in American internment camps during WWII, and
had never seen China. Grandpa eventually gave his blessing.
As a member of the wedding party, I participated in several traditional Chinese customs – during the betrothal, I helped the
groom present the bride’s family with a whole roasted pig (and
we took home “moon cakes”). There were over 400 guests at
the wedding, and the bride and groom received gifts in the form
of money inside decorated red paper envelopes. The bride and
groom entrusted me with the task of promptly depositing the
money (well over $10,000) at their bank; they went on their honeymoon. I dutifully carried through… it was probably the largest
amount of cash I’ve ever carried in my car.
--Jeff Hudson is a longtime arts correspondent with Capital
Public Radio. He has been reviewing CATS productions for
about 18 years.
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Meet Author Jamie Ford
at the Saturday, April 25, Show
Entering its 21st year in 2015, the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) is a nonprofit arts and culture organization whose mission is to provide cultural enrichment and
diversity in the arts through Asian-themed theatre, events, and
workshops. It serves Nevada County, the Sierra Foothills, and
neighboring Sacramento region. It is governed by an eightmember Board of Directors and is the “parent” organization to
the Xiao Mao (Little CATS) Culture Club, whose mission is to
promote the Asian culture to the youth of Nevada County.
CATS is recognized as one of the area’s respected arts and
culture organizations, with its annual theatrical productions garnering rave reviews and awards from the Sacramento Area
Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA). Recent productions have
been Miss Saigon (2014); Journey to the West (2013);
Teahouse of the August Moon (2012); The King and I (2011) and
Snow Falling on Cedars (2010). Its complementary Cultural
Enrichment Series bring in Asian artists and performers from all
over the world from storytelling to kabuki theatre to taiko drumming to the Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Its excursions
include trips to the opera, travels to China and Southeast Asia,
as well as tours to historic sites of Asian internment, such as
Manzanar War Relocation Center and Angel Island in the San
Francisco Bay. Workshops include cooking classes, acting
classes, mahjong, ancestry research, and feng-shui. CATS also
presents documentaries with featured filmmakers for Questions
& Answers on topics such as the adoption of girls from China by
Americans, the plight of present-day Tibetans, and the healing
attributes of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, CATS is
the overseer and caretaker of the Chinese Quarter Monument
in Nevada City, which honors the early Chinese pioneers of the
Sierra Foothills. Last, but not least, it is a member of the
Nevada City Chinese Lunar New Year Festival Committee,
entering its fourth year of celebration in 2015.
Photography by David Wong
CATS is delighted to welcome Jamie Ford, author of
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet on Saturday, April
25, 2015, 8pm, at the Nevada Theatre. Mr. Ford will
speak to the audience after the show and will be signing
his two books, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
and Songs of Willow Frost. His books would be available
for purchase at every show.
Mr. Ford is the great grandson of Nevada mining pioneer, Min Chung, who immigrated from Kaiping, China, to
San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western
name “Ford,” thus confusing countless generations. His
debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,
spent two years on the New York Times Bestseller list and
went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for
Literature. His work has been translated into 34 languages. His new novel, Songs of Willow Frost, was
released in 2013.
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra –
in a Nutshell
Housing Needed for Actors
If you love theatre and wish to support CATS by contributing to the production of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, please consider a donation of housing to
our out-of-town actors. The need for housing would be
during rehearsals (mid-March and April) and during production (April 16 to May 9, 2015). Do you have guest
quarters that you could make available? We prefer housing in Nevada City, Grass Valley, Alta Sierra, or Penn Valley. Please contact Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org
or 530-265-2990 for details. In return, CATS would offer
you comp tickets to the show, recognition in the playbill,
and a sincere appreciation for your generosity!
From L-R: Patty Lum-Ohmann, Lisa Moon, Virgil Wong & Jeannie Wood
Gift Certificates!
Gift certificates for the show
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
make great gifts! Please contact Jeannie Wood at
info@catsweb.org or call 530-265-2990
to purchase.
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Scholarship Winners
CATS Board of Directore
CATS has presented scholarships since 1996 to graduating high
school seniors in western Nevada County, pursuing Theatre Arts in
college. See some familiar names below of those individuals who have
become great artists in our community. Congratulations!
