Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra
Promoting Cultural Diversity through Multicultural Theater, Events, and Workshops in Western Nevada County
Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008
After our successful production of David Henry Hwang's GOLDEN CHILD in January and February 2008 at the Nevada Theatre, CATS is ready to launch a series of fundraisers this summer, which focus on the cultural aspect of our mission and concurrently raise seed money for our January/February 2009 production (to be announced in the Fall).
This summer's slate includes the following: CATS Goes to the Opera! (We will attend the world premiere of Amy Tan's "Bonesetter's Daughter" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco); CATS Can Cook! Asian Cooking Classes (featuring Taiwanese and Thai cuisine); a bus tour to Gekkeikan Sake in Folsom for sushi-making, sake tour and tasting; a pottery class on Asian teapots at the Mud Hut; a class on Asian-themed gift cards at Creative Cards, Etc.; presenting "Gunpowder Man - Revolution in China; Railroad in American", a play written and directed by Rick Foster; and our 7th Annual Picnic - a Thank-a-Thon - honoring our financial supporters, sponsors, volunteers, patrons, actors, designers, directors, and crew.
Hope to see you all at many of the above events! Thank you for supporting CATS! All registrations will be confirmed with specific details, including addresses and venues where necessary. First-come, first served. Spaces are limited for some events. Have a great summer and do contact me with any questions.
Jeannie Wong Wood
Cultural Program Director and Executive Director
530-265-2990 - H / 916-551-2921 - B
info @ catsweb.org
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CATS CAN COOK!Discovering Culture Through Food |
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Eat Drink Man Woman, Taste of Taiwan with a Chinese Tea Ceremony |
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Sunday, June 1, 2008
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Taught by Nikko Wu
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Taiwanese cuisine is influenced from waves of migrants from all parts of China, mixing it with the exotic flavors of Polynesian tribes.
Another favorite dish is the Three Cups Flavored Spiced Chicken, using sesame oil, rice wine and soy sauce. Other savory ingredients include ginger, garlic and fresh basil. Rounding out the fare is the Seaweed Salad for a fresh look at this mineral and vitamin-rich veggie from the sea! Class is limited to 16. Nikko grew up in a tight knit family in a small rice/bamboo village in Taiwan. She will share fascinating stories of her growing up years as a farmer's daughter, slaving away in the fields, and how she developed her culinary talent (giving lots of credit to her grandmother!). Today, she travels the world over, always carrying her roots close to her heart, and honoring timeless traditions of her homeland. Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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Make An Asian Teapot |
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Tuesdays, June 3 (6-9 p.m.)
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Taught by Rose Shulman and Denise Wey
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Last summer, students at the Mud Hut learned urasenke (the way of the tea). This summer, come learn how to hand-craft your own Asian-style teapot. In a new partnership between the nonprofit Mud Hut and CATS, this class will allow tea enthusiasts to deepen their connection with tea culture while learning some basic ceramic hand-building skills. After you create a basic 2-3 serving artisan teapot, you'll have many options for surface treatments, such as stamping and carving designs inspired by nature, choosing a colorful glaze or patina, and creating a handle from either clay or bamboo. You'll make a set of cups, too. Your friends and family will be amazed you didn't buy it - you made it! Never touched clay before? Worried this might be too difficult? This class is geared for absolute beginners. Veteran ceramic artists/instructors Denise Wey and Rose Shulman will expertly guide you through a simplified process over two class sessions. As is typical at this community ceramics studio, the atmosphere will be relaxed and supportive of creative risk-taking. "Partnering with CATS is exciting and challenging because their cultural enrichment programs are outstanding," says Paul Harrar, manager of the Mud Hut and the School Arts Liaison for the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Office. "This is a unique opportunity to explore Asian culture, ceramic culture and personal creativity. We look forward to bringing some new faces into the Mud Hut!" Class is limited to 20. |
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Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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CATS CAN COOK!Discovering Culture Through Food |
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Thai Cuisine |
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
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Taught by Sopa Savedra and Chanda
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Sopa Thai Cuisine has become an award-winning restaurant featured in Sunset Magazine, and visited by famous sports players and diplomats. Praised and loved by locals alike Sopa Thai is a welcome, "taste of something new and exciting". Thai cuisine is a highly developed art form. Each dish is delicately balanced with numerous herbs & spices. The dishes vary from very mild to very spicy and encompass a wide spectrum of flavors to stimulate the taste buds. Thai culture is one of sharing. In keeping with tradition, family style is recommended when dining. In our class, we will learn about the Thai culture, Thai ingredients, how to cook with them, where to buy them, and how to store them. Sopa will be assisted by her daughter Chanda. Class limited to 30, Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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Asian-Themed Gift Cards |
