Artistic Director Michael Stevenson & Managing Director Keith Riedell Present THE GREAT LEAP
by Lauren Yee
Directed by Jeffrey Lo
Live Theatre & Virtually On Demand January 26 - February 27, 2022 Performance Length:  2 hours, 1 intermission
Featuring Edward Chen*      Matthew Hanjoong Tim Kniffin*      Nicole Anne Salle
Scenic Designer Eric Broadwater	Costume Designer Rebecca Valentino
Lighting Designer Michael Palumbo
Sound Designer/Projections Engineer Ed Lee	Properties Designer Rebekah Fegan
Projections Designer Christopher Fitzer
Stage Manager Wesley Apfel*
Assistant Stage Manager Katherine Cannon*
THE GREAT LEAP is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com The Great Leap was originally developed and produced by Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company, Chris Coleman, Artistic Director. New York Premiere Presented by Atlantic Theater Company  New York City, 2018 “The Great Leap” was developed with the support of The Playwrights’ Center Developed in the New Strands Residency, a program of the American Conservatory Theater, Carey Perloff, Artistic Director – Peter Pastreich, Executive Director A workshop production of The Great Leap was presented by New York Stage and Film & Vassar at the Powerhouse Theater, Summer 2017.
*Member Actors' Equity Association

Follow Us:

OUR MISSION

Capital Stage’s mission is to entertain, engage and challenge our audience with bold, thought provoking theatre.

THINGS TO KNOW

COVID-19 SAFETY:

To attend a performance everyone in your party must present proof of vaccination for COVID-19 (with a second dose at least 14 days prior to the date of the performance), plus a booster (if eligible and 6 months after your final dose) with a valid photo ID. Masks also must be worn in the theatre and interior lobby areas at all times. NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED INSIDE THE THEATRE.

VIDEO/PHOTOS:

Recording and photography of any kind are prohibited at Capital Stage.

CELL PHONES:

Patrons are asked to turn communication devices off upon entering the theatre.

LATE SEATING & RE-SEATING:

Due to the design of our theatre, we cannot guarantee seating for late arrivals or for patrons who leave the theatre during the performance. As a courtesy to our artists and our audiences, late arrivals will be seated in a suitable location by our staff if possible and at the appropriate intervals.

REFRESHMENTS:

Only concession items purchased in the Wine & Dessert Bar are allowed. Concessions will be limited and can only be consumed while on our Patio. NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED IN THE THEATRE.

CHILDREN:

Capital Stage is noted for bringing intimate bold productions to our region and we encourage young adults to experience a live performance. Children age sixteen and up are welcome at Capital Stage unless specifically noted in the production’s description.

WHEELCHAIR SEATING:

Seating locations at Capital Stage for patrons using wheelchairs or with a disability are located in the first row. Tickets for these seats may be purchased in person or by calling the Box Office at 916-995-5464.

RESTROOMS:

Restroom facilities are located in the lounge behind the Wine & Dessert Bar.

INFORMATION:

Brochures and information about upcoming Capital Stage productions and events are available in the box office or by visiting capstage.org.

Capital Stage is a member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Capital Stage is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

Capital Stage is a member of the National New Play Network, the country’s alliance of leading nonprofit theaters that champion the development, production and continued life of new plays.

Capital Stage is a member of Blue Star Theatres, offering discounts to Military personnel, Military family members, and Veterans.

Setting

SETTING

San Francisco, California

Beijing, China

TIME

May 1989

Summer/Fall 1971 and June 1989

About The Play

By Stephanie Tucker, PhD

During the Cultural Revolution, they [Chairman Mao, et al] got rid of Western classical music and anything else Western was frowned upon, with only a handful of exceptions. One was basketball. 

                                      Alexander Wolff, Big Game, Small World (2002)

For all the Jeremy Lins (on and off the court).

                                         Playwright’s dedication

Set in San Francisco and Bejiing, THE GREAT LEAP tells the story of a 17-year-old Chinese American basketball player, who, in 1989, begs Saul Slezac, the coach of University of San Francisco’s basketball team, to let him join the squad on their trip to China to play against Bejiing University’s team in a rematch of sorts between the two coaches—Saul and Wen Chang—whose last meeting was in 1971.