Lisa Moon
Artistic Director & President
2014:
2013
2012:
2011:
2010:
2009:
Jeannie Wood
Executive Director
2008:
2007:
2006:
2005:
2004:
2003:
2002:
2001:
Hock Tjoa
Treasurer
Olivia Pritchett
Secretary
2000:
1999:
1998:
1997:
1996:
Sarah LaPlante
Leah Van Doren
Lisa Brenner
Callie Gilligan
Amanda Jaramillo
Allie Weaver
Layne Austin
Trevor Wade
Emily Switzer
Carmen Brito
Hayley Kaper
Emily Surface
Julie Lipson
Sam Cody Haley-Hill
Brittany Tassone
Sarah Wakida
Corian Po
Crystal Finn
Alexander McGorry
BoMee Rutte
Christine Habblett
Timothy Francis
Christian Barrows
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$300
$300
$300
$300
$150
$150
A Note from Sara LaPlante
CATS 2014 Scholarship Recipient
Virgil Wong
Allison Chan
David Wong
Patty Lum-Ohmann
Happy Birthday Virgil !!
70 - the new 29!
Mission Statement
From L-R: Patty Lum-Ohmann, Jeannie Wood, Virgil Wong,
Karen Freeman & David Wong
The Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) is
dedicated to promoting cultural diversity through quality
multicultural theater, events, and workshops. Through these
avenues, CATS seeks to enrich the cultural climate of the Sierra
Foothills, Nevada County, Sacramento County, and other regional
communities in northern California with works on Asian-based
themes. Its mission is artistic and educational. CATS seeks to
expand the study of multiculturalism in the schools and to be a
resource on Asian culture and history. CATS welcomes
participation from Asians and non-Asians alike whose interest is in
ethnic theater and multicultural arts and activities.
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Xiao Mao Culture Club
Little CATS
By Juli Marks
CATS popular Youth Program, the Xiao Mao (Little CATS) Culture Club, is pleased
to report that its third annual summer camp for kids (ages 6 – 12) was a huge success!!
The camp, held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, kept 16 kids happy & busy for one
week in June. Camp counselors and volunteers from the community provided a wide
range of amazing activities such as: Juggling with Barry Friedman, Kung Fu with Robert
Phillips, Asian cooking with Kwong Chew, calligraphy and Mandarin language with
Nikko Wu, Cynthia Tai and Gloria Novak as well as Ribbon Dancing with Margaret
Yen-Chuang. Woven into all of these fun activities, was a lot of hard work. The kids, led
by Allison Chan, put on a production of a play titled, “The Seven Chinese Siblings”.
Based on the children’s book “The Seven Chinese Sisters”, the play told the story of a
hungry dragon who captures the youngest of a family of seven children. The rest of the
kids then use all of their special talents to rescue their sibling. They end up taking pity on
the poor, hungry dragon and invited it to a big festival in the village where it enjoys 6th
sister’s famous noodle soup. Families & friends enjoyed the play performance on the last
day of camp, which was followed by a real festival with food (Way Yum Sushi) and merriment! One parent was impressed by the “elegant production” and was so proud of her
daughter’s performance. But camp participant Delaney Sherr (age 8) said it best when
she remarked to her mother, “I wish I could come next week too! Why does it have to end
so soon?” Look for Summer Camp 2015, Delaney!
This Autumn, Xiao Mao (Little CATS) Culture Club will be turning its attention to providing cultural enrichment for the schools of Nevada County. We are already planning a
program for Grass Valley Charter School as well as other area schools. Is your child’s
classroom interested in having a Chinese New Year celebration? Call us for a customed
enrichment program!
Xiao Mao Culture Club’s mission is to provide Asian culture to Nevada Co. youth
through enrichment programs. Look for us at CATS annual Chinese New Year event,
where we will host a kid’s craft area!
Looking for Mandarin lessons for your child taught by native speakers? Call Xiao Mao
for a referral.
www.xiaomaoclub.org, 530-210-5043, info@xiaomaoclub.org
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Xiao Mao Campers Having Fun!
1. Back Row: Eli Barbieri, Jakob Frederickson, Lian Trowbridge, Julia Barbieri, Aneka
Torgrimson, Matt Parks, Malia Groome. Middle Row: Baraka Anderson, Eric Monax,
Mei Lin Heirendt, Ella Frederickson, Grace Gallup. Front Row: Olivia Samson, Kate
Fore, Ava Torgrimson, Delaney Sherr
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2. Jugglers Mei Lin Heirendt and Ella Frederickson
3. Olivia Samson painted a Chinese character on a program for the play
4. Making Spring Rolls with Kwong Chew
5. Aneka Torgrimson displays her Ming Vase artwork
6. Going over the script with Allison Chan
7. Ribbon Dancing with Margaret Yen-Chuang
8. Kung Fu with Robert Phillips
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2
1
8
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Photography by David Wong
Highlights of 2014
Oct. 26-Nov. 13, 2014: CATS traveled to Southeast Asia in its
“Beyond Miss Saigon” trip. A great time was had by all in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The group at Angkor Wat
in Cambodia, South East Asia, on November, 2014.
From L-R: Patty Lum-Ohmann, David Wong, Jeannie Wood,
Lisa Moon and Virgil Wong.
