The only place in San Francisco’s Chinatown to offer drama, poetry and music in both Cantonese and English should not be a secret treasure.
Clarion Performing Arts Center began in 1982 as a purveyor of antique musical instruments. Today it hosts youth and senior performing troupes as well as weekly events of surprising variety and creativity at 2 Waverly Place, thanks to executive director, poet and dramatist Clara Hsu.
“I feel I’m riding on a surge of creative energy that is fueled by my friends and my community. To be able to contribute to the people that I come into contact with is a huge honor. I’m humbled by the opportunities that are given to me and I just want to move forward in this way,” says Hsu.
Among Clarion’s offerings are poetry readings in English (June 15); Saturday night jazz; films; theater; open mike showcases (June 23); monthly potlucks (June 8) and free Cantonese lessons.
Hsu has particular interest in children of the Chinese-speaking community, especially those of lower income: “It’s important that the children of Chinatown receive comparable opportunities as the children of more affluent families. Having a broad world view will enable them to make intelligent decisions as they grow up,” she says.
Hsu, who was born in Hong Kong, was influenced by her father James Ma, a pianist and piano builder who traded in antique Chinese instruments in San Francisco. He taught her to play the piano and nurtured her love of music that comes through in productions she writes and produces.
In 2021, she launched a children’s theater, offering classes ($5 per session) and quarterly performances of skits she writes. “Death of 3 Composers” in English was presented in 2023.
Another of her big theater projects is “Dragon Beard,” billed as “San Francisco’s first commercially produced play in Cantonese with English subtitles.” Written by Hsu in honor of her native tongue and the plight of immigrants, “Dragon Beard” premieres in August at Clarion.
Clarion also is headquarters of the senior dance troupe Grant Avenue Follies, a group of retired women, mostly schoolteachers, who sing and dance harkening back to days when Chinatown was known for cabarets and risqué nightlife. Doing burlesque, they strut their stuff with grace and humor in glittering costumes and with ostrich feather fans.
Cynthia Yee, who heads the group, which was established in 2003, recalls how she found Clarion when it needed a residence in 2019.
“One of the Follies (performers) suggested that I pop my head into Clarion. I met Clara and she told me I could use the downstairs. She then showed me a book (a history of a Chinatown cabaret) someone gave her for Christmas and asked if I knew the Grant Avenue Follies. I said, ‘You’re looking at them.’”
The Follies have considered Clarion their home ever since.
Clarion also is home to the Showgirl Magic Museum, where visitors can see photos, costumes and other memorabilia of the heyday of Chinatown nightlife.
In addition to heading the Follies, Yee is president of the board of Clarion, a nonprofit organization she calls “vital to the culture of Chinatown.”
That’s not only because Clarion offers loveliness and entertainment. Using its platform to protest anti-Asian prejudice and hate crimes, the Follies created “Gai Mou Sou,” a Cantonese rap on the subject.
This year, the Follies is performing the second Friday of every month at the Chinatown night market, when the 700-900 blocks of Grant Avenue light up.
And this weekend, the troupe will appear in the Titans & Icons of Tease Showcase in the Burlesque Hall of Fame at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas.
Also known as “The Glammas,” the Follies were featured in April on the PBS documentary show “The Express Way with Dulé Hill,” and have performed on Steve Harvey’s and Mario Lopez’s TV shows.
Clarion Performing Arts Center is located at 2 Waverly Place, San Francisco. For more information, visit https://www.theclarionsf.org/.