Los Angeles Theatre Center Stages David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and the Railroad
David Henry Hwang’s two-hander play The Dance and the Railroad returns to downtown Los Angeles for a limited run at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. The production marks the first full staging of the work in the city since 1993, when East West Players last mounted the piece. Staged inside a former bank building on Spring Street, the production runs through Nov. 1, 2026, with preview performances starting Oct. 1.
Collaboration Between Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company
The revival is a joint effort between the Latino Theater Company and Artists at Play, marking the fourth collaboration between the two companies in four years. Artists at Play artistic director Katherine Chou leads the production as part of the organization’s 15th-anniversary milestone. Chou chose the play to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary because it addresses the historical realities of nation-building. The production features actors Tony Jin as Lone and Scott Keiji Takeda as Ma, who recently shared the stage in East West Players’ production of Flower Drum Song.
Chinese Laborers Debate Cantonese Opera During Railroad Strike
Set in 1867 during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, the plot follows two Chinese laborers who retreat to a mountaintop during a massive strike involving thousands of workers. Rather than focusing directly on the picket line, the script examines the friction between the pragmatic, tradition-bound Lone and the idealistic, ambitious Ma as they debate the discipline and purpose of Cantonese opera. Hwang wrote the piece to reject submissive immigrant tropes, presenting characters who demand dignity and risk personal safety while weighing the regimented physical demands of industrial railroad labor against the brutal, lifelong training required for traditional performance.
The production connects three distinct time periods: the 1867 setting of the play, the 1981 writing of the script, and the 2026 performance window.
Performance Dates and Ticket Prices at Los Angeles Theatre Center
- Dates: Running through Nov. 1, 2026.
- Location: Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles.
- Cost: $10 for previews and Thursday performances; $48 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances.
- Information: Available through the Latino Theater Company website.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Production
When was the last time The Dance and the Railroad was staged in Los Angeles?
The play was last produced in Los Angeles in 1993 on the stage of East West Players, marking a 33-year gap before the current 2026 revival.
How many collaborations have occurred between Artists at Play and the Latino Theater Company?
The current mounting of the play represents the fourth partnership between the two theater companies over a four-year period.
What historical labor event serves as the backdrop for the play?
The narrative is set against the backdrop of the 1867 Transcontinental Railroad construction, specifically following the historical event where thousands of Chinese laborers walked off the job in a massive collective labor action.
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