About the Characters

by Rachel Ropella

Name: Ray Yamamoto Character: Manford Lum 17, Chinese American, about to graduate high school in Chinatown. A 5’5” basketball prodigy who talks a mile a minute; he is driven and impulsive. Name: Eileen Doan Character: Connie Fong 25, Chinese American, Manford’s cousin. A UC Berkeley grad student who has traveled to China before; she is protective and empathetic.

Name: Norman Garcy Yap (AEA) Character: Wen Chang 43, Chinese, the coach of Beijing University’s basketball team. Worked his way up in the world by keeping his head down; he is perceptive and methodical. Name: Jim Shankman (AEA) Character: Saul Slezac 52, Jewish, the coach of University of San Francisco’s basketball team. Has a toughlove approach to everything in life; he is crass and demanding.