Be Like Water

{{Infobox play

| name = Be Like Water

| image = BeLikeWater.jpg

| caption = World Premiere poster

| characters = Tracy Fong
Ghost of Bruce Lee
Kimiko Fong
Frank Fong
Bruce Lee
Jeremy Morton
Tina Kawai MacDonald
Two Black-hooded Ninjas

| setting = Spring, 1978
Chicago - Uptown

| premiere = September 2008

| place = East West Players'
David Henry Hwang Theater
Los Angeles, California

| orig_lang = English

| subject = Asian American family, identity and oppression, Bruce Lee

| genre = Drama, Asian American theatre

}}Be Like Water (2008) is a play written by Dan Kwong, originally produced at East West Players, in association with Cedar Grove OnStage. The play received its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 17, 2008, directed by Chris Tashima, at East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Los Angeles.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090207022642/http://eastwestplayers.org/on_the_stage/water.htm Be Like Water] on EWP site The story follows a young Asian American girl in 1970s Chicago, who is visited by the Ghost of Bruce Lee.

Play summary

Tracy Fong is a 13-year-old ass-kicking, gung-fu fanatic tomboy, challenged by school bullies, airhead rivals, and a mother who just wants her to be a "normal girl." When bad goes to worse, the Ghost of Bruce Lee appears to teach her the true meaning of strength and the true power of water.[https://archive.today/20120908023349/http://www.playbill.com/events/event_detail/15132.html Be Like Water listing] on Playbill site

Characters

; Tracy Fong: 13, Chinese Japanese American. Tomboy-ish, tough, quick-tempered, defiant.

; Ghost of Bruce Lee: 32, Tracy's mentor, Chinese American. The greatest martial artist in the world. Cocky, intense, philosophical yet funny.

; Kimiko Fong: 38, Tracy's mother, Japanese American. Elegant, tightly-wound, upper-class roots, can go from cheery to icy in a flash.

; Frank Fong: 35, Tracy's father, Chinese American. Easy going working-class guy, droll sense of humor, not easily angered.

; Bruce Lee: 13, Tracy's best friend, Chinese American. Scrawny, nerdy, acerbic wit, great disco-dancer. An unapologetic oddball.

; Jeremy Morton: 14, School bully, Caucasian. Working-class, tough, angry.

; Tina Kawai MacDonald: 13, Tracy's classmate, Hapa (Japanese Caucasian). Pretty, fashionable dresser, highly groomed, rather superficial.

; Two Hooded-Ninjas: Companions of the Ghost in his Nether-world domain.

World Premiere company

East West Players, Los Angeles, California; Opened September 17, 2009; Closed October 12, 2009

= Original Los Angeles cast =

(in order of appearance)

Ghost of Bruce Lee – Cesar Cipriano
Tracy – Saya Tomioka
Bruce Lee – Shawn Huang
Jeremy – Jonathan Decker
Frank – Michael Sun Lee
Kimiko – Pam Hayashida
Tina – Ariel Rivera
Hooded Ninjas – Michael Sun Lee, Pam Hayashida, Ariel Rivera, Jonathan Decker

= Los Angeles production staff =

Director – Chris Tashima
Martial Arts Choreographers – Diana Lee Inosanto & Ron Balicki
Dance Choreographer – Blythe Matsui
Set Designer – Akeime Mitterlehner
Costume designer – Naomi Yoshida
Lighting designer – Jose Lopez
Sound Designer/Music Composition – Dave Iwataki
Projection Designer – Alexander Gao
Property Master – Ken Takemoto
Hair, Makeup & Mask Design – Alyssa Ravenwood
Stage Manager – Ondina V. Dominguez

Reviews

[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-water19-2008sep19,0,7466655.story 9/19/08 review by F. Kathleen Foley] for Los Angeles Times
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110728091944/http://www.theatertimes.org/September2008 9/19/08 review by Cristofer Gross] on theatertimes.org
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081029232019/http://www.pacificcitizen.org/content/2008/entertainment/oct3-lin-bruce-lee-play-1116.htm 10/03/08 review by Lynda Lin for Pacific Citizen]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100716174156/http://asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=99089 10/17/08 review by William Hong on Asia Pacific Arts] (UCLA Asia Institute)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090309213952/http://www.blackbeltmag.com/bruce_lee_theater_piece_review_be_like_water_by_dan_kwong/archives/726 Oct. '08 review by Edward Pollard] for Black Belt (magazine)

Awards

2009 Backstage Garland's Critics List (Jennie Webb):[http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/features/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003950964 Garland Critics List]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on Back Stage site - 3/13/09
CHOREOGRAPHY – Ron Balicki, Diana Lee Inosanto, and Blythe Matsui
SOUND DESIGN – Dave Iwataki