The Great Race - The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
Learn how each animal earned its place in the Chinese Zodiac by taking part in The Great Race. Which animals win the race? Why do the Rat and Cat become enemies? This re-telling of one of the most beloved tales in Chinese folklore features traditional Chinese music, Jingju and martial arts. The Great Race centers around grandparents who are teaching their grandchildren about the Chinese New Year while they make dumplings together. The script incorporates Beijing Opera, Chinese martial arts, and Lion Dance into a re-telling of the origin story of the Chinese Zodiac.
- Venue
- Theatre III
- Location
- Acton, MA
- Performance dates
- June 13, 2026 - June 21, 2026
- Performances
- June 13, 2026; June 14, 2026; June 20, 2026; June 21, 2026
- Director
- Ruth Bendig
- Produced by
- Theatre III
- Cast
- Kimber Lynn Drake as Kung Kung; Cherry Lynn Zinger as Po Po; Joy Ma as Freddie; Venussa Chanthavisouk as Ivy
- Creative team
- Director: Ruth Bendig; Assistant Director and Choreographer: Kai Chao; Producer: Nicolle Armistead; Producer: Linda Minkoff; Stage Manager: Nadine Sa; Assistant Stage Manager: Emmeline Jones; Martial Arts Consultant: Narcyz Latecki; Hawaii Consultant: Karla Goo Lang; Chinese Opera Consultant: Fen Chai; Music Consultant: Poliana Yee; Lighting Design: Rick Shamel; Sound Design: Robert Pascucci; Costume Design: Shahn Knights; Costume Design: Elizabeth Hoermann; Props: Margot Grossman; Props: Patrick Cleary; Set Design & Dressing: Nala Wu; Set Construction: Tom Powers