Life in Limbo

Chop wood, carry water…

With Broadway and regional theatre companies starting to open up again, there does seem to be some more hope in the air (even in the midst of the still-terrible news cycle). However, for many artists including myself, this can make the desire to get back in the game even more excruciating. A lot of us are simply waiting for the gigs to pop up again, and any gig not gained can smart even more pointedly than before. We’re still living life in limbo.

So, how does one cope? Honestly, it’s hard. There’s no way around that. But an Eastern proverb keeps coming to my mind lately: “Before Enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.” I may be a bit free in my interpretation of the proverb, but I read it as the work is always the same. I still have shows to write and songs to compose, whether the activity in the world around me is buzzing with new life or not. And as difficult as it is to sit myself down and write, that’s my job, that’s my work.

It's Magic: Designing Costumes for "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon"

Green Tiger costume rendering by Anthony Tran.

South Coast Repertory recently posted an interview with Anthony Tran, costume designer for their upcoming production of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: A Musical Adaptation.

And if you live in SoCal, be sure to get your tickets for the SCR production today!

Faking it till faking it no longer feels like faking it

You know how they say “Fake it till you make it?” I feel like I’ve been operating under that notion for the bulk of my playwriting career. But recently, I’ve started to actually feel like I’m making it, not because I’m faking it, but because I have the knowledge, skills, and grit to actually make it. It’s a very odd feeling. After years of using my best guesses, I’m actually starting to feel like I might know a thing or two about what I’m doing.

Someone recently said to me “You’re the expert!” and there was a tiny twinge inside me in response. No, I can’t be an expert in anything. I’m still figuring it out as I go. But maybe I have become quite practiced at the figuring out. I still don’t love the connotations of the word “expert,” mostly because of the expectations others might place on such a title. But if, if, I am an expert, it’s not because I have it all figured out, but because… I’ve gotten good at figuring things out as I go. With enough “faking it,” I’ve now gotten enough experience to know how to think through decisions and problems in my career. Decisions and problems that might be fresh and new for others.

Yes, an odd feeling. Oddly quiet. Oddly reassured. I’m not flailing about trying to make sense of everything. After all my flailing (and failing), many things have come together. And the things that still don’t make sense, I’ve learned to maneuver through and with. Of course, the “faking it” hasn’t ended. Each time you level up in a video game, there is more to learn about the skills or items you’ve acquired along the way. And I’ll still need the expertise of others. But this lifestyle of “fake it till you make it” has started to look more and more like… “this is how you make it.”

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon coming to South Coast Rep

Next month, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: A Musical Adaptation will receive its third production – this time at South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, CA. I’m so excited to see director Jennifer Chang’s vision for the piece come to life! If you’re in the SoCal area, be sure to get your tickets soon, as seats are starting to fill up!

From Manga to Musical: The Four Immigrants Reading at USC

Top L to R: Julia Weiner, Stella Kim, Kurt Kanazawa, Ewan Chung, Scott Keiji Takeda, Reuben Uy, Min Kahng, Frederik L. Schodt. Bottom L to R: Jully Lee, Yumi Iwama, Sophie Oda, Julia Cho, Leslie Martinson

Last week, Artists At Play and USC Visions & Voices presented the panel and concert presentation of The Four Immigrants at Cammilleri Hall on the USC campus. The evening was electric and everything went phenomenally well! The event was even covered in on-campus media with this lovely article by Yixin Zhou!

Zhou writes: “The performance and discussion drew a large crowd. Some audience members had to stand throughout the performance since the house was filled. But that didn’t stop audiences from fully engaging in the show, laughing and sighing along as they watched the story of these four friends unfold.”

Thank you to all who help bring this concert reading to life, and to all who attended!