In celebration of the Korean Cultural Center’s 30th Anniversary, presented here for the first time are two original dramas by playwrights of Korean heritage.

Korean immigration to America has over one hundred years of history. Building upon the sacrifices and hard work of the 1st generation, the younger generations have thrived contributing greatly to American society. Yet these generations rarely occupy a common cultural ground. This English drama project aims to bring them together to reach a broader audience beyond the usual paradigm of Korean
cultural experience.

In Why Does Jasmine Turn Counter Clockwise?, a veteran playwright Philip Onho Lee asks if life can be encoded from one generation to the next. It is an abstract poetic piece laden with the author’s philosophical contemplation of time, death, and succession of life.

Juxtaposed with this story is a drama of realism, Prodigal Daughter, by Vivian Keh, an exciting new playwright who depicts a daughter’s homecoming after a 5 year absence. Generational conflict is nothing new to the world of drama.