Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company bring
The Dance and the Railroad back to L.A. in rare revival
LOS ANGELES (REVISED September 13, 2026) — Two workers. One strike. A shared dream. Asian American theater collective Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company reunite for their fourth collaboration in four years with a rare revival of The Dance and the Railroad, a haunting and deeply moving early work by David Henry Hwang. Directed by Artists at Play producing member Katherine Chou, the production opens October 3 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, with performances continuing through November 1. Two low-priced previews take place on October 1 and October 2.
Tony Jin and Scott Keiji Takeda, who recently appeared together in Flower Drum Song at East West Players, star here as as Lone and Ma, immigrant laborers building the transcontinental railroad during the Chinese Railroad Workers’ Strike of 1867. The two men form an unexpected bond through their shared love of Chinese opera. Together, they practice the ancient art form atop a mountain in the Sierra Nevada, finding connection and a sense of possibility even as their fellow workers below confront brutal labor conditions, isolation and cultural displacement.
A play about labor, identity, friendship and the power of artistic expression, Hwang says The Dance and the Railroad “rejects the stereotype of submissive immigrant laborers, and depicts assertive men who demanded their rights despite great personal risk. The play compares the optimistic and idealistic Ma to the pragmatic and independent Lone, and juxtaposes the hard labor of working on the railroad with the dream to practice traditional Chinese opera. At a time when some are attempting to rewrite the central roles that people of color have played in American history and belittle the contributions of immigrants, The Dance and the Railroad is arguably more timely now than ever.”
A Drama Desk Award nominee for Best Play and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, The Dance and the Railroad premiered in a production by the New Federal Theater in 1981, transferring to Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, where it enjoyed a six-month run. Since then, the play has been produced periodically around the country, including a high-profile revival at New York’s Signature Theatre in 2013. Its last Los Angeles production was presented by East West Players in 1993.
“David wrote this play decades ago, but the questions it raises about immigration, labor, belonging and who gets to tell our country’s story still feel incredibly timely,” says Artists at Play producing artistic leader Stefanie Lau. “As we celebrate Artists at Play’s 15th anniversary and the nation’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to revisit a work that reminds us of the people whose labor helped build this country, and whose stories deserve to be remembered.”
The production’s creative team includes choreographer Annie Yee; associate director and dramaturg Nico Pang; scenic designer Leah Ramillano; lighting designer Szu-Yun Wang; sound designer Jesse Mandapat; costume designer Jojo Siu; and properties designer Naomi Kasahara. The production stage manager is Brandon Hong Cheng, assisted by Evelyn Pham. The understudies are Tony Jin (Lone) and Kosi Eguchi (Ma).
The Dance and the Railroad opens Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. Performances continue Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 1. Two preview performances take place Thursday, Oct. 8 and Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for previews and all Thursday performances; $48 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances, except opening night; $24 for students, seniors, veterans and LAUSD teachers with valid ID; and $75 for opening night, which includes a post-performance reception.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking is available for $8 with box office validation at the Los Angeles Garage Associates parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater).
For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or go to latinotheaterco.org.
About Artists at Play:
Artists at Play is a Los Angeles-based theater-producing collective dedicated to programming that explores the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) experience. Since 2011, AAP has produced theater that demonstrates the humanity and complexity of diverse APIDA communities. AAP provides a platform for meaningful representation through employment opportunities, inclusive programming, advocacy and administrative and artistic resources.
Previous co-productions with Latino Theater Company at The LATC include the award-winning world premieres of This is Not a True Story by Preston Choi (2024 Stage Raw Award for Distinguished Production); God Will Do the Rest by Nicholas Pilapil (2025 Hollywood Progressive “Progie” Award); and last season’s नेहा & Neel by Ankita Raturi (2026 Stage Raw Award, Distinguished Production).
About Latino Theater Company:
Named to the Los Angeles Times “Best of Latino L.A.” list and a 2025 “Nonprofit of the Year” by California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, the Latino Theater Company is dedicated to providing a world-class arts center for those pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future.
The company has operated the City of Los Angeles-owned Los Angeles Theatre Center, housed in a former bank building in Downtown L.A.’s historic core, since 2006, producing hundreds of plays, creating more than 4,000 jobs and helping hundreds of nonprofit organizations by providing space and resources. The City, recognizing the Latino Theater Company for its “effective first-class theater center operations,” recently extended the company’s initial 20-year lease for an additional 30 years, through 2056.
Artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela is the recipient of multiple awards, including lifetime achievement awards from both the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and theater review site Stage Raw.
Details for Calendar Listings
The Dance and the Railroad
WHAT:
Asian American theater collective Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company reunite for their fourth collaboration in four years with a rare revival of The Dance and the Railroad, a haunting and deeply moving early work by David Henry Hwang. Set during the Chinese Railroad Workers’ Strike of 1867, two immigrant laborers form an unexpected bond through their shared love of Chinese opera. Together, they practice the ancient art form atop a mountain in the Sierra Nevada, finding connection and a sense of possibility even as their fellow workers below confront brutal labor conditions, isolation and cultural displacement.
WHO:
• Written by David Henry Hwang
• Directed by Katherine Chou
• Starring Tony Jin and Scott Keiji Takeda
• Produced by Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company
WHEN:
Oct. 1–Nov. 1
Previews: Oct. 1 and Oct. 2
• Thursday at 8 p.m.
• Friday at 8 p.m.
Performances: Oct. 3 through Nov. 1:
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.
• Fridays at 8 p.m.
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.
• Sundays at 2 p.m.
WHERE:
The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
PARKING:
• $8 with box office validation at the Los Angeles Garage Associates parking structure, 545 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 (between 5th and 6th Streets, just behind the theater)
• Metered parking is available on streets surrounding the theater.
• Take Metro: The nearest stop is Pershing Square (two blocks west of The LATC)
TICKET PRICES:
$10–$48 (except opening night)
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (except opening night, Oct. 3): $48
• Students, seniors, veterans and LAUSD teachers: $24 with valid ID
• All Thursday performances and previews: $10
• Opening night (Oct. 3): $75 (includes post-performance reception)
HOW:
latinotheaterco.org
(213) 489-0994
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