Theater Mu Announces 2021 New Eyes Festival: (Un)Scene

Theater Mu’s very long standing tradition, the New Eyes Pageant, will return this 12 months in a virtual format to mark Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Thirty day period this Might 21-22. Theater Mu will current a collection of staged readings of new operates from Asian American playwrights—and this 12 months, in reaction to surging anti-Asian and Asian American violence, they’ll function a collection of authentic 10-minute virtual plays by regional and nationwide playwrights for a weekend they’ve titled New Eyes Pageant: Un(Scene). 

The notion to change the festival’s format arrived from Theater Mu board member Katie Hae Leo, who’s also the festival’s producer. 

“I approached Mu with this notion in March when it was crystal clear that hate crimes against people of Asian descent had been continuing to rise,” reported Leo in a push release. “Then the up coming week, the shootings in Atlanta transpired, taking the life of six Asian females. These females had been someone’s daughter, someone’s mother, they had been personnel, neighbors, close friends, and local community associates. And the violence against Asian Us citizens continues, most lately taking four associates of Indianapolis’ Sikh local community. I know from my have practical experience that theatre has the ability to deliver people with each other and generate healing. Our local community desires room ideal now to grieve, rage, and possibly even giggle or practical experience joy.”

The New Eyes Pageant will function new function by playwrights Isabella Dawis, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, Carla Ching, Aditi Brennan Kapil, and Lisa Marie Rollins, Prince Gomolvilas, Jessica Huang, Lloyd Suh, Katie Ka Vang, and Leah Nanako Winkler. This year’s directors consist of Katie Bradley, Jennifer Weir and Theater Mu inventive director Lily Tung Crystal, and Joshua Dyrud will serve as the festival’s streaming producer.

“We understood it was the ideal time for Mu to current ‘Un(Scene)’,” reported Crystal in a push release. “Asian Us citizens are frequently perceived as invisible, mainly since we’re rarely represented on phase, in movie, or on Tv set. At Mu, we give voice to people narratives. By telling our tales, we’re demanding to be seen as the genuine Us citizens that we are.”

Pageant performances will be broadcast stay on Theater Mu’s private streaming platform the weekend of Might 21-22, and on-desire recordings will be readily available Might 23-29. Performances are free and open up to the public with an RSVP on Theater Mu’s site, and viewers are encouraged to donate to Asian American Organizing Task (AAOP).