[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Moving Arts Theatre presents In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars by Stephen Dierkes, directed by Jeff Liu.
About Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars
Ninety feet underground, an emperor is laid to rest. A revolution tries to erase his memory. A son rejects everything his father stands for. In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars asks whether there’s something between venerating history and burying it.
In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars is an audacious and epic play about historical and generational change, as captured in three snapshots from China’s fraught and often bloody history: the stultification of dynastic China (1620), the upheaval and fervent idealism of the Cultural Revolution (1966), and the personal and globalist power struggles of today (2026). All of this takes place 90 feet below ground, in the tomb of the Wanli Emperor. The Noble Consort yearns to be buried with her love but lacks the status for it; a former teacher tries to survive in a time when idols and intellectuals alike are being erased; an immigrant father tries desperately to connect with his Americanized son.
The play provides parallels to today’s America: our fights over history, the destruction of statues and monuments, the overthrow of expertise, and our destructive polarization. In the fractured mirror of a different time and place, we see bits of ourselves even in opposing characters. Despite its big ideas, the play is personal and emotional, featuring four actors playing different (but thematically related) characters through the centuries, all in an intimate space ideal for the Moving Arts stage in Atwater Village.
The Cast:
In the Tomb of Ten Thousand Calendars stars Jonathan Cheung, Elaine Kao, Wayne Lee and West Liang.
The Team:
Written by Stephen Dierkes, directed by Jeff Liu. Scenic and lighting: Justin Huen*, Costume: JJ Javier, Sound: Kyle Cunanan, Props: Dana Schwartz* *(denotes Moving Arts member)
About Moving Arts:
Moving Arts is honored to be the recipient of several awards and nominations this year across multiple outlets honoring the theatre. In addition to being named in many top ten lists Moving Arts won four Stage Raw Theatre Awards: Darin Anthony received the award for Distinguished Artistic Direction; Hello, My Name Is. . ., a pipeline production which came out of the MADlab (Moving Arts New Play development program), scored the Ensemble Award and In Some Dark Valley’s Robert Bailey was a recipient of an award for Solo Performance and Phil Saguil’s won for Sound Design.
The company also received four nominations and two wins from Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle in 2026: Hello, My Name is… with three (production, ensemble and writing (winner) and one for In Some Dark Valley, solo performance by Robert Bailey (winner).
Moving Arts is committed to creating, producing and promoting adventurous theatrical new work by diverse Los Angeles artists for diverse audiences.
Founded by Lee Wochner and Julie Briggs in 1992, Moving Arts has produced many world, national, West Coast and Los Angeles premieres. They began as a 22-seat venue in the Silver Lake area and quickly grew to become a resident artist company that includes actors, directors, producers, designers and playwrights.
Since 1992, Moving Arts has continuously produced adventurous new plays in a variety of venues across Los Angeles, ranging from traditional theatres such as [Inside] the Ford in Hollywood and the Los Angeles Theatre Center downtown to non-traditional spaces such as the Natural History Museum and the parking lot across from Disney Hall, showing a remarkable versatility and commitment to the craft of theatre.
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