Full Name Esther K. Chae Books So the Arrow Flies Hangul 채경주 Role Actress | Occupation Actor Name Esther Chae Nationality United States McCune–Reischauer Ch'ae Kyongju | |
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Residence Santa Monica, California, United States Education Yale School of Drama, Korea University, Yale University, University of Michigan | ||
Revised Romanization Chae Gyeong-ju | ||
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Esther Chae (Hangul: 채경주; RR: Chae Gyeong-ju) is a Korean-American actress and writer. Chae has appeared in numerous television shows such as NCIS, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, The West Wing, The Shield, and ER. She has also performed on theater stages including Yale Repertory Theater, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Mark Taper Forum/ Kirk Douglas Theater, East West Players, P.S. 122, and Harvard/American Repertory Theater. Chae was among the inaugural class of TED fellows in 2009. She wrote and performed in So The Arrow Flies, an 80-minute one-woman performance about a North Korean spy and the FBI agent that hunts her down. It touches on post-9/11 themes of terrorism, political ideology, national identity and mother-daughter relationships.
Contents
- wibldd what if bruce lee didn t die esther k chae tedxphoenix
- becoming an actress in new york documentary featuring esther k chae
- Early life and education
- Career
- Notable awards and recognition
- 3 Hearts Productions and So The Arrow Flies
- Personal life
- Awards and recognition
- References
becoming an actress in new york documentary featuring esther k chae
Early life and education
Chae is the daughter of Dr. Hi-kyung Chae and Mrs. Inja Chae. She was born in Eugene, Oregon, and at the age of five moved to Seoul, South Korea.
She graduated from Korea University with a B.A. in French Literature. Upon graduation, she returned to the United States. Chae earned her M.A. in Theater Studies at the University of Michigan and her M.F.A in Acting at the Yale School of Drama.
Career
In 1995, Chae's first professional acting role was playing a lead in Velina Hasu Houston's acclaimed play, Tea, at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has taught and lectured at the Yale School of Drama, University of Southern California, California State University, San Marcos, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Performance Studies and the New York Film Academy. See credit section below for details.
Notable awards and recognition
In 2010, Chae received the 2010 APA Heritage Trailblazer Award by New York governor David Paterson. That year, she also received the 2010 University of Michigan Emerging Artist Alumni Award & King/Chavez/Parks Visiting Professorship and Emerging Artist Award.
In 2009, she was one of the inaugural 2009 TED Fellows. At the conference she performed an excerpt from her solo performance So The Arrow Flies.
In 2008, Chae was invited to the University of Southern California's Network of Korean-American Leaders (NetKAL) Fellowship Program which promotes community leadership among successful second-generation Korean-Americans.
In 2007, Chae was awarded the Korean Wave Asia Star Award which was nationally and internationally televised throughout South Korea, Philippines, China, and Japan.
3 Hearts Productions and So The Arrow Flies
In 2009, Chae formed 3 Hearts Productions, a production company that enables Chae's artistic work in producing, writing, directing, and acting to reach a larger global audience.
Chae's solo performance So The Arrow Flies is about a Korean- American FBI agent that pursues a North Korean spy. The performance debuted at New York's Estrogenius Festival in 2007. Since then, it has been featured at a TED conference, Ars Nova Theater (New York City), Cherry Lane Theater (New York City), World Women's Forum (Seoul, South Korea), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland), October Nights Theater Festival (Imola, Italy), and educational institutions such as New York University and City University of New York's Martin Segal Theater Center.
Personal life
Chae is fluent in English and Korean, and knows some French and written Chinese. Chae is certified stage combatant, and is trained in Korean Drum and Mask dance. Recently, she summited Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, 5,895m) and trekked the Himalayan Mountains (India, 1400m).