Artist Statement

When I was an undergraduate actor, I saw a production of David Lindsay-Abhaire’s Rabbit Hole and these lines stuck to me.

“At some point, it becomes bearable. It turns into something that you can crawl out from under and... carry around like a brick in your pocket.”

It was talking about grief and pain.

That line informed some of the ways I began to deal with my own pain. I’d think of pain as bricks to carry around and that I was strong enough to carry all the bricks life had given me.

Then, years later, I began a regular therapy practice and my therapist pointed out that the pains we carry aren’t inanimate objects. Whether we like it or not, they radiate out. Carry too many at a time and our lives become an echo of Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the mountain.

This play is an attempt to take those bricks and crack them open to understand what makes each one radiate out and suss out the root cause. And I hope that by making a mess of my bricks, it helps others take inventory of their own bricks and begin the process of cracking them open bit by bit.

Here’s to making messes,

Đavid Lee Huỳnh

About The Artists

Nana Dakin (นานา เดกิ้น) is a queer Thai American director of new work, classics and devised performance based in NYC. Her work pursues social equity by examining the way culture is constructed and unsettling dormant biases. She is the first Thai theatre director to direct at the Royal Court Theatre in London and in NYC her work has been presented and developed at Ars Nova, Atlantic Theater Company, Bedlam, The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Soho Rep and more. www.nanadakin.com

Hao Bai (Sound Designer), is a multidisciplinary designer in lighting, sound, video projection, and world-building (environment) for live and virtual performances. Recent: Virtual: Final Boarding Call (Ma-Yi Theater+WP Theater); Nocturne in 1200s (Ping Chong). Lighting: Waterboy and the Mighty World (Bushwick Starr & The Public Theatre); Lazarus (Ping Chong); Projection: Electronic City (NYIT Awards); My Home on the Moon (SF Playhouse). Sound: Walden (TheatreWorks–CT Critics Circle Award), True West (People's Light). Lighting & Sound: 7Mins (HERE). Lighting & Projection: Priestess of Twerk (HERE + Irondale); Lighting/Sound/Projection: Arden (The Flea). Production Design: and the grass grows (Harvard University); Where We Belong (National Tours: The Public, Goodman Theatre, OSF etc.). 

Qixin Zhang is a media artist and engineer, who seamlessly blends art and technology to create transformative experiences. With a diverse cultural background encompassing both East and West influences, her work reflects a harmonious fusion of creative perspectives. Qixin's art bridges dimensions, utilizing media in innovative ways to captivate audiences and inspire connections. Guided by empathy and a passion for cultural exchange, she strives to leave an indelible mark on the world through her imaginative and unseen creations. Carnegie Mellon University, 2023, MFA. Website: ultrablack.xyz | IG: @ultrablacki

Ben Wolfe (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer, assistant, and programmer based in NYC. He is a recent Syracuse University graduate (’23) with a BFA in Theater Design and Technology. Past designs have been seen at HB Studio, Syracuse Stage’s Storch Theater, RedHouse Theater, and The Tank NYC. benlwolfedesign.com

Clarissa Mota is a multi-disciplinary artist, emphasizing new play development and equity in theatrical spaces. She is very thankful to be a part of this Project! Credits: Painting His Wings At Berkshire Fringe, Las Boriquenas (ASM),  First Light Festival (SM).

About Yangtze Rep

For over 30 years, Yangtze Repertory Theatre (Chongren Fan 范崇人, Artistic Director; Sally Shen 申羽, Executive Director) has been producing and presenting theatrical works in the Greater New York area. Yangtze Rep celebrates artists who are global citizens and provides a platform to showcase their talents. Their past and present productions have served as an entry point for their audience, regardless of their cultural upbringing, to see the world through a contemporary Chinese lens. Since 2017, they have been focusing on supporting artists from the AAPI immigrant community and www.yzrep.org

About Project YZ

Project YZ is Yangtze Rep’s AAPI Artist Residency program. Launched in 2022, Project YZ is focused on supporting the artistic journey of each resident artist with a process that values open dialogue, honest conversation, and bold endeavors. During the one-year residency, each resident artist receives a grant of $10,000 and Yangtze Rep connects Project YZ artists with other collaborators, offers research support, and facilitates interviews and focus groups. Dramaturgical development and discussion with Yangtze’s artistic staff take place throughout the residency.

Special Thanks:

Special thanks to Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America, Chongren Fan, Sally Chen, Bindi Kang, Yining Cao, Janine Lee Papio, Jeremy Varner, Mike McCauslin, Frank Poon, Allie Posner, Edith Meeks, Gladys Chen, Nana Dakin, Joyce Meimei Zheng, Anzi Debenedetto, Jesse Cao Long, Tina Chilip, Dave Shih, Joe Osheroff, Ka-Ling Cheung, Haskell King, Bùi Ngọc Hiếu, Sarah Haber, VyVy Nguyễn, Kim and Mack Huynh, and Love Bug