Aug. 3, 2014: CATS was nominated for five Elly awards for Miss
Saigon by SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance). The nominations were for “Best Male Actor” (Jared Lee),
“Best Set Designer” (Pam Hodges), “Best Costume Designer”
(Jill Kelly), “Best Lighting Designer” (Erin Beatie), and “Best
Sound Designer” (Chris Christensen).
Sept. 20-22, 2014: CATS held auditions for its Spring 2015 production, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet at the
Nevada Theatre.
Sept. 18, 2014: Hock Tjoa, Treasurer of CATS, spoke at Firebelles, the women's auxiliary at Lake of the Pines in South
Nevada County, promoting CATS’ productions and cultural
events.
June 15, 2014: The community never tires of Puccini’s Madame
Butterfly. This was our second trip to see Madame Butterfly at
the San Francisco Opera House over the years. This particular
production had a more contemporary “look” to the classic opera,
which some loved and some found “interesting.” Among the 20
people attending Madame Butterfly at the War Memorial Opera
in San Francisco, on June 15, 2014, were (from Left to right
below) Madelyn Helling, Jeannie Wood, Barbara Dymond, Rose
Wander-Littau, Jill Thompson, and Harry Wander (From left to
right below)
Sept. 13, 2014: Back by popular demand, CATS presented a
beginner’s Mahjong Workshop at the Houser Room at the
Nevada County Superintendent of Schools. Four tables of sixteen players became skillful at this ancient Chinese tiles game
of ingenuity. Many thanks to coaches Tillie Ng, Yoshi Sargent,
Gordon Sakaue, Dave Ohmann, and Ernie and Saulan
Heung.
From L-R: Patty Lum-Ohmann, Gordon Sakaue, Yoshi Sargent, Ernie Heung,
Tillie Ng, Virgil Wong, Saulan Heung, Dave Ohmann & Jeannie Wood.
Aug. 26, July 29, and July 22, 2014: CATS presented eight
documentary films in three evenings on “Ancestors in the Americas: The History and Legacy of Asians in the Americas,” at the
Madelyn Helling Library. The films focused on the Asian Pacific
American Experience and History and were produced by the
late Loni Ding and the Center for Educational Telecommunications, Inc. “I didn’t know that!” (about Asians) was a comment
often whispered at these screenings, as these historic facts
were not generally taught in the schools.
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Photography by Menlo MacFarland
June 8, 2014: CATS, along with Sierra Friends of Tibet, presented the documentary, Little Tibet 2, by Sonam Antjatsang, a
moving sequel to his original film, Little Tibet at the Nevada Theatre. Little Tibet 2 chronicles his journey to the forbidden kingdom of Mustang. Questions and answers by the director
followed the screening.
From L-R: Virgil Wong, Jeannie Wood, Sonam Antjatsang,
Patty Lum-Ohmann, Lisa Moon and Allison Chan
included Grass Valley Taiko, Xiao Mao (Little CATS) Culture
Club, Body Balance, dance and tea ceremony by Lily Zhu,
Barry Friedman (with son and friend), cooking demonstration
by Kwong Chew, and numerous exhibitors, and scrumptious
food prepared by Kwong Chew of Asia.
Photography by David Wong
Photography by David Wong
June 17 and Sept 10, 2014: Chinese Monument cleanup day
on Commercial Street in Nevada City. Many thanks to Virgil
Wong, Hock Tjoa, David Wong, Jick Icasiano, Juli Marks and
Mei Lin Heirendt. We’re always looking for help with cleanup
and beautification of this beautiful piece of public art, honoring
our Chinese pioneers in the Sierra Foothills. Contact Jeannie
Wood at info@catsweb.org if you can help next time. Landscaping skills a plus!
From L-R: Virgil Wong, Jeannie Wood, Hock Tjoa,
Jick Icasiano and David Wong.
May 29, 2014: CATS presented Sarah LaPlante, a graduating
high school senior at Bear River High School, with a $500 scholarship to study the Performing Arts in college.
Photography by David Wong
April 10 – May 10, 2014: CATS produced the Tony-award winning musical, Miss Saigon. Miss Saigon was directed by Susan
Mason with musical direction by Susan Mason and Jeffrey
Mason. Over 3,000 patrons enjoyed this mega “rock opera.”
In front center: Jeannie Wood, Patty Lum-Ohmann, Kwong Chew, Virgil
Wong with the Eastern Ways Martial Arts and Lion Dancers.
A Note From The Editor
I am excited to present to you our 20th annual newsletter
about the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS).
A method of communication is vital, and this newsletter is a
way to keep you informed of the ongoing activities. CATS is a
fast growing organization with members throughout Nevada
County and its surrounding areas.
