The cast of “ The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow” rehearse at the Temporary Performing Art Center to prepare for the first show of the new season that starts Oct. 21.
“ The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow” which was written by Rolin Jones, was a finalist play for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is about a young genius Chinese girl, Jennifer Marcus, who was adopted from China, and whose parents came to America. She has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and agoraphobia and is afraid to go outside of her house. She is good at the computer and builds a robot (Jenny) to go to China to find her birth mother.
This play is the twenty eighth play that Professor Valorie Grear, the new Theater Department Chair has directed.” I speak to a young audience, which is exciting for us to offer something that they can really relate to,” said Valorie Grear.
Although some of the actors are professional and some of them have are amateurs, they all have to rehearse five days a week to be prepared for their performance.
“ The whole play is very current, and it definitely moves you.” said Jenny Kang, 23, who plays the role of Jennifer. Kang graduated in Theater Arts from UC Berkeley in 2009.
To connect with this character who has mental disease, she visited some of the clinics that treat psychological patients, and talked to the people who actually suffer with these problems.
Cyrus Zoghi, 30, who plays the character of Todd, a pizza delivery guy and the best friend of Jennifer, has worked with Valorie in several plays. Zoghi said the first step for him is to memorize the lines then connect them with the character. Script analysis would be the next step to preparation.
“The character is not an intelligent character, it is opposite of myself, it makes a challenge for me.” Said Zoghi.
This show will perform on Oct. 21-30 and tickets can be reserved by phone from 818-719-6488.