In this play, titles, times, sets, dedications, all are significant. Jeremy Lin, for example, is a Californian, who, one of the few Asian Americans to play in the NBA, was the first to win an NBA championship. 

The play’s title refers to “The Great Leap Forward,” China’s disastrous five-year plan, launched by Mao in 1958, in order to solve the country’s economic woes. To do so, he attempted to convert the country from an agrarian society to a communist one, a social experiment which resulted, for a number of complex reasons, in some 40+ million Chinese deaths—due in large part from an horrendous human-made famine.

Another outcome of the Great Leap Forward: the Soviet Union’s withdrawal of support of the People’s Republic of China, leading to border skirmishes that eventually prompted the PRC to amend relations with the United States in 1971—and “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” with the United States, so named for the U.S. ping-pong team’s visit to mainland China in 22 years—the same year President Richard Nixon sent Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on a mission to China to arrange a presidential trip, which famously happened in 1972.

1989 was similarly momentous: After the death of Hu Yaobang, a former Communist leader who had become a symbol of democratic reform, thousands of students marched through Tiananmen Square to protest communist rule and call for a more democratic government. Over the next three months, the protests increased, when by May, the numbers grew to an estimated 1.2 million. The Chinese government halted all live American news telecasts from Bejiing, and reporters were forbidden to photograph or videotape the demonstrators or the Chinese troops who, on June 4th, reached Tiananmen Square, in an effort to put an end to the uprisings. The Chinese army fired on the students and civilians, slaughtering countless people. An official death toll was never released. The next day, a lone protester, wandered into the square and stood in the street blocking a column of Chinese tanks, which when they swerved to avoid him, he followed, keeping his body directly in their route, for several minutes. He was never identified, but known for all time as “the Tank Man.”

About The Playwright

By Stephanie Tucker, PhD

Born and raised in San Francisco, Lauren Yee went to Yale, majoring in English and Theater Arts, after which she attended UC San Diego’s MFA playwriting program. She currently lives with her husband, a lawyer, in New York City.

Of the nine or more plays she’s written, CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND, THE GREAT LEAP and KING OF THE YEES are her best known, and most frequently performed—the last two inspired by her father. Her awards are numerous, and impressive—including being a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn for THE GREAT LEAP.

Of this work, she has written:

The play is about my father, but I wrote it for my younger brothers. In THE GREAT LEAP, Manford is a Chinese-American kid who keeps bumping up against people who don’t believe in him or see limitations when they look at him. That’s not what I want for my brothers. My wish is that they move through the world unencumbered and be whatever they want to be.

Sponsors

Cast

Creative Team

Special Thanks

Donna Chipps

Ted Cobb

Jim Hensley, President Abbey Flooring, Inc.

Robert Mandelson

Production Staff

Production Manager/Asst. Stage Manager  - KATHERINE CANNON*

Technical Director  - CARLOS LLONTOP

Lead Carpenter - RICH KIRLIN

Scenic Charge Artist  - SAMANTHA McLEAN HAAS

Sound Designer & Projections Engineer  - ED LEE

Lead Electrician  - MARI OYAIZU CARSON

Literary Manager/Dramaturg  - STEPHANIE TUCKER, PhD.

Stage Manager  - WESLEY APFEL*

Stage Management Production Assistant  - KAITLIN WEINSTEIN^

Assistant to the Director  - ANDREW FRIDAE^

Fight Choreographer - Matt K. Miller

Properties Assistant  - ANA MUNTEAN^

Sound Assistant/Crew Swing  - KAIDEN ZALDUMBIDE^

Lighting Assistant  - RAND DOERNING^

Costume Assistant  - CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ^

Projections Assistant  - NICHOLAS RABORN^

Build Crew  - RAND DOERNING^, ANDREW FRIDAE^, CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ^, RICH KIRLIN, ALEXANDER MARTINEZ, ANA MUNTEAN^, NICHOLAS RABORN^, KAITLIN WEINSTEIN^, KAIDEN ZALDUMBIDE^