In this newsletter you’ll find many fascinating articles
stemming from upcoming productions, auditions, social
events, recipes, workshops, fundraisers, community outreach
programs, articles from our Board of Directors and much
more. We invite you to contribute articles, comments, and
suggestions.
--- Patty Lum-Ohmann
Board of Directors
Artistic Director/President:
Lisa Moon
Secretary:
Olivia Pritchett
Treasurer:
Hock Tjoa
Board Members:
Virgil Wong
David Wong
Allison Chan
Patty Lum-Ohmann
The cast and crew of Miss Saigon
March 26, 2014: Jeannie Wood, along with Jeffrey Mason,
April Lam, and David Holmes of the Miss Saigon team, presented a program to the Newcomers Club at the Alta Sierra
Country Club. The program included music and duets by April
Lam (“Kim”) and David Holmes (“Chris”), a commentary contrasting Miss Saigon and Madame Butterfly by Jeffrey Mason,
and the history, programming, and future of CATS by Jeannie
Wood.
March 12, 2014: Jeannie Wood reprised her cooking class
from 2013 for Briar Patch at the Briar Patch Community Kitchen
on Vietnamese cooking in promotion of Miss Saigon.
Feb. 9, 2014: CATS, one of the producers of the Nevada City
Chinese New Year Festival, welcomed the Year of the Horse.
Due to rain, the Parade and Festival was moved indoors to Miners Foundry. Over 300 people in spite of the rain enjoyed a
wonderful celebration. Many thanks to Eastern Ways Martial
Arts for the Lion Dancing and to our local entertainers that
Executive Director:
Jeannie Wood
Mail:
P.O. Box 1266
Grass Valley, CA 95945-1266
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Phone: (530) 273-6362
Fax: (530) 273-5541
E-mail: catsweb@pacbell.net
Website: www.catsweb.org
The History of the
Chinese Monument in Nevada City
THE INGENIOUS JUDGE DEE
By, Jeannie Wood
By Hock G. Tjoa
For those who are not familiar with the history of the
Chinese Monument on Commercial Street, planning for it
began in the 1990s by a group of citizens and businesses in
downtown Nevada City that wanted to bring more vibrancy
and tourists to that area of town. They feel a piece of public
art, like the Chinese Quarter Monument, would be such an
attraction to tie history and culture together and pay tribute to
the early Chinese pioneers. Commercial Street was the old
Chinese Quarter during the Gold Rush. CATS was asked to
be a part of developing this project. This project received a
grant from the U.S. Forest Service, and it was administered by
the now defunct Nevada City Arts Council. Besides CATS,
constituents included the Nevada City Chamber of
Commerce, Nevada City Council, Nevada City Public
Works, Nevada County Arts Council, and numerous
businesses and individuals that included Dix Sullivan, Jick
Icasiano, Robert Buhlis, Austin Farrar, Anita Wald-Tuttle,
Ruth Poulter, Wally Hagaman, and others. A committee
was formed called the “Chinese Quarter Society.” It
recruited architects to draw up plans, and it enlisted guidance
from Philip Choy, a distinguished architect from San
Francisco and historian of Chinese history. The City
earmarked two parking spaces for the Monument during the
construction of the Commercial Street parking lot. It took
years to build this structure as the Committee went through
two plans and architects in order to have the Monument as
authentic as possible. It held fundraisers, in which CATS was
the fiscal receiver. Every step of the way, it needed City
approval as well as approval from the Planning Commission.
It was a long and arduous process, but alas, in September,
2005, the Monument was dedicated and the ceremony at the
parking lot, attended by hundreds, included speeches by
dignitaries and City government and entertainment by
Chinese Lion dancers and Grass Valley Taiko.
Today, the Monument needs tender loving care on a
regular basis, and it seeks volunteers to keep it spruced up for
generations to come! If you are interested, please contact
Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org.
From L-R: Juli Marks, Mei Lin Heirendt and Virgil Wong
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A double homicide, a "reluctant"
corpse, a bride poisoned on her wedding
night--all taking place in a small county,
one of fifteen hundred in Tang dynasty
China, and all demanding investigation
and judicial response within a month!
Judge Dee deals with these cases with
his usual investigators and with his
customary aplomb, even though he is
himself under investigation by an Imperial
Censor. He is unorthodox in his choice of investigators
(former bandits and a female ex-cat burglar) and one of his
suspects is a voluptuous woman who alleges harassment on
the part of the authorities. He may also have stepped on
some toes of the local gentry.
What is an upright civil servant to do?
There actually was a Judge Dee, although he was not a
judge. His name was Di Renjie (d. 700 A.D.) and he served in
the Tang Imperial Civil Service starting as “magistrate,” a
position akin to that of the District Officers who served in the
British Empire during the 19th century; he rose eventually to
ministerial rank. These bureaucrats had vast powers, limited
only by the territory over which they could exercise them.
