Art Lab and ShowTown Productions have announced two virtual, invitation-only readings of the new musical shAme, to be streamed Wednesday, November 18 and Thursday, November 19.
shAme is written by Mark Governor, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, and directed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall. The cast is led by Adam Pascal, James Snyder, and Lilli Cooper, with Jessica Jaunich, Jaygee Macapugay, Kevin McAllister, Kevyn Morrow, Andrew Polec, Aurelia Williams, and Samantha Williams.
Kathleen Marshall said, “I’m so thrilled that we have found a way to continue our development of Mark Governor’s new musical shAme with its beautiful and timely message of tolerance and compassion. Creating an all-virtual reading with our awesome cast has been both challenging and invigorating!”
The presentations of shAme feature music direction by Cynthia Meng; editing by Mindy Elliot, Kevin Tent, and Angela Latimer; photography direction by Howie Michael Smith; and orchestrations by David O. ShowTown Theatricals provides general management. Additional creative team members and a production schedule will be announced at a later date.
This original and evocative sung-through adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale of Hester Pryne and the aftermath of her public punishment for sin, features an eclectic mix of contemporary music styles including rock, pop, folk, roots and soul. Although shAme remains true to the novel and takes place in the same time and Puritanical New England setting, the edgy costume and production design, inventive staging and diverse casting combined with the contemporary score connects the story to our current times, and the resonance to current events and the “Me Too” movement is strong and profoundly moving.
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 