Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play Cast and Creative Announcement

The Old Globe
announces the full cast and creative team for
the world premiere of
Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play,
written by Keiko Green and
directed by Jesca Prudencio

Performances run April 8 to May 7, 2023,
with the opening on Thursday, April 13

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (March 16, 2023) The Old Globe is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play, written by Keiko Green (Cygnet Theatre Company’s Sharon, ACT’s You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!) and directed by Jesca Prudencio (Geffen Playhouse’s King Liz, San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Vietgone). Performances begin April 8 and play through May 7, 2023, with the opening on Thursday, April 13 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park. Tickets are now on sale at www.TheOldGlobe.org.

It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward Asian American high schooler whose world comes crashing down with a terrible discovery: her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the mysterious ingredient getting all the kids hooked! Meanwhile, a cool new girl arrives from Japan, and she’s not playing by the rules. Ami vows to redeem her family name and save the world from MSG. This whimsical, time-traveling adventure is a riotous and hilarious romp through wild teenaged crushes, family legacies, and the magical properties of instant ramen!

“Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play is a very, very special work,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Uproariously funny, super smart, and wildly original, it bends time and space, genre and form, to tell the extraordinary—and true!—story of why generations of American diners saw ‘No MSG’ signs in restaurant windows. Keiko Green’s play takes us on a great theatrical thrill ride and detours along the way into questions of family, history, and culture that make this evening in the theatre as rich as it is entertaining. Jesca Prudencio and her gifted cast do inventive and joyous work, and they bring the Globe’s audiences a truly memorable show. I can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

The cast for Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play includes Anna Mikami (Amazon’s The Map of Tiny Perfect Things) as Actor 1 (Ami), Eunice Bae (Broadway’s The Skin of Our Teeth) as Actor 2 (Exotic Deadly), Trevor Salter (Off Broadway’s Here Lies Love) as Actor 3, Amy Kim Waschke (The Old Globe’s The White Snake) as Actor 4, Michelangelo Hyeon (National Asian American Theatre Company’s Henry VI) as Actor 5, and James Seol (Broadway’s Come from Away) as Actor 6. Plus understudy Camilla Leonard (The Old Globe’s Measure for Measure, M.F.A. student of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program) as Actor 1 (Ami) and Actor 2 (Exotic Deadly), and Samuel Young (Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing at Coronado Playhouse) as Actor 3, Actor 5, and Actor 6.

In addition to playwright Keiko Green and director Jesca Prudencio, the creative team includes Yu Shibagaki (Scenic Design), Hahnji Jang (Costume Design), Cha See (Lighting Design), Fan Zhang (Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Chandra R.M. Anthenill (Production Stage Manager).

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at www.TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play will play in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way). Performances for the five-week limited engagement run April 8 – May 7, 2023, with the official press opening Thursday, April 13 at 8:00 p.m. The performance schedule is Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Notes: A 2:00 p.m. matinee is scheduled on Wednesday, May 3, and there are no 2:00 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, April 8; Sunday, April 9; and Saturday, May 6. Tickets are available online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), or in person at The Old Globe’s Box Office in Balboa Park. Regular ticket prices start at $29. The Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminar, scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m., will provide patrons an exploration of the themes and background of Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play from selected artistic company members. Post-Show Forum events will be held on Tuesday, April 18; Tuesday, May 2; and Wednesday, May 3. Community Nights at The Old Globe will provide festive opportunities to connect over refreshments and conversation for the BIPOC community on Saturday, April 8 and the LGBTQIA+ community on Friday, April 14. For additional information, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.

In alignment with the State of California, which has removed mask and vaccine requirements for indoor events, The Old Globe does not require patrons to provide proof of vaccination or to wear masks while attending shows or events. However, we still strongly recommend mask-wearing while at the Globe, and patrons should feel comfortable wearing a mask anywhere on our campus if they choose.

Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play is supported by Major Production Sponsors Paula and Brian Powers and Production Sponsors Lolly & Duck. Financial support for The Old Globe is provided by The City of San Diego. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional not-for-profit regional theatres. Now in its 88th year, the Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, and it serves a vibrant community with theatre as a public good. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and the Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages, including its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Its nationally prominent Arts Engagement Department provides an array of participatory programs that make theatre matter to more people in neighborhoods throughout the region. Humanities programs at the Globe and around the city broaden the community’s understanding of theatre art in all its forms. The Globe also boasts a range of new play development programs with professional and community-based writers, as well as the renowned The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Numerous world premieres—such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! —have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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