They represented the Imperial Court in village, county, town,
city, province or empire. Like fathers over their households,
Roman paterfamilias, and the Emperor over the Empire, they
were judge and jury, investigator and prosecutor, with the
power of life and death.
They were “kept in line” by the ubiquitous imperial
censors, itinerant officials who collected complaints against
negligent or abusive officials. Complaints may be filed with
these censors or sent as petitions to an official higher up in
the chain of command.
“Judge” and “Censor” are imperfect translations of their
titles. Naturally, one should also not expect these officials to
adhere to the protocols of crime scene investigations or rules
of courtroom procedures in the modern American or the
modern Chinese legal systems.
The stories now known as the Judge Dee mysteries are
mostly the work of a gifted Dutch diplomat, Robert van Gulik,
who in 1949 published The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee.
“Detective novels” featuring other judges from China’s
history abound and some were even more popular there than
those involving Judge Dee. Nevertheless, I have chosen to
adapt The Celebrated
Cases because these
stories initiated the whole
endeavor in English. Van
Gulik published more than a
dozen other stories
featuring Judge Dee. Other
authors of Judge Dee
stories include Frédéric
Lenormand, Zhu Xiao Di,
and Sven Roussel, but we
owe the popularity of these
“cozy mysteries” in English
mostly to van Gulik.
The play will, I hope, be
presented as “Reader’s
Theater” some time in 2015.
Cultural Enrichment 2015
By Jeannie Wood
Wonton Cooking Class at the Briar Patch Community Kitchen in Nevada City
Thursday, February 26, 2015, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
In celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year – the Year of the Sheep -- Jeannie Wood, Executive Director of
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS), would be teaching a cooking class on her favorite food –
wontons! Wontons are versatile. They can be eaten as a main dish, a side dish, or as appetizers. Learn a variety
of ways to fold wontons and her own special recipe for a pork and shrimp filling steeped in a sizzling ginger and
onion-infused broth. A simple, but robust, sweet and sour sauce adds “zing!” to fried wontons as appetizers. A
savory sauce of fermented black soy beans, topped with vegetables, adds another twist to these mininature
dumplings. Registration at www.briarpatch.coop.
Nevada City Chinese Lunar New Year Festival, Sunday
March 8, 2013, 12:00-3:00pm:
The Nevada City Chinese Lunar New Year Festival welcomes the Year of the Sheep, on Sunday,
March 8, 2014, in Nevada City. Chinese New Year Festivals are rare in rural communities, and we
are proud to present this celebration, our fourth year in a row. The community parade begins at
12:00 noon at the Chinese Monument on Commercial Street (the old Chinese Quarter), led by
ceremonial Lion Dancers from Eastern Ways Martial Arts of Sacramento. The mini parade
entourage, which includes community entries, will make its way down Commercial Street and end at
the Robinson Plaza where the Lion Dancers will spearhead an afternoon of Asian culture and
entertainment. Food would be available for sale on Union Street. The Festival is seeking volunteers
for the following: set up, strike, parade parole (on Commericial and Union streets), food service, and
clean up. Please contact Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org or at 530-265-2990. The Festival is
also seeking sponsors. Please partner with us in bringing this family-friendly celebration once again
to the community. Sponsorships of $100 and above are appreciated. Please contact Jeannie
Wood at info@catsweb.org or at 530-265-2990 for sponsorship opportunities.
Beginning and Intermediate Mahjong Classes
Summer or Fall 2015
Back by popular demand, CATS is offering a Beginning Mahjong class and an Intermediate
Mahjong class sometime in the summer or fall of 2015. Mahjong is the centuries-old tiles game,
originated in China, that is played worldwide. Stay tuned for dates, venues, and prices. Classes will
be posted on www.catsweb.org when scheduled. Contact Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org or
530-265-2990 to be put on the class list. CATS will be teaching the traditional Chinese method. The
Beginning class is recommended for those with little or no playing experience or for those who need
a refresher course. The Intermediate class is for those who regularly play the Chinese method and
who wish to learn scoring and strategies.
Taiko Sensation Kenny Endo’s 40th Anniversary Tour with Special Guests from Japan and America
Coming to the Miners Foundry Fall 2015.
Mark your calendars! The Miners Foundry Cultural Center and Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra are
co-presenting the 40th Anniversary Tour of Taiko Master, Kenny Endo, at the Miners Foundry in the Fall of 2015. He
will be touring with some of the greatest musicians from Japan and the U.S., who have helped to pioneer the EastWest fusion found in his contemporary compositions. The concert will include elements of traditional Japanese music,
jazz improvisation, and new works for contemporary taiko. Tickets would be available at www.minersfoundry.org
beginning Spring 2015.
