BEIJING, CALIFORNIA by Paul Heller

Beijing, California is an unflinching study of one nation's invasion by another--but this time, the victim is not Iraq or Afghanistan; rather, it is America, and the invader is China. As playwright Paul Heller noted in his January 29, 2009 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle's 96 Hours, "I hope the audience members will look at their own values and their perceptions of other countries--and how those might change if we were the ones being invaded. What I think we'll see is that Americans would act like everybody else in the world if they became citizens of a Third World country."

The play's futurist scenario takes place in 2050, when Katrina-like disasters and a series of financial meltdowns lead to America's collapse. The audience follows a series of characters and stories in the Bay Area over a span of 50 years, and discovers what happens to American values in the aftermath of foreign occupation.

Beijing, California contains three interwoven plots, each exploring a different aspect of the Chinese invasion. In one storyline, we follow the presidents of the U.S. and China as their deep, long-term friendship is shattered by China's ascendance and America's deterioration. In another storyline, we examine a family amidst America's economic wreckage. Living on a Third World income, they are forced into a shocking business decision. The final storyline focuses on a Chinese American translator who must navigate a San Francisco segregated into Baghdad-like militarized zones, as she attempts to expose a terrible crime.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• beijing
• california
• paul
• heller
• asian
• american
• theater
• company
• aatc

[Gabbo2010]

@lolawl9000

Its not racist ass bullshit, from the looks of things China is soon to own America's ass, America is collapsing, most people outside the US realize this, the only inaccuracy is the date, my bet would be 2025 when this happens. America is crumbling from within with each passing day, and from Obama's speech it is clear he cannot turn around the decline of America.

[HenshinHotties]

Is this available on DVD?

[one80ds]

@lolawl9000 Actually the Arabs had African slaves long before the Europeans

[ArtBoy233]

My mom saw this and she said it was bad

[dropcat]

@xtremixt1 your gay thats why 

[lolawl9000]

This is some racist ass bullshit. If you look at history, China has more to fear from us Americans. Americans actually invaded China with several other nations. Has China every invaded America? No. When Chinese ships first found Africa they traded with Africans. This was before Europeans even had seagoing vessels. China was more technologically advanced. When Europeans discovered Africa, slavery began.

[dropcat]

@xtremixt1 it looks like you already hate asians already without you watching the movie so this movie wont do shit lol

[rintizza]

@xtremixt1 now you just sound like a big hypocrite. just shut up. please. do everyone a favor

[rintizza]

@xtremixt1 you talk as if hollywood makes more intelligent films. spoken like true trailer trash

[dropcat]

@xtremixt1 hahahahah