Chil Kong
Encyclopedia
Chil Kong is a Korean American actor and director. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Marketing and Psychology. While at Virginia Tech he performed with The New Virginians a touring musical performance group. He also attended the master of fine arts Program at Boston Conservatory
and is a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab West. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Theatre at San Diego State University
. He has held Artistic Director positions at several Asian focused theater companies including Asia On Stage in Boston, The Northwest Asian American Theatre in Seattle and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
in Los Angeles.
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
was the second largest Asian American Theater company in Los Angeles, with Co-Artistic Directors, Chil Kong and Philip C. Chung serving for the entire ten year run The Company began as a response to the Los Angeles Riots to serve the stories of Asian Americans of a younger generation.
Over their ten year run, Kong
and Chung
were hailed as ground breaking innovators and gave stage time to actors such as Daniel Dae Kim, Dennis Dun
, Roger Fan
, Camille Mana
, Eddie Shin
, James Kyson Lee, Erin Quill , Blythe Matsui. At their ten year benefit, guests who took the stage to honor them included the Host, Alec Mapa
, Sandra Oh
, Newsman David Ono, Kelly Hu
, John Cho
, The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, and many more
The stage production of The Mikado Project written by Ken Narasaki
and Doris Baizley was cited in the book The Japan of Pure Invention by author Josephine Lee. This production came to the company as a early draft, as the playwrights had only been writing it a short time prior to it's submission. After working extensively with director, Chil Kong and the cast, it grew to include hip hop versions of some songs as well as the outrage that stereotypes of Asians continue to exist and be portrayed on stage by Caucasians in this day and age. The Mikado Project was one of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
's most successful plays, and the only one to be made into a film. The screenplay of the film was adapted by Erin Quill, Chil Kong, and Ryun Yu
Since the closing of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
, Mr. Kong has remained active in the Los Angeles Theater scene, and serves on the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Committee. He continues to focus on both his acting and directing, and his second feature film, QWERTY
, is currently in post-production
Kong has appeared in many roles on television, including on ABC's Lost
in the episode ...In Translation
, played a morgue technician in House M.D., a minister in HBO's Six Feet Under in the episode Hold my Hand, a cook in the episode Open and Shut of the Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy Freddie
and as Chen Wu in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. He has also appeared in Michael Kang
's West 32nd
, Richard LaGravenese
's, Freedom Writers
, Wayne Kramer
's Crossing Over
and Curtis Hanson
's Too Big To Fail
.
Kong has directed the films Pollen
in 2006 and Screening Party in 2008. In 2010, he directed the feature film, The Mikado Project He is a member of the ABC DGA Director's program He was one of the Co-Artistic Directors for the entire ten year run of the Lodestone Theater Ensemble, where he directed many of the shows, including the stage version of The Mikado Project, which he later turned into a film
His stage direction credits include Tea, FOB at the Asian American Repertory Theater
Kong is married to Erin Quill who was member of the original Broadway cast of Avenue Q
and has also guest starred on NYPD Blue
, DAMAGES
, and many musicals. He holds a 3rd degree Taekwondo
black belt having begin training in his native Korea at age 6.
Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater...
and is a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab West. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Theatre at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. He has held Artistic Director positions at several Asian focused theater companies including Asia On Stage in Boston, The Northwest Asian American Theatre in Seattle and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1999. It is a membership-driven organization....
in Los Angeles.
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1999. It is a membership-driven organization....
was the second largest Asian American Theater company in Los Angeles, with Co-Artistic Directors, Chil Kong and Philip C. Chung serving for the entire ten year run The Company began as a response to the Los Angeles Riots to serve the stories of Asian Americans of a younger generation.
Over their ten year run, Kong
Kong
Kong may refer to:* King Kong, a fictional giant ape appearing in several films and other works* Kōng, a concept in Chinese Zen Buddhism* Kong * KONG , a television station in Washington, United States...
and Chung
Chung
-Surnames:* Chung , a surname, typically borne by those of either Chinese or Korean origins* Jeong , alternate transcription of the Korean surname* Zhong , alternate transcription of the Chinese surname...
were hailed as ground breaking innovators and gave stage time to actors such as Daniel Dae Kim, Dennis Dun
Dennis Dun
Dennis Dun is a Chinese American actor from Stockton, California, currently residing in Los Angeles.-Film and TV:Dun has had prominent roles in several films, notably Year of the Dragon , Big Trouble in Little China , The Last Emperor , Prince of Darkness , and A Thousand Pieces of Gold , Warriors...
, Roger Fan
Roger Fan
Roger Fan is an American actor of film, theatre and episodic television best known for his collaborations with Justin Lin and his appearances in the films Annapolis and Better Luck Tomorrow....