“His ability to interweave traditional taiko style with jazz drumming has enabled him to create an incredibly dynamic
style … that captivated the audience … literally breathtaking.” – The Grateful Web, NY
Asian Market Shopping and Dim Sum Lunch
Coming Summer or Fall 2015
Ever been to an Asian market and wished you knew what all those food items were on the shelves?
Well, wonder no more, as CATS will lead a field trip to Sacramento for this day of exciting culinary
exploration! We will first enjoy a dim sum lunch at a restaurant in Sacramento, where you would taste a
variety of scrumptious morsels of savory dumplings that are steamed or pan-fried and served family
style with tea. Meat and seafood dishes are served. Then we will go to 99 Ranch Market and break into
pods of 4 or 5, each with a group leader. With your shopping basket in tow, you will go down aisles and
be fascinated by the variety of foods from all over Asia, including Asian deli hot food, produce, and
desserts. Shop at your whim! We will conclude the day with a tea tasting at the Market. CATS does not
promise that we know everything about Asian food and ingredients, but we will do our best. We will
carpool to Sacramento. Lunch would probably cost $20-$25. A copy of “Simple Guide to Chinese
Ingredients and other Asian Specialties” by Martin Yan is available for $5 from CATS. Feel free to bring a cooler for your perishables on the
way home. CATS is taking sign-ups and we would advise when the trip would be scheduled. Trip would be limited. Contact Jeannie
Wood at info@catsweb.org or 530-265-2990 to be put on the list.
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Trip to Manzanar War Relocation Center, Mono Lake, and Bodie State Park,
Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, 2015, in the Eastern Sierra.
Manzanar War Relocation Center:
In expanding our experience of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, CATS is planning
an overnight trip to Manzanar, which was one of ten camps at which Japanese American citizens
and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II. Located at the foot of the
majestic Sierra Nevada in eastern California's Owens Valley, Manzanar has been identified as
the best preserved of these camps.
With a ranger-led tour on Sunday morning, we will learn about the experience of the Japanese Americans at Manzanar. Inside the Manzanar Visitor Center, there are extensive exhibits, a
22-minute film and a bookstore. Adjacent to the Visitor Center is Block 14 with two reconstructed
barracks and a mess hall with exhibits. Exam remnants of orchards, eleven recently excavated
rock gardens and ponds, building foundations, and the camp cemetery.
Mono Lake:
As we head on home on Sunday, we will be making a quick stop at Mono Lake, an oasis in
the dry Great Basin and a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. For over 30
years, the Mono Lake Committee has been working to protect Mono Lake from destruction, to
heal the damage done in the Mono Basin, and to educate the public about the natural environment and wise water use.
Bodie State Park:
After Mono Lake, we will swing by Bodie State Park and explore a “ghost town of the wild
West,” the real-life setting of the California gold rush. From 1877 to 1888, Bodie was a bustling
town with more than 10,000 residents and produced more than $35 million in gold and silver. Today, with the gold mining days of California
a distinct memory, there are only 170 wooden buildings still standing and in a state of “arrested decay.” Peek in the windows of the church,
schoolhouse, barbershop and saloon, where bottles, desks and other relics remain, as well as remnants of an old Chinatown.
Hotel Lodging: Lone Pine, CA:
We will be staying overnight at the Dow Villa Motel at Lone Pine, just minutes from Manzanar. As we travel along Highway 395 in the
Eastern Sierra, be captivated by the majesty of Mt. Whitney in the distance and the Alabama Hills, which were famous settings of old
Westerns and TV commercials. Stand in the footsteps of John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Clint Eastwood
where they filmed classics such as “Tycoon”, “High Sierra”, “Boots and Saddles”, “Joe Kidd”, and Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man”. As we
wander in the town of Lone Pine, be sure to stop by and visit the Lone Pine Film History Museum.
To Register:
The cost is $225/per person. Fee includes round trip bus, hotel accommodations, driver gratuity and driver hotel room. Free admission at Manzanar and Mono Lake (donations accepted) and $5 admission to Bodie State Park. We are on our own for meals. Bring a
cooler for your snacks, food, and drinks.
Itinerary: Sunday, July 19, 2015 (approximate times):
Itinerary: Saturday, July 18, 2015 (approximate times):
1. Depart Grass Valley at 7:00 a.m.; location to be advised.
1. Breakfast on your own; pack a lunch for the day.
2. No-host lunch at Erick Schat's Bakkery in Bishop, 12:30–2:00
p.m. (Note: they have great breads, baked goods, salads, and
sandwiches!).
2. Leave for Manzanar at 9:00 a.m. for a ranger-led tour; you will
have time to explore on your own.
