Ma-yi Theater Company fetes theatre legends Ellen Stewart and Cely Carrillo Onrubia

Ma-Yi Theater Company fetes Ellen Stewart, founder of LaMaMa ETC, and Cely Carrillo Onrubia, Broadway veteran with "Leader in the Arts Awards" in New York.

Ellen Stewart, founder of LaMaMa ETC, and Broadway vet Cely Carrillo Onrubia were honored with "Leader in The Arts Awards" on September 19th at the Ma-Yi Theater Company's sixth annual benefit held in the Hilton Trianon Ballroom in New York.

Avant garde theater artist and director Ping Chong, actors Mia Katigbak, Natsuko Ohama, Jose Llana, Nicky Paraiso, Lu Yu, playwrights Han Ong, Lonnie Carter, Jessica Hagedorn and vocalist Thomas Buckner, were among the 200 artists and theater aficinados who gathered for cocktails, a buffet and silent auction to fete these pioneers who have paved the way for artists of color in the theater.

Co-honoree Ellen Stewart is the first non Filipino-American to receive Ma-Yi's "Leader in the Arts Award." Since 1961, Ms. Stewart has been the founding artistic director of LaMaMa ETC, the premiere home for theatrical experimentation. LaMaMa ETC was one of the first Off-Off Broadway theatres to support full time resident companies, such as Ms. Stewart's Great Jones Repertory, and was the first Off-Off company to tour Europe.

Under Ms. Stewart's guidance, LaMaMa ETC has been honored with over 50 Obie Awards, plus numerous Drama Desk, Bessie and Villager awards -- as well as being the first artistic home in the US to artists including Andrei Serban, Mabou Mines, Lee Breuer, Elisabeth Swados, Tom Eyen and others. The company's heritage continues to grow with programs begun by Ms. Stewart in Umbria, Italy, where international understanding is promoted through cultural exchange.

Co-honoree Cely Carrillo Onrubia is a veteran performer of stage and screen. The first Filipino-American performer to portray a lead role on Broadway, Ms. Onrubia was the original replacement of the romantic lead of Mei Li in Broadway's FLOWER DRUM SONG. She went on to portray Mei Li in the national company, touring the U.S. for nearly two years, and perform the role of Liat in SOUTH PACIFIC.

In addition to her stage work, Ms. Onrubia has starred in several television shows, including "Cornet Blue," "The Virginian," and "I Spy," and made appearances on such programs as "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Merv Griffin Show," "Your Hit Parade," and "Captain Kangeroo." She co-starred with Robert Mitchum in the film RAMPAGE, and is featured on the original cast recordings of FLOWER DRUM SONG and HI-FI IN AN ORIENTAL GARDEN.

Past "Leader in the Arts Award" recipients have included Filipino-Americans Jessica Hagedorn, author of DOGEATERS; painter Lenore R.S. Lin; Mia Katigbak, actress and National Asian-American Theatre Company co-founder; actress Ching Valdez; and Michael Dadap, director of the Children's Orchestra Society.

Ma-Yi's 2005 season begins with the Off-Broadway premiere of NO FOREIGNERS BEYOND THIS POINT by Warren Leight, author of the Tony Award-winning play SIDE MAN. Inspired by the playwright's experiences teaching English in Guangdong (Canton), China in 1980, this powerful play follows two young, idealistic Americans who become the first foreign instructors at a small, isolated trade school. Directed by Loy Arcenas, NO FOREIGNERS BEYOND THIS POINT runs September 17 through October 16 at The Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street).

Ralph B. Pea, Artistic Director, and Jorge Z. Ortoll, Executive Director founded the Ma-Yi Theater Company to develop new plays and performances about the Asian-American experience -- challenging the perceptions of what culturally specific theater should be by producing forward-thinking plays by today's emerging playwrights.

Currently in its 17th season, the Company garnered 8 Obie Awards for its production of THE ROMANCE OF MAGNO RUBIO by Lonnie Carter. In 2004, SAVAGE ACTS was the centerpiece of PERFORMING ETHNICITY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND ARTS FESTIVAL, an exploration of perceptions of ethnicity by Ma-Yi and other theater companies. Recent productions include Sung Rno's THE WAVE, THE SQUARE, Han Ong's MIDDLE FINGER, WATCHER, Alice Tuan's LAST OF THE SUNS and Mr. Miyagi's Theatre Company's SIDES: THE FEAR IS REAL.

www.ma-yitheatre.org.