Merrily They Grift Along: Meet the Cast of "Fast Company"

THE CAST; Nelson Lee, Jackie Chung, Emily Kuroda and Lawrence Kao

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They’ve been learning grifter lingo, sleight-of-hand and moving in the quick-paced genre of a caper story. It’s the cast of Carla Ching’s Fast Company—and we’re pleased to welcome three new actors and one returning SCR “alumna” for this production. While the characters they portray are essentially con artists, this quartet of actors looks forward to tapping into their wealth of creativity for this world premiere production.

Jackie Chung, as Blue, is making her SCR debut. Chung’s off-Broadway and regional credits include Macbeth 1969 (Long Wharf Theatre), microcrisis, The Children of Vonderly (Ma-Yi Theater Company), You For Me For You (Woolly Mammoth Theatre/Ma-Yi), Mother Courage and Her Children (The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival) and Trickle, Japanoir (Ensemble Studio Theatre). Her other New York credits include After. (Partial Comfort Productions), The Sporting Life (Studio 42) and The Director (The Flea Theater). Her film, television and web credits include Going Local, 4 Dates, Pretty Precious Unicorns, “Fortune Son” and the upcoming independent film Someone Else. Chung recently workshopped Jiehae Park’s Hannah and the Dread Gazebo at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. She volunteers with the 52nd Street Project.

Lawrence Kao, as Francis, is making his SCR debut. The Hacienda Heights, Calif.-native grew up as an only child, left to his imagination, which drew him to acting. Playing Lysander in a high school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, furthered his interest in pretending. While studying theatre at UCI, he began dancing with Kaba Modern, which led to his participation on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.” He played Norman Lee in East West Player’s Krunk Fu Battle Battle. His television credits include “Franklin & Bash,” a recurring role as Tim on “The Walking Dead,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and non-union bootleg films he sells out of the back of his trunk.

Emily Kuroda, as Mable, is thrilled to be back at SCR, where she appeared in Our Town, Ballad of Yachiyo and the Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of Dogeaters. She has performed in more than 25 shows and workshops at East West Players. Other theatres include Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Singapore Rep, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Doolittle Theater, Huntington Theatre Company (Boston), Los Angeles Theatre Center, Zephyr Theatre, LA Women’s Shakespeare and The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Her television credits include seven years as Mrs. Kim on “Gilmore Girls,” Suho in “Under One Roof” with Flavor Flav, “Drop Dead Diva,” “Medium,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bloodline.” Her feature films include About Love (Emmy nominated), and the upcoming Justice Angel. She is the recipient of five Drama-Logue awards, a Garland Award for outstanding performance, an L.A. Ovation award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Playwrights Arena Award, the East West Players Award for Outstanding Contribution to LA Theatre and the Entertainment Today Best Actress Award for Winter People.

Nelson Lee, “H”, is making his SCR debut. Most recently, he reprised his role of Ryu in Maple and Vine at The City Theatre in Pittsburgh after having completed its West Coast premiere at A.C.T. in San Francisco. Lee’s off-Broadway credits include David in the world premiere of Zayd Dohrn’s Outside People, with Naked Angels at the Vineyard Theatre in New York; his other New York credits include 7 Stories and Hardly with Rocketship Theatre. His film and television credits include Virtuality, “Blade: The Series,” “Oz,” Traffic, “Covert Affairs,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Longmire,” “Bones,” “The Chicago Code,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and HBO’s Strip Search, directed by Sidney Lumet. Lee trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and earned his degree from the University of Toronto.