COVID-19 Safety Managers  - KATIE CANNON, ELIJAH PETERS, RUBY SKETCHLEY

Graphic Designers  - DAN LYDERSEN, MISTY MCDOWELL

Photographer  - CHARR CRAIL

Videographer/Editor - WESLEY APFEL, MISTY MCDOWELL

Webmaster - MISTY MCDOWELL

^ Capital Stage Apprentice  |  * Member Actors' Equity Association

Meet the Company

Tim Kniffin*

Saul

Tim returns to Capital Stage, where he performed in THE NETHER and SLOWGIRL. He has performed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the Pacific Northwest, Dallas, Chicago, with early highlights performing in Poland in 1986 and The Kennedy Center in 1988. A few favorite roles include Atticus Finch in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Captain Von Trapp in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Benedict in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and Carl in the feature film BURN COUNTRY. Tim is eternally grateful to his family and friends, looks forward to his next project, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at San Jose Stage.

Matthew Hanjoong

Manford

Matthew Hanjoong is a Sacramento State University graduate and a former Capital Stage Apprentice. Matthew is excited to be back with Capital Stage performing Lauren Yee’s THE GREAT LEAP live this time. Most recently, he was seen onstage for PlayGround SF’s Monday Night Playground performing in Jennifer Le Blanc’s NUTCRACKER SWEETS and was virtually seen in Playground SF’s Best of Playground Festival performing in THE ART OF SUFFRAGE. Matthew has also studied at UCLA with Academy Award Winner Tim Robbins and The Actor’s Gang.

Edward Chen*

Wen Chang

SF Bay Area born actor, Edward Chen, received a collegiate baseball scholarship and attended Cornell University where he discovered a passion for the performing arts. In addition to many roles in TV and film, Edward’s received critical acclaim for lead roles at top theatres (Boston Court, East West Players, South Coast Rep, Cygnet) Backstage.com wrote, “Holding fast to his every character, Chen takes not one false step onstage.” Acting conservatory trained in voice, movement, Alexander technique and more, Edward’s first love is theatre for its tight community, close collaboration with artists, and live intimacy with audience. In a society struggling to communicate honestly, the theatre allows character’s to finally speak the truth.

Nicole Anne Salle

Connie

Nicole Anne Salle earned her BA in Theatre from Sacramento State University and is a former Capital Stage apprentice. She recently made her professional debut in Sacramento Theatre Company’s season 2021/2022 opener and regional premier, GLORIA: A LIFE, and was most recently seen at Capital Stage as Jane in MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY. Favorite credits include Bethany in Capital Stage’s virtual production of RIPE FRENZY, and Patria in IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES at Sacramento State.

Jeffrey Lo

Director

Jeffrey Lo is a Filipino-American playwright and director based in the Bay Area. He is thrilled to return to Capital Stage after directing productions of VIETGONE and HOLD THESE TRUTHS. He is the recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Arist Award, the 2012 Emerging Artist Laureate by Arts Council Silicon Valley and Theatre Bay Area Director's TITAN Award. Directing credits include THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE and THE SANTALAND DIARIES at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY at San Jose Stage and HOLD THESE TRUTHS at San Francisco Playhouse. Jeffrey is a company member of Ferocious Lotus Theatre and the Casting Director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. For more: www.JeffreyWritesAPlay.Com.

Michael Stevenson

Artistic Director

For Capital Stage, Michael has directed ADMISSIONS, THE HUMANS, THE OTHER PLACE, SWEAT, THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, LUNA GALE, STUPID F##KING BIRD, HOW TO USE A KNIFE, DISGRACED, MR. BURNS, IDEATION, CLYBOURNE PARK, MAURITIUS, ERRATICA (World Premiere), and LES LIAISONS DANGERUSES. He has directed at regional theatres including: B Street Theatre, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Perseverance Theatre Company, and Sacramento Theatre Company. As an actor he has appeared at many regional theatres including: 42nd Street Moon, American Conservatory Theatre, The Aurora Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, Capital Stage, B Street Theatre, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre. He holds an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theatre.

