Journey from the East to be presented this weekend

Touchstone Theatre presents Journey from the East, a community-based theatrical production for its two-year project exploring the history, heritage, and future of the Chinese community in the Lehigh Valley and America.

The free, large-scale, outdoor performance plays April 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 3 p.m. at the Chinese Harmony Pavilion on the South Bethlehem Greenway.

The story takes on the form of a dream within a play: an American president dreams that he is a sheriff of a derelict Western town. A Chinese diplomat dreams that he is a seventh century monk on a holy journey.

The play explores themes of national identity and attitude through this lens of cultural mythologies.

Journey from the East is written by Touchstone co-founder Bill George and Touchstone Associate/Moravian College Director of Theatre Christopher Shorr. Touchstone Artistic Director is Jp Jordan.

The play, co-produced by Moravian College, features the Touchstone Ensemble, guest artists from Utopia Group of China, students and faculty from Lehigh University and Moravian College, and volunteer participant performers from the Lehigh Valley community.

Each performance weekend will hold auxiliary events, including a guest lecture by Victor H. Mair, an internationally known Chinese scholar from the University of Pennsylvania, at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Touchstone Theatre.

The following evening at 6 p.m., a panel discussion will be held in Touchstone Theatre on the American Western as our cultural mythology.

A Chinese-style Spring Festival and a close-proximity pyrotechnic display by Celebration Fireworks will follow the closing performance at 6 p.m. on April 26.

Reservations and further information available at 610-867-1689 or www.touchstone.org or www.journeyfromtheeastblog.wordpress.com.