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Come celebrate the Chinese New Year with Mum! Mum presents Philadelphia Premiere of East Meets West, in addition to related workshops for adults and kids!

For Immediate Release: January 22, 2003

Philadelphia, PA - The Chinese New Year is February 1st and Chinese Master Puppetteer, Hua Hua Zhang, joins Mum Puppettheatre's 2002-03 season with East Meets West, a compelling production that combines her training in the traditional performing arts in China with her new experiences in America to create a multi-cultural show for audiences of all ages. East Meets West runs February 1st through February 23rd. Tickets are $12. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm and 2pm. School matinees are available. For tickets and information, visit www.mumpuppet.org or call our box office at 215-925-7686.

Hua Hua Zhang is a unique Puppet Artist. She was trained in the People's Republic of China as a performer in the ancient Chinese tradition of Rod Puppetry. From 1974 to 1995 she was one of the leading performers of the China Puppet Arts Troupe of Beijing, the premier puppet performance company of China. With the CPAT she performed throughout China and abroad. She also appeared as a featured artist in numerous national television broadcasts and series and, in 1994, received recognition and awards for being the best director, writer and performer in a national competition of Chinese puppet troupes.

In the mid-90's Ms. Zhang worked on a joint venture project with a leading U.S. puppet artist to produce a television show for Chinese audiences which presented "real American life." While working on this project through the University of Connecticut, Ms. Zhang became intrigued with the possibilities of being more than just a performer, as she had been trained and had experienced with the CPAT. In 1996, Hua Hua Zhang became a student in the University of Connecticut's unique Puppet Arts Master of Fine Arts degree program. In addition to increasing her already remarkable performance skills through western disciplines, Hua Hua has developed abilities in design, sculpture, construction and direction which set her apart from the possibilities existing within China's traditional arts. In the Fall of 2000 she received an MFA degree in the Puppet Arts.

Hua Hua has continued to perform appearing in the Jim Henson International Festival of Puppet Arts in 1998 with Richard Termine's Tango and again in 2000 with Cathy McCullough's Untitled. In the Spring of 2000, Hua Hua Zhang joined Oscar winner Tan Dun in his production of The Gate. She designed and built a puppet representing the character, "Koharu," from the traditional Japanese Bunraku Theatre. Hua Hua's puppet and performance are anything but traditional as audiences in Belgium, China, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg and Taiwan have proclaimed when she has performed with this piece.

Most recently she designed, built and performed 30 puppet characters for Sad Dad, a sequence which has now appeared on PBS's award winning program Between the Lions. In January of 2001 Hua Hua also collaborated with the Ming Ri Theatre of Hong Kong in Playing With Klee. Among other roles undertaken in the production she designed and built a puppet based on Paul Klee's drawing, Zwei Damen, which she performed to great acclaim in the Hong Kong production.

In addition to East Meets West, Hua Hua Zhang will be teaching Master Classes at Mum Puppettheatre on Monday evenings in February. Classes being offered are "Traditional Chinese Fan Dance" and "Chinese Dragon Dance." These classes are open to students aged 16+. Class fees are $50 per class. For registration or for information, visit www.mumpuppet.org or call 215-925-7686.

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