What I'm doing right now

Last updated: July 1, 2026 from my home in Brooklyn

I thought I could get away with not installing my A/C for the summer. Part of me wanted to endure. A/C isn't good for the respiratory system (in Chinese thinking), plus I hate installing window A/C's. But alas, the heat wave in New York really forced my hand. Recently, I've been spending time in both NYC and New London at the O'Neill Theater Center. The O'Neill is truly such a special place. It is a joy and privilege to teach playwriting at the National Theater Institute. At the same time, I've gotten to see the new plays at the National Playwrights Conference! They're all so good.

The students of my playwriting class at Flatbush Community Theater presented their work in a wonderful reading at Brooklyn Artery yesterday. It was lovely to see the development of their work over the past six weeks. I've also had the pleasure of seeing my students at the National Theater Institute perform their plays for a public Monday performance (only two days of rehearsal for a full production)!

What I'm Writing and Working On

I'm working on a play with some of the folks at Yun Theatre that will go up at the Wuzhen Theater Festival in China. I'll be finishing up the script this weekend, as we'll go into rehearsals for it after they finish their July 4th performance of a new devised piece, America 250. If you're in the