From Family Stories to Full-Length Play: "White Sky, Falling Dragon" Comes Home to Actors' Theatre

We are very excited to be bringing local playwright Steve "Spike" Wong's beautiful play "White Sky, Falliing Dragon" to Santa Cruz this April. Produced in association with Soaring Dragon Endeavors, the play tells the story of a young Chinese-American man's return to small town Watsonville, California, in 1944 after his WWII service as a bombardier. Inspired by Spike’s own father, Captain Ernest Wong, USAAF, the play is a unique blend of drama and comedy that explores family, Chinese-American culture, immigration, and military service during wartime, and is a moving tribute to the complexities of what it means to come home. 

"White Sky, Falling Dragon" had its world premiere in the fall of 2022 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts to rave reviews. (Read more about the play's history in this blog post.) Our Santa Cruz production will be the second of what we hope will be many more across the country in years to come. The original cast is returning to bring the play to life once again, with Winston Wang as Ernie, Yin Yin Liow as May, Cynthia Dear as Ma, Steve "Spike" Wong as Pop, and Tristan Ahn as Eddie. Ian Dyer joins the cast as the Crewman.

If you'd like to know more about the production and hear some of the stories that inspired it, come to our First Friday event on April 5th. Spike will be sharing more about the characters and true events behind the play with presentations at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7 pm. But you are welcome to drop by anytime in between to meet the playwright and chat about this unique and exciting production.

Tickets for "White Sky, Falling Dragon" are now on sale HERE.

Don't miss this powerful original play that offeres a first-hand glimpse into local history and culture!