Keith Riedell

Managing Director

Keith Riedell celebrates his 15th year at Capital Stage, joining the company early in the second season. He brings to Capital Stage his varied experiences in the theatre, management, team building, counseling, training and corporate improvement. In his role as Managing Director he hopes to make Capital Stage a world class place to work, while playing an important role in the social justice efforts in our region.

Katherine Cannon*

Production & Company Manager/Asst. Stage Manager

Katie is in her 4th season as Production & Company Manager for Capital Stage, after several years with them as an AEA Stage Manager. Favorite shows stage managed for Capital Stage include AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, BETRAYAL, DISGRACED and ANNA KARENINA. She has also stage managed for Broadway at Music Circus for 17 seasons, most recently for SHREK, as well as being their Production Stage Manager at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Additional stage management credits include productions for the Sacramento Opera, Sacramento Theatre Company, and Musical Theatre West & Main Street Theatre in the greater Los Angeles Area.

Carlos Llontop

Technical Director

Having been a Technical Director for Folsom Lake College for many years as well as a Lead Technician at the Harris Center of the Arts, Carlos is excited to make his debut with Capital Stage during their reopening season. Some of his favorite productions include Spring Awakening, The Who’s Tommy, Hair, and Marat/ Sade. He wants to take a moment to thank his previous professors and mentors Ian Wallace, Rebecca Redmond, David Harris and Sam Coquerille. He would also like to thank his amazing team of apprentices for all their hard work and dedication. He is looking forward to making some magic and creating art with his fellow artists for time to come.

Wesley Apfel*

Stage Manager

Wesley is in his third season with Capital Stage! Previously: SWEAT, SLOWGIRL, THE ROOMMATE, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, and THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY. For Oregon Shakespeare Festival: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. Sacramento productions include the World Premieres of THE DONNER PARTY, OF KITES AND KINGS, and KATE: THE UNEXAMINED LIFE with Sacramento Theater Company. Regional premieres at Music Circus, Aurora, Theatreworks, Center REP, 42nd Street Moon, Paper Mill Playhouse and Barrington Stage. Original NY productions of THE GRADUATE, GUTENBERG THE MUSICAL!, BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, and THE THING ABOUT MEN. Production Supervisor for the SPF Summer Play Festival. Resident Artist at Golden Thread in San Francisco.

Kaitlin Weinstein

Production Assistant

Kaitlin is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, holding a B.A. in Theater and English. In May 2021, she was awarded the Roslyn Schneider Eisner Prize for Continuing Creative Achievement in Stage Management and Costume Design by UC Berkeley’s Theater Department. Kaitlin has worked with Bay Area theater companies such as Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Playhouse, California Shakespeare Theater, and Theatre Lunatico. As an apprentice at Capital Stage, she was the wardrobe assistant on HOLD THESE TRUTHS, the properties and production management assistant on ADMISSIONS, and the assistant to the director and run crew on MISS BENNET earlier this season.

Andrew Fridae

Assistant to the Director

Andrew Fridae is an interdisciplinary theater artist thrilled to join Cap Stage this year. Performance credits include Mr. Darcy in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with Sac City, Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre in Portland, OR, (20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and ZEN SHORTS, in collaboration with Rogue Artists Ensemble in LA,) and Sherlock Holmes in SHERLOCK HOLMES with the Northwest Children’s Theatre. In recent years, Andrew has developed as a director with the Winters Theatre Company, (CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION), the Winters Shakespeare Workshop (COMEDY OF ERRORS, TWELFTH NIGHT, TEMPEST), and with Happy Hour Theatre (MENDACITY, RIDERS TO THE SEA.)

