SENIOR SHOWCASE ft. THE OA
In my senior year of university, I directed, produced, and performed in my own acting showcase—a culmination of my four years in the University of Michigan’s acting conservatory. It was a grueling, yet affirming process honoring my creative instincts while navigating a primarily white institution during the pandemic. This piece is a practice in visionary science ficition, featuring writing from one of my favorite television shows, The OA. I am grateful for Steven and TK who helped make this possible. As I recover from institutional surveillance, gender and racial dysphoria, and burnout, may this piece serve as a relic of this part of my life leading me to fugitive comrades and collaborators alike surrendering to our collective power and vision.
‘TIL DEATH DO US WHOLE
In iteritive response to my partner’s death meditation practice, ‘TIL DEATH DO US WHOLE laughs at the gross realities of our breathing, dying bodies through apolyptic visioning, Butoh movements, and fourth-wall shenanigans. The first public draft of this ongoing project was presented in February 2023 as part of the Winter WAXWorks Showcase at Triskelion Arts (Playwright, Performance, Mask-Maker: Che’Li; Writer & Facilitator: Michael yuchen Tong; Painter: Nicole Denise White; Photographer: Elyse Mertz Photography).
THELMA AND LOUISE AND THE TIME MACHINE
THELMA AND LOUISE AND THE TIME MACHINE, a new work written by Mara Vélez Meléndez and directed by Sivan Battat, is a romance through the multi-verse about all the possibilities and impossibilities of women loving women. This staged reading was a part of Breaking the Binary’s Inaugural Theatre Festival in October 2022 at Theatre Row (Playwright: Mara Vélez Meléndez; Director: Sivan Battat; Assistant Director: Pauli Pontrelli; Stage Manager: Nat Kelley DiMario; Dramaturg: Aydan Shahdadpuri; Featuring: Alex Might, Che’Li, Nora Schell, & Tẹmídayọ Amay).
ACTRESS
ACTRESS, a new work written by catie chan and directed by Sara Vandenheuvel, is a Buddhist play drawn from the playwright’s studies in Butoh and Noh Theatre and was produced by the New York Theater Festival at Latea Theater in October 2022 (Playwright: catie chan; Director: Sara Vandenheuvel; Featuring: Asel Otunchieva, Alice Aster, catie chan, Che’Li, Harley Deville, & Zoë Kerr).
DOO INDÁYZ
DOO INDÁYZ is an experimental theatre piece about two clowns hot for GOD discover the power of prayer and sacrifice their Asian girlhood to reach the Holy City. This abomination lovechild was co-created, performed, and improvised by special friends, Che’Li and Jueun Kang, upon bonding over their similar experiences surviving religious institutions as kids. DOO INDÁYZ was selected for Soho Playhouse’s Lighthouse Series Festival in both May and July 2022 (Special Thanks to Carter Ford, Kate Parker-Lentz, Britt Lafield, & Michael Yuchen Tong),
THE WOMAN AND THE BANANA TREE
THE WOMAN AND THE BANANA TREE, written by Blake Bonilla and directed by Danica Selem, is a horror play set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Philippinse during World War II. Two women fight for their survival as colonizers and aswang wreak havoc on the town. This new play was a part of Columbia University’s School of the Arts programming in March 2022 (Playwright: Blake Bonilla; Director: Danica Selem; Stage Manager: Lucas Gomes; Producer: Zhiwei Ma; Costume Designers: Kat Ibasco & L Nuzzi; Lighting Designer: Shane Hennessy; Featuring: Asel Otunchieva, Che’Li, Xiaoxiao Sun, Jesse Cao, Bobby Obias, Milai Taguchi, Catt Filiippov, & Zhiwei Ma).