New Eyes Festival Comes to Theater Mu in April

Theater Mu’s New Eyes Pageant, an annual collection of staged readings by Asian American playwrights, is coming again this weekend. 

The theater’s longest managing tradition will consider put in-individual April 9-10 at Mu’s studio in St. Paul. It will element new functions by Mu’s Andrew W. Mellon Basis playwright-in-home Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, longtime Mu artist and playwright Katie Ka Vang, composer Melissa Li, and Keiko Inexperienced, a recent Mu Tang Clan member, which is the theater’s playwrights incubator software.

Duangphouxay Vongsay and Vang have been involved with Theater Mu for about a 10 years. 

“New Eye’s Pageant is a main component of the Theater Mu’s mission to make place for Asian American stories, so it is wonderful getting both of those longtime and more recent Mu playwrights concerned this calendar year,” stated Lily Tung Crystal, the inventive director, in a assertion.

The New Eyes Pageant began in 1993 as an outlet for new, total-duration Asian American theater performs to achieve traction. 

The festival’s aim is to enable playwrights create their work and smooth out any imperfections. Staged readings are performed with no sets and costumes. Immediately after demonstrates, playwrights frequently will ask viewers customers for enter and opinions on their work. 

On Saturday April 9, the thrilling sci-fi comedy Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Shaman Warrior created by Duangphouxay Vongsay will start out at 4:00 p.m. Following that, Yet again, created by Vang and composed by Li will be performed at 7:30 p.m.

In between displays, audience members will be encouraged to order supper for a discounted rate at KCM EggRolls meals truck. 

The coming-of-age story Unique Lethal: or the MSG Enjoy, published by Keiko Eco-friendly, will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday April 10. 

The New Eyes Pageant is totally free to attend, but sophisticated RSVPs are requested to reserve a seat. Visitors are demanded to use confront masks at all instances, in addition to exhibiting possibly evidence of vaccination or a negative COVID test from within just 72 hrs. 

“During this time, we combat detest and racism by telling our tales and offering voice to our communities,” Tung Crystal extra. “Each of these stories is so one of a kind, representing the depth and breadth of the Asian American knowledge. What other event enables us to existing a zombie apocalypse and a heartfelt musical with each other on the very same day?”