During the California Gold Rush in 1849 and in subsequent years, Nevada County, along with many foothill towns of the Sierra Nevada, had a very vibrant Chinese population. They arrived from southern China in the early 1850s, driven to seek a better life, escaping overwhelming poverty and a civil war (the Taiping Rebellion). While thousands of Chinese mined for gold in the Sierra rivers and streams, they were later recruited in 1863 as the major workforce in building the Central Pacific Railroad.
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Chinatown Rising is a documentary film about the Asian American Movement from the perspective of the young residents on the front lines of their historic neighborhood in transition. Through publicly challenging the conservative views of their elders, their demonstrations and protests of the 1960s-1970s rattled the once quiet streets during the community’s shift in power. Forty five years later, and in collaboration with his son, Josh Chuck, the film presents intimate interviews with these activists recalling their roles and experiences in response to the need for social change.
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The Great Leap segment is about 21 mins. in. Great scene between Saul and Manford and interview with the director Scott Gilbert.
CATS Brings Asian representation to the Nevada County Theatre Scene.
In a couple of years, CATS will be 30 years old! Who would have thought we would last this long certainly not the founders! When CATS first began in 1994, doing theatre was just a “fun” thing to do – certainly not anything serious! Now, almost 30 years later, it has evolved into a vibrant arts and culture organization, serving patrons locally, regionally, and even in the Bay Area. We have been wondering how long this is going to last? What is our next chapter? What does CATS 2.0 look like? Like any responsible organization, we are looking at how we may transition to a “new” generation, seamlessly, if, in fact, that is the direction we would go. CATS is seeking folks who are passionate about the Asian culture and history and supports our mission of cultural diversity and education through Asian-themed theatre, events, and workshops.
If you have the passion and time commitment in helping CATS evolve into the next phase, please share your ideas with Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org.
For me, growing up in San Francisco’s Chinatown, it was family, food, excitement, and remembrance. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year had the same heightened celebration for me as a child.
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If you love theatre and wish to support CATS, please consider a donation of housing to our out-of-town actors. The need for housing would be during rehearsals and production of The Great Leap in 2023 (late-January through May 20th), on select days during this period.
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