3. At 12:00 p.m., we will depart for Mono Lake for a short visit;
arrive Mono Lake at 2:00 p.m..
3. Arrive at Eastern California Museum at 3:00 p.m. in Independence.
4. Depart Mono Lake at 3:00 p.m. for Bodie State Park.
4. Arrive Lone Pine at 4:00 p.m. and visit Lone Pine Film History
Museum.
5. Arrive at Bodie at 4:00 p.m.; $5 admission; visit on your own.
6. Depart Bodie at 6:00 p.m.
5. Check into Dow Villa Motel at 5:00 p.m.
7. Dinner on our own on the way home; might be fast food.
6. Dinner on our own.
8. Estimated time of return to Grass Valley: 10:30-11:00 p.m.
Registration Form:
Name: _______________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________
Phone (home):____________________(cell): ________________
Cost: $225 (double occupancy; $265 single occupancy)
Roommate’s Name: ____________________________________
Roommate’s Address: __________________________________
Roommate’s Email: ____________________________________
Roommate’s Phone (home): ____________ (cell): ____________
Cost: $225 (double occupancy)
--If you wish to drive on your own and meet us at the hotel, please contact Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org or at 530-265-2990 for the
cost of the hotel portion.
--Trip is limited to 34. First come, first served.
Please send form and check payable to CATS, P.O. Box 1266, Grass Valley, CA 95945. All reservations will be confirmed.
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CATS Contributors as of October 2013 to October 2014
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) acknowledges the generosity and financial support of the following
individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations whose donations have helped CATS achieve its goals.
The CATS’ Meow ($3,000+):
Gloriette Fong
Lion ($2,000 +):
Susan and Tom Hopkins; Lowell & Diane Robertson Family Foundation;
SierraFoodWineArt (Jeff and Shannon Pelline
Tiger ($1,000 to $1,999):
Capital Public Radio; The Union
Jaguar ($500 to $999):
B&C True Value Home & Garden Center (Greg Fowler ); Susie & Dave Bavo; Tom Cunningham; Foothill Flowers;
Larry & Barbara Friedlander; KNCO; New Moon Café (Buzz Crouch & Peter Selaya); RW Baird (Ken Meyers); Beverly Riddle;
SPD Market (Dave Painter); Verizon Foundation (David Holmes)
Panther ($250 to $499):
Sheila Baker; Jerry & Beth Biagini; John & Valerie Bush & DST Systems; Bob & Margo Casselberry; Allison Chan & Grant Weller; Cecelia Chan;
Judith Ciphers; Edward & Barbara Clegg; Juli Dieter; Wendy Hartley; Sunya & Scot Hutchison; Aileen James; Joseph Lam; Jonathan Lee;
Mirriam Jones; KVMR; Charles Lindquist; Peter Mason & Ken Getz; Dr. Lisa Moon & Dr. Jerry Chan; Newcomers of Nevada County;
Northern Queen Inn; Keith & Shirley Porter; Olivia & Jon Pritchett; Wendy Rosky & Texas Instruments; Margaret Saito;
Ruth & Richard Schwartz; Hock & Alexis Tjoa; Carolyn & Gary Twing; Virgil Wong & Karen Freeman; Jeannie Wood
Leopard ($100 to $249):
Jane Bielefelt; Janice & Jake Bronson; Robert & Louise Chan; Sharon & Tom Davisson; Fred Forsman; John & Patricia Galle;
Lance & Joan Goddard; Ross & Maiya Gralia; Madelyn Helling; Robin & Duane Hintz; Shirley Hunziker; Jeffrey Kane & Veronica Paul;
Ingrid & Warren Knox; Wing & Betty Lee; Stanley & Donna Levin; Jon & Nancy Lum; Jeffrey & Susan Mason; Yvette MacPhee;
Janine Martin; Larry & Carolyn McGrath; Patty & Dave Ohmann; Gretchen Serrata; Audrey Ohlson Smith; Mary & James Stradinger;
Mary Sutow; Mabel Tinloy; Eric Tomb; Mas & Ann Tsuda; Craig & Barbara Uchida; Bill Vicars; Maudie Walker; Lily Wong & Phil Semler;
Nelson & Lea Wong; Elizabeth Worth
Cheetah ($50 to $99):
Dianne Marie Anderson; Janis & Robert Bumgarner; Viki & Jim Brake; Robert & Maxine Braude; Priscilla Covert; Jeff Davis;
Sandra Davison & William Wilson; Robin Denegri; Glennis Dole; Richard Drace, in Honor of Lucy Becker; Susan Dunn; Desmond Gallagher;
Hindi Greenberg; Russell Hamilton; Nancy Johansen; Eileen Leung; Philip Lieberman; Katherine Matsumura; Michele & Clyde Melander;
Deborah Morawski; Jean Poulsen; George Rice; Gordon Sakaue; Ernie & Jenny Takahashi; Ken & Deborah Suzuki; Mick & Kathy Tuttle;
Mary J. Wamser; Carol Young
Lynx ($25 to $49):
Rosalie Baker; Tim Brennan; Frank & Karen Chizek; Don & Fran Foster; Linda Frost; Custis Haynes; Susan McGuire;
Jerome & Bernice Pressler; Joyce Regan-Goar; Robin Reves; Linda Roemisch; Jan & Steve Roth; Karen & Larry Schwartz;
Marilyn Shulman & Alan Trood; Norma Sexton; Kathryn Tovatt; Anita Tuttle; Helen Williamson; Glenda Zanone-Burak
Tabby ($10):
Nancy Bascom; Carol Berry; Claudia Conklin; John Egan; Steven Fernald; Leonard Gaydos; Michael Haggarty; Jerry Henderson; Ronald Herr;
Barbara Kruger; Ellen Lapham; Ellen Macdonald; Laurence McWaters; Linda & Miguel Martinez; Larry Miller; George Morin; Pamela Mowry;
James Mullin; Michele Nisbit; Jeffrey Pare; Erik Pihl; Mary Queener; George Scarmon; Insoon Shin
Our sincere appreciation to any contributors who donated after Oct. 2014.