Eric Broadwater

Scenic Designer

Eric Broadwater is currently the Professor of Scene Design and Chair of the Theater Department at California State University Stanislaus where he has designed and supervised over 30 productions. His professional work includes scenic designs and set painting in regional and local theaters all over the country. Recent credits include BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, THE ROOMMATE, AN OCTOROON and MISS BENNETT: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY at Capital Stage, THE MAN OF LA MANCHA at Sacramento Theatre Company and several designs for the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. He also works as a freelance 3D digital artist with a focus on Interactive Environments. www.BroadwaterScenic.com

Michael Palumbo

Lighting Designer

Michael returns to Capital Stage after designing HOLD THESE TRUTHS, ALABASTER, and THE HUMANS. He has designed for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, 42nd Street Moon, Opera San Jose, San Jose Stage Company, LaGuardia High School (NYC), Magic Theatre, Sacramento Opera, Aurora Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theatre, Shotgun Players, San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Playhouse, and City Lights Theater Company. His producing company, Next Stage Productions (formerly Carollo & Palumbo LLC), has credits including BARE: THE MUSICAL Off-Broadway and the Broadway production of A TIME TO KILL. MFA: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. michaelpalumbodesign.com, nextstageproductions.com

Rebecca Valentino

Costume Designer

Rebecca is happy to be returning to Capital Stage for her third show with the company. She began her career as a costume designer in 1992 and has been working in California since 2002. Rebecca has received numerous nominations and awards for her design work in Solano County, Sacramento and the Bay Area. She was twice nominated for awards by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle for her Scrooge In Love! costume designs with 42nd St. Moon, and was recently a TBA Award finalist for her costuming of Rock of Ages at Center REPertory Company. Rebecca serves as an adjunct theatre professor at Solano Community Colege and freelances as a costume designer. She earned a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MFA from the University of Michigan.

Ed Lee

Sound Designer/Projections Engineer

Ed is delighted to be part of another season at Capital Stage. He has been involved in almost every production since the company’s aquatic days at the Delta King, from artwork for SPEECH AND DEBATE to appearing in FIRST PERSON SHOOTER. Favorite sound design credits include: MASTER CLASS; SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME; 4000 MILES; MISTAKES WERE MADE; RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN; and UNCANNY VALLEY.

Christopher Fitzer

Projections Designer

Christopher Fitzer is a freelance theatrical designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christopher is currently the properties director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. His previous design credits include productions at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Francisco Playhouse, Aspen Opera Theater Center, World Literature Today’s Puterbaugh Festival, San Jose Stage Co., Hillbarn Theatre, Woodminster Summer Musicals, Oklahoma City Theatre Co., Flat Rock Playhouse, Aurora Theare Company, Los Altos Stage Co., Douglas Morrisson Theatre, Palo Alto Players, and Foothill Music Theatre. He has held production and artistic positions at Aspen Music Festival, Curtis Opera Theatre at the Curtis Institute of Music, Sanguine Theatre Company, and Dallas Summer Musicals. He holds a BFA in theatrical design from the University of Oklahoma. www.christopherfitzer.com

Rebekah Fegan

Properties Designer

Rebekah is a local freelance Stage Manager, Theatre Technician, and Art Director. She was a part of the 2017/18 Apprentice Company at Capital Stage, and most recently graduated from UC San Diego with her MFA in Stage Management. Rebekah is thrilled to be back at Capital Stage, who shares her love of thought provoking new works and authentic collaboration. Favorite local credits include: The Nether (Asst. Stage Manager, Capital Stage), Playwright’s Revolution 2019 (Stage Manager, Capital Stage) The Roommate (Wardrobe Supervisor, Capital Stage), The Nutcracker, 2019 & 2021 (Stage Manager, Sacramento Ballet), Pacerville (Feature Film, Nick Leisure Productions).

Samantha McLean Haas

Scenic Charge Artist

Samantha McLean Haas has been painting sets for 11 years. She's worked at Sacramento City College, University of California Davis, Sacramento Theatre Company, and Music Circus. This is her tenth show with Capital Stage.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA)

Founded in 1913, this union represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence.

