2021-22 Season
ABOUT THE SHOW
Wǔ Wèi - On the Table is an immersive theatrical experience. In Chinese, wǔ wèi means the five tastes or characteristics of food in Chinese cuisine: suān (tart), tián (sweet), kǔ (bitter), là (spicy), and xián (savory). According to Chinese medicine, ingredients with different characteristics have different healing powers- a theory put into practice by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
Aimed to provide a healing space for the AAPI community through storytelling, movement, and sensory elements, the workshop production puts undiscussed issues and difficult conversations on the table, and explores who we are as a community. The three main creators and ensemble cast members are all immigrants from Asia. They collaborate with the goal of delving into issues of racial justice, immigration experience, and Asian cultures in a time that has proven especially difficult for the AAPI community.
The need for food is fundamental to humanity. We live truth when we eat and share our foods. Taking place on Xiǎo Nián – two days before the Lunar New Year – Wǔ Wèi - On the Table is a celebration of Asian food cultures and exploration of identity.
Creative Team
Co-creators: Rui Dun, Wonhee Kim, Zak Ma
Production Designer: Rachel A. Zimmerman
Composer: Alyssa L. Jackson
When & Where
Sunday, January 30, 2p & 7p
Fou Gallery 否画廊
410 Jefferson Ave #1, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Artist Bios
Rui Dun (Co-creator) is a theater artist from China, based in Brooklyn. She creates/ directs/ manages/ performs theatrical content across disciplines such as play, movement, dance, puppetry and physical comedy. She believes in the power of storytelling for healing and social/environmental justice. Her work has been seen in China, London, New York, and across the United States. She loves to cook and eat. Food is where she finds home.
Wonhee Kim (Co-creator) is a Third-year MFA acting student at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. As she brings her training at ASDS to a close, she is excited about continuing to hone her skills in the states and bring her talents to the stages and screens of the US. This show will be the first step of her journey. She has worked for the last decade as an actor and dancer in Korea, with credits like Source of the Odour (Busan Film Festival), 2m (Incheon_Film festival, Korea), Shout and their Aspiration (Alchemical theater, NYC), 4000 miles (The Collingwood Arts Center, Ohio), Again, again! (Yeoulmok Theater, Korea), The Palace (The Festival of Women directors, Seoul), Dancing with the city (Seoul International Dance Festival, Korea).
Zak Ma (Co-creator) is a New York based actor and physical theatre artist from California, born in Vietnam. He recently created, produced, and performed in his solo show, Ma: The Exodus, an exploration of his personal experience as a Vietnamese American immigrant. As an artist, Zak believes in the healing power of art, and aims to erase the limitations from the culmination of societal, ancestral, and cultural dictations. He obtained his Master’s in Acting at The Actors Studio Drama School, and his Butoh training with RenGyoSoh Butoh theatre company, where he officially became a core member since 2020. Recent performances include Ikigai (Hollywood Fringe Encore Producers’ Award), EN:2021, Ma on the Edge, and Watch Me (An Original Play by Kervigo Ensemble). Zak is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to further connect with the AAPI community through our love of food, and to share these stories with his team in Wǔ Wèi.
Alyssa L. Jackson (Composer) is a composer, audio engineer, cellist and media artist. She received her B.A. in Cello Performance at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and an M.F.A. in media scoring at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. She is currently taking composition classes at Juilliard School of Music to refine her skills in music composition. Alyssa loves to express her creative energy in the arts and offer support through sound and music.
Rachel Alexis Zimmerman (Production Designer) is a multidisciplinary artist and designer. She has earned two degrees in Theatre Design and has over 15 years of professional experience in Theatre Lighting and Scenic Design. Rachel’s most recent credits include Lighting Design for Love/Love the Musical (Under St. Marks 2019), Light/Sound Design for Retreat (NY Winterfest 2019), Set/Lighting Design for Anne Frank Lives! (NY Summerfest 2018), Set Design for By Jacqueline Wright (LadyFest 2018, The Tank), Lighting Design for Serving Brûlée (NY Fringe Festival 2018), and Assistant Lighting for Actor's Studio 2018 Rep Season.
This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Wǔ Wèi Community Meetup
The creative team behind Wǔ Wèi - On the Table continues the healing journey for the AAPI community through a virtual program
ABOUT
We invite you to gather around a virtual table, where we would tell stories about food, culture, family, and identity. While we cannot share a meal together, may our stories evoke sensory memories. Each community meetup is a stand-alone theatrical event with a distinct theme and a flavor – no pun intended. We hope to see you in all the meetups but are equally thrilled if you can only join one. As they say, it is the journey that matters, not the destination.
OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Contribute to the Wǔ Wèi Cookbook
Nothing compares to a family recipe that has been passed on for generations. If you have such recipes and are willing to share, we would love to get a digital copy of it – even better if it’s handwritten.
Contribute to the Wǔ Wèi Photo Album
In many cultures, family gatherings are usually around the dinner table, that’s where many of the family photos are taken. If you have such photos and are willing to share, we would love to get a digital copy of it.