Your donations will be formally recognized in the program for “Hotel on the Courner of Bitter and Sweet.”
Fund Drive
In times when funding for the arts is becoming
scarce, the need for membership funding becomes
more important than ever.
We know many of you question how your donation dollars are being used. Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) uses its membership dues
primarily to support the daily administrative functions
of the organization, and supplements the expenses
of its events and workshops.
We hope you will send in your donation with this
form and become a member of the Community
Asian Theatre of the Sierra. Your donation is tax
deductible to the extent allowable by law and you will
be playing an integral part of CATS’ continuing existence and growth. Thank you for supporting CATS.
A big THANK YOU to all who supported us last
year!
Please make checks payable to:
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS)
P.O. Box 1266
Grass Valley, CA 95945-1266
Contributors/Sponsors of
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS)
Name:______________________________________________
Company:___________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________________________
E-Mail:_______________________________________________
Amount of Donation:$___________Thank you for your generosity!!!
Would you like to be actively involved with CATS?
Areas of interests -
‰ Directing
‰ Acting
‰ Lighting
‰ Sound
‰ Backstage
‰ Publicity/Marketing
‰ Make-up Design
‰ Hair Design
‰ Set Design
‰ Choreography
‰ Costumes
‰ House Manager
‰ Stage Manager
‰ Graphic Design
‰ Other:
Need To Contact Us?
P.O. Box 1266, Grass Valley, CA 95945-1266
Phone: (530) 273-6362
Fax: (530) 273-5541
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E-mail: catsweb@pacbell.net
Website: www.catsweb.org
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P.O. Box 1266
Grass Valley, CA 95945-1266
Steamed Cakes
Submitted by Patty Lum-Ohmann
Steamed Sponge Cake
Steamed Savory Egg Cake
4 Tablespoon minced, sauteed shallots
1/3 lb. chopped lean pork
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups sifted flour
Baking pan (10 5/8” x 12” x 2 3/8”)
Parchment paper
5 eggs
1 ½ cups brown sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
5 drops vanilla extract
½ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Baking pan (10 5/8” x 12” x 2 3/8”)
Parchment paper
Beat eggs and brown sugar until thick and cream colored,
about 5 minutes; add evaporated milk, vanilla, melted butter,
baking soda and beat for 1 minute.
Sift flour and baking powder and fold into egg mixture.
Line the baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter
into the lined pan and place it in a steamer. Steam for 30 minutes
over high heat. Remove and allow to cool; slice and serve.
Baking soda may be omitted; however, the cake will not rise
as much and will be “doughy”.
This cake is Cantonese style. It is available at Chinese
restaurants that serve snacks.
Heat the wok then add 1 tablespoon oil. Stir-fry chopped pork
until color changes; add soy sauce and sugar and stir-fry, remove
from heat.
Beat eggs and sugar until fairly stiff (at least 10 minutes); fold
in the flour.
Line the pan with parchment paper; pour one half of the batter
into the pan and spread it evenly. Place the pan in a steamer and
steam for 8 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with half of the
shallots and pork. Pour the rest of the batter evenly over the
steamed cake. Sprinkle with the rest of the shallots and pork;
return to steamer and steam for 8 minutes. Remove, slice, and
serve. This is Taiwanese style cake. The savory taste and salty
meat on top of the cake make this cake unique.
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Recipes from: “Chinese Snacks”