Capital Stage Staff

MICHAEL STEVENSON - Artistic Director

PETER MOHRMANN - Co-Founder, Associate Artist

KEITH RIEDELL - Managing Director

KATIE CANNON - Production & Company Manager

MISTY MCDOWELL - Marketing Manager

AALIYAH PETERS - Audience Services Manager

CARLOS LLONTOP - Technical Director

ED LEE - Resident Sound Designer & Engineer

RICH KIRLIN - Lead Carpenter

LOGAN HELLER – Box Office Assistant

RUBY SKETCHLEY – Front of House Assistant

JAMIE JONES, GAIL RUSSELL, JANIS STEVENS – Associate Artists

KATHY DAVENPORT – Bookkeeping Assistant

DEEDEE WALKER – Volunteer Coordinator

RAND DOERNING, ANDREW FRIDAE, ANA MUNTEAN, KAITLIN WIENSTEIN, CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ, NICK RABORN, KAIDEN ZALDUMBIDE - Apprentices

ELIJAH PETERS, RUBY SKETCHLEY - COVID Safety Officers

Capital Stage Board Members

Chastity E. Benson
California State Association of Counties

Donnell Brown
National Grape Research Alliance

Dan Brunner, Treasurer
Arts Patron

Melissa Conner
Seed Communications Design

Kathryn E. Doi
Hanson Bridgett LLP

Sherry Hartel Haus
Downey Brand

Steve Koonce
Arts Patron

Kris Martin
Arts Patron

Kristi Quesada Mathisen
Sacramento Country Day School

Peter Mohrmann, Co-founder
Capital Stage

Lori Abbott Moreland
Arts Patron

Damaris L. Perez
Crowe LLP

Mike Tentis, Board President
UC Davis Strategic Communications

Peggy Wheeler
California Hospital Association

Board Emeritus:

Stephanie Gularte, Founding Artistic Director
Capital Stage

Clif McFarland
Mitchell Chadwick

Arlen Orchard
SMUD

Jonathan Williams, Co-Founder
Capital Stage

Julie Stark
Arts Patron

Tiananmen Square: What They Died For

By Andrew Fridae

CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE

The massacre in Tiananmen Square on June 4th, 1989 was the Communist party’s reaction to months of protests. But what precisely were the goals of the protests, and how did they precipitate in a country with such a censorious, authoritarian government?

The former question is difficult to establish as the groundswell of protesters, much like the George Floyd protests in America in 2020, were diverse and decentralized, calling for broad reform. Many of these reforms had already been proposed by members within the party, centered around Hu Yaobang, who proposed increased elements of democracy in Chinese government, as well as a limitation to the influence of the Communist party over the government. But after Yaobang’s death on April 15, 1989, it became clear that such reform from within was not likely, catalyzing an enormous surge in protests nationwide, centering in Beijing. 

(Hu Yaobang, Former party Chairman and General Secretary, second in prominence only to Deng Xiaoping, a reformer whose death by heart attack led to national mourning and protest.)

(The famous April 23rd Editorial in the People’s Daily, titled, “IT IS NECESSARY TO TAKE A CLEAR-CUT STAND AGAINST DISTURBANCES” in response to the protest)

(Protest materials from the New York Public Library’s collection on the Tiananmen Square Protests. The banner at the top center reads: Get down! We are outraged!)

The latter question, how did these protests precipitate, is also complex, but a major contributor was the humble fax machine. Along with pamphlets and word of mouth, faxing was central to the development of a nationwide protest, and a worldwide struggle. When the massacre began too, faxes were used to get the message out amid massive censorship of global media’s access to reporting the events unfolding at the capitol. Faxes were harder to intercept or ‘tap’ than phone calls, and they existed in institutions of higher learning and journalism, which were hubs of the protest communities. Yet as a result of this massive censorship, many elements of the massacre remain unconfirmed and the precise fate of thousands, lost to history.

We are left to use our judgment and imagination filling in the gaps between photographs and film and firsthand accounts, and the pamphlets, banners, and faxes which yet survive. We have included for your consideration a few resources we feel illuminate these events.

(Statue erected by protesters, called the Goddess of Democracy, photo taken around midnight on June 3rd, shortly before its destruction.)

(Protesters defiant as the PLA closes in, early morning June 4th, shortly before violence erupts.)

(Protesters burning APC 003 early June 4)

(Protesters rescuing soldiers from the APC)

The following is a cable from UK intelligence sent on June 5th, 1989 credited to Alan Ewan Donald. This cable is one of many reports that remain unconfirmed, and bears no copyright source information on Wikisource.

“...3. FACT. ON THE NIGHT OF 3/4 JUNE 27 ARMY WAS TO ATTACK FROM THE WEST WITH OTHER UNITS FROM SHENYANG MR. THE PLAN WAS THAT THE FIRST WAVE (SMR) WOULD ATTACK WITH NO WEAPONS. THE SECOND WAVE (SMR) WOULD ATTACK WITH WEAPONS BUT NO AMMUNITION. THE THIRD WAVE (SMR) WOULD ATTACK AS FOR SECOND WAVE BUT OFFICERS WOULD HAVE LOADED SIDE ARMS TO FRIGHTEN THE CROWD. THE FOURTH WAVE WOULD BE 27 ARMY WITH FULL EQUIPMENT AND AMMUNITION. THE FIRST ATTACKS OCCURRED AT MUCIDI AND SHILIPU. THE FIRST THREE WAVES WERE HELD BY THE DEMONSTRATORS AND SMR TROOPS TRIED TO PUSH BACK THE CROWDS TO LET 27 ARMY THROUGH. THEY FAILED AND 27 ARMY APCS OPENED FIRE ON THE CROWD (BOTH CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS) BEFORE RUNNING OVER THEM IN THEIR APCS.

4. FACT. THE ENRAGED MASSES FOLLOWED IGNORING M/G FIRE TO NEXT BATTLE AT LIUBUKOU. APCS RAN OVER TROOPS AND CIVILIANS AT 65KPH IN SAME MANNER. ONE APC CRASHED AND DRIVER (A CAPTAIN) GOT OUT AND WAS TAKEN BY CROWD TO HOSPITAL. HE IS NOT DERANGED AND DEMANDS DEATH FOR HIS ATROCITIES.

5. FACT. ON ARRIVAL AT TIANANMEN TROOPS FROM SMR HAD SEPARATED STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS. STUDENTS UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE GIVEN ONE HOUR TO LEAVE SQUARE BUT AFTER FIVE MINUTES APCS ATTACKED. STUDENTS LINKED ARMS BUT WERE MOWN DOWN INCLUDING SOLDIERS. APCS THEN RAN OVER BODIES TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO MAKE QUOTE PIE UNQUOTE AND REMAINS COLLECTED BY BULLDOZER. REMAINS INCINERATED AND THEN HOSED DOWN DRAINS.

6. 27 ARMY ORDERED TO SPARE NOONE AND SHOT WOUNDED SMR SOLDIERS. 4 WOUNDED GIRL STUDENTS BEGGED FOR THEIR LIVES BUT WERE BAYONETED. A 3 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS INJURED BUT HER MOTHER WAS SHOT AS SHE WENT TO HER AID AS WERE SIX OTHERS WHO TRIED. 1000 SURVIVORS WERE TOLD THEY COULD ESCAPE VIA ZHENGYI LU BUT WERE THEN MOWN DOWN BY SPECIALLY PREPARED M/G POSITIONS. ARMY AMBULANCES WHO ATTEMPTED TO GIVE AID WERE SHOT UP AS WAS A SINO-JAPANESE HOSPITAL AMBULANCE. WITH MEDICAL CREW DEAD WOUNDED DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO RAM ATTACKERS BUT WAS BLOWN TO PIECES BY ANTI TANK WEAPON. IN FURTHER ATTACK APCS CAUGHT UP WITH SMR STRAGGLER TRUCKS, RAMMED AND OVERTURNED THEM AND RAN OVER TROOPS. DURING ATTACK 27 ARMY OFFICER SHOT DEAD BY OWN TROOPS APPARENTLY BECAUSE HE FALTERED. TROOPS EXPLAINED THEY WOULD BE SHOT IF THEY HADN'T SHOT OFFICER…”

If you would like to know more, we also recommend this excellent documentary on the tank man by Frontline: https://youtu.be/fHMZmthg-Vk

(Goddess of Democracy in ruins) 

(A fatally injured protester with flower.) 

(One of many scenes of shrouded bodies.) 

(Soldiers burned away wreckage and bodies in the square.)

(Bicycles crushed by tanks)