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
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Taught by Jennifer Cebollero
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Not just card making, and beyond scrapbooking and rubber stamping, Creative Cards, Etc. also offers a wide variety of stencils, stickers, cardstock, printed and imported paper, embellishments, ribbon, "How-to" books and magazines, classes that tap into your creativity, and much more. The class will be making 4 (or 5, time permitting), Asian-influenced cards. All are very different and unique. Come tap into your creative potential and give your friends and families those works of art at special occasions and during holidays. Or for no reason at all! Class is limited to 8 students. Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) presentsGunpowder ManRevolution in China - Railroad in AmericaWritten and Directed by Rick Foster
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$10
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2 Shows: Sunday, August 3, 2008
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"Gunpowder Man" is a story about Tiger Lily, who flees her homeland in China in the midst of turmoil in the 1860's, comes to California, and, disguises as a teenage boy, plants explosives in the high Sierras to blast a path for the Central Pacific Railroad. Journey through the many layers of Tiger Lily's life: the plight of the Chinese during the Taiping Rebellion where 20 million lives were lost in China and her struggle to endure in early California - all wrapped up in a fascinating human story filled with humor and drama. "Actress Jennifer Ly, a Sacramento State student, gives a spunky, winning solo performance that is fresh, energetic and convincing, using an assortment of simple props … well-written, well-grounded in our collective past, and solidly entertaining." (Jeff Hudson, Theatre Critic) "Gunpowder Man" is sponsored by The Union. Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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Sushi-making, Sake Tour & TastingBus Trip to Folsom, California
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This trip is limited to 30. Bus location and details will be confirmed upon registration. Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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CATS 7th Annual Picnic |
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Let CATS celebrate YOU! Be there!"A Thank-You Thon" HonoringCATS' financial supporters, sponsors, volunteers, directors, designers, actors, crew, workshop leaders, and long-term patrons. Please come and let CATS celebrate YOU with food, entertainment, karaoke, and a no-host wine & beer bar. |
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Sunday, September 7, 2008
Free, but spaces are limited and reservations are a must! (Call 530-265-2990 to RSVP or e-mail Jeannie at info @ catsweb.org; admission tickets will be held at the gate). Feel free to bring a friend and introduce them to CATS. |
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Menu
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Activities
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(Note: menu and programming are subject to change) |
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CATS Goes to the Opera!"The Bonesetter's Daughter"Music by Stewart Wallace
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Friday, October 3, 2008
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$130/person
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This opera tells a story of belated intergenerational understanding that leads to emotional healing. A troubled Chinese-American woman learns the horrible secrets of her immigrant mother's past in this touching and terrifying tale, set in both modern day San Francisco and the countryside of China during the tumultuous events surrounding World War II. Composer Stewart Wallace incorporates the timbres and textures of Chinese music into his highly expressive and lyrical score - an American opera with roots in China. Our chartered bus will leave at 3:00 p.m. on Friday from Grass Valley with a stop in Sacramento to pick up more passengers. We will depart San Francisco around 11:30 p.m., returning to Grass Valley at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Leave the driving to us! Rest and snooze on the way down and back! Bring a pillow and a blanket. A great way to unwind and save gas and wear and tear on your car. Brown bag your dinner and sip wine on board. Let's dress up (not required!) and have an extraordinary time at the opera! Our seats are in the "Orchestra Ring" section, ground level. Bus seating limited to 47. Details confirmed upon registration. If you wish to drive on your own, you may still purchase tickets through CATS at our group discount. Contact Jeannie at 530-265-2990 or at info @ catsweb.org. Deadline for registration and payment is August 25. No refunds. Click here for CATS Summer Cultural Enrichment 2008 Registration form |
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Nikko Wu says that this class is for those who have never been to the island of Taiwan and who may have had a little taste of it from watching the sumptuous foodie movie, "Eat Drink Man Woman" (1994 by Academy award director, Ang Lee.)
We begin with a Chinese tea ceremony with tea from Nikko's hometown. Bring your favorite teacup to savor the semi-tropical delicacy. Following tea, we will learn how to make Bamboo Leaves Wrapped Rice, which is rice wrapped and steamed in bamboo leaves and is infused with the flavor of mushroom and Chinese bacon (or other meat/veggie). This dish is especially popular during the Dragon Boat races.
Denise Wey of Penn Valley has been an resident instructor at the Mud Hut since its opening (under the auspices of the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Office) in 2003. A professional landscape painter, jewelry maker and ceramic artist, Denise co-teaches the Mud Hut's ongoing adult class, "Hands In Clay," as well as numerous ongoing clay classes for children. Her varied career teaching and making art spans more than 30 years.
Rose Shulman of Nevada City teaches frequently at the Mud Hut. She specializes in making slab-built, exquisitely carved table lamps, as well as graffito carved sushi plates, saki sets and hand-carved tiles. She studied ceramics and other arts at Chico State and has worked as a professional ceramicist for many years.
Originally from Thailand, Sopaworn "Soupy" Savedra (or Sopa) has lived in the Yuba City area for over 30 years. She had always hoped to see a Thai restaurant open up in that area, and finally decided 4 years ago that she was the one who would open such a restaurant! Capitalizing on its success, she opened the Nevada City restaurant 3 years ago. Both restaurants are doing very well, with the Yuba City restaurant being expanded to include a gift store. Her restaurants are a family affair. She has five grown children and they all help manage the businesses with help from other relatives. Her husband even came out of retirement to lend a hand!
Learn to make one-of-a-kind extraordinary and stunning Asian-themed gift cards for all occasions. Jennifer Cebollero, owner of Creative Cards, Etc., fell into this business of card making rather accidentally. In the late 1990s she began receiving beautiful hand-crafted cards from her very good friend, Patty Lum-Ohmann (CATS Board member). She was intrigued by how they were made, as they were such unique works of art, and definitely not assembly-lined produced. In the ensuing years, Patty invited her over to make some Easter cards, and the rest is now history! Jennifer became hooked! Starting as a hobby, it turned into a home-based business, and gradually it expanded to an office in her husband's business. Earlier this year, Jennifer now has a REAL home that she can call her very own, a store located on Maltman Drive in Grass Valley. 
"Gunpowder Man" is a magnificent tale of hope and betrayal on two continents and where survival in America is based on choosing revenge or forgiveness. Bring the whole family! 
Join CATS in touring this state-of-the-art sake brewery in Folsom, California, and learn about the making of this world-acclaimed sake, which began over 360 years ago in Fushimi, Japan. Sample a variety of imported and domestic sake and plum wine as we learn the secrets of great sushi from a chef from Taiko Sushi Restaurant (we will make Kappa Maki (cucumber rolls) and Taiko Sushi's specialty, "Rocky Roll", with tempura prawn, krab salad, avocado and garnishes). Tap into your creative side and add a personal flare to traditional Japanese cuisine. (No raw fish in class.) All materials and ingredients will be provided for this hands-on experience. Some sushi-making experience desirable, but not required. (All materials provided, but please bring a sharp-edge knife for cutting; no serrated knife.) Be sure to purchase some sake to take home and peruse their gift store for beautiful wares, books, and art. 
Had a bit too much sake? No worries! Leave the driving to us! No - to Durham Transportation (our local school bus and our designated driver). Those under the age of 21 would not be able to partake of the sake tasting, but are welcome to participate in the tour and sushi-making. The beautiful grounds of Gekkeikan include a tranquil Japanese garden and koi pond. 
11:00 am to 4:00 pm (lunch at 12:00 noon)
Join CATS on an evening of glitz to San Francisco as we attend the world premiere opera of Amy Tan's best-selling novel, "Bonesetter's Daughter," at the War Memorial Opera House on Closing Night. Patrons may recall that CATS presented her "Immortal Heart" in 2006 at the Nevada Theatre, a Word for Word Production of San Francisco's Z Space Studio. "Immortal Heart" was an excerpt adapted from the novel.