, Camille Mana
Camille Mana
Camille Mana is an American actress.Born in Orange County, California, she is of Filipino/Chinese descent. Camille graduated from University of California, Berkeley in six semesters with a degree in Economics....
, Eddie Shin
Eddie Shin
Eddie Shin is a Korean-American actor.He was born and raised in Chicago, in the neighborhood of Rogers Park....
, James Kyson Lee, Erin Quill , Blythe Matsui. At their ten year benefit, guests who took the stage to honor them included the Host, Alec Mapa
Alec Mapa
-Personal life:Mapa, a Filipino American, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School . Mapa is openly gay and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities...
, Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
, Newsman David Ono, Kelly Hu
Kelly Hu
Kelly Ann Hu is an American actress and former fashion model. She was Miss Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993.-Early life:Hu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Juanita, an engineering drafter for Honolulu, and Herbert Hu, a salesman and exotic bird breeder; the two divorced during...
, John Cho
John Cho
John Yohan Cho is an American actor and musician, best known for his roles in the American Pie films and the Harold & Kumar films . He also starred in the critically acclaimed hit film Better Luck Tomorrow...
, The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, and many more
The stage production of The Mikado Project written by Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
and Doris Baizley was cited in the book The Japan of Pure Invention by author Josephine Lee. This production came to the company as a early draft, as the playwrights had only been writing it a short time prior to it's submission. After working extensively with director, Chil Kong and the cast, it grew to include hip hop versions of some songs as well as the outrage that stereotypes of Asians continue to exist and be portrayed on stage by Caucasians in this day and age. The Mikado Project was one of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1999. It is a membership-driven organization....
's most successful plays, and the only one to be made into a film. The screenplay of the film was adapted by Erin Quill, Chil Kong, and Ryun Yu
Since the closing of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1999. It is a membership-driven organization....
, Mr. Kong has remained active in the Los Angeles Theater scene, and serves on the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Committee. He continues to focus on both his acting and directing, and his second feature film, QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
, is currently in post-production
Kong has appeared in many roles on television, including on ABC's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
in the episode ...In Translation
...In Translation
"...In Translation" is the 17th episode of the first season of Lost. The episode was directed by Tucker Gates and written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Leonard Dick. It first aired on February 23, 2005 on ABC. Jin-Soo Kwon is featured in the episode's flashbacks...
, played a morgue technician in House M.D., a minister in HBO's Six Feet Under in the episode Hold my Hand, a cook in the episode Open and Shut of the Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy Freddie
Freddie
Freddie is a television sitcom created by, and starring, Freddie Prinze, Jr. that aired from October 5, 2005 to April 12, 2006. Freddie is inspired by Prinze Jr.'s real life, growing up in a house filled with women...
and as Chen Wu in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. He has also appeared in Michael Kang
Michael Kang
Michael Kang may refer to:*Michael Kang , director of the 2006 independent film The Motel*Michael Kang , member of the String Cheese Incident...
's West 32nd
West 32nd
West 32nd is a 2007 film and the second feature film by Michael Kang. The film stars John Cho, Jun-Seong Kim, Grace Park, Jane Kim and Jeong Jun-ho....
, Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese is an American screenwriter and occasional film director. He is best known as the writer of The Fisher King.-Personal life:...
's, Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film starring Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. It is based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell who wrote the story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach,...
, Wayne Kramer
Wayne Kramer
Wayne Kramer may refer to:*Wayne Kramer , American guitarist*Wayne Kramer , South African film writer and director...
's Crossing Over
Crossing Over (film)
Crossing Over is a 2009 American independent drama film about illegal immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of...
and Curtis Hanson
Curtis Hanson
Curtis Lee Hanson is an American film director, film producer and screenwriter. His directing work includes The Hand That Rocks the Cradle , L.A...
's Too Big To Fail
Too Big to Fail
Too Big to Fail is a television drama film in the United States broadcast on HBO on May 23, 2011. It is based on the non-fiction book Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The TV film was directed by Curtis Hanson...
.
Kong has directed the films Pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
in 2006 and Screening Party in 2008. In 2010, he directed the feature film, The Mikado Project He is a member of the ABC DGA Director's program He was one of the Co-Artistic Directors for the entire ten year run of the Lodestone Theater Ensemble, where he directed many of the shows, including the stage version of The Mikado Project, which he later turned into a film
His stage direction credits include Tea, FOB at the Asian American Repertory Theater
Kong is married to Erin Quill who was member of the original Broadway cast of Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
and has also guest starred on NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, DAMAGES
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
, and many musicals. He holds a 3rd degree Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
black belt having begin training in his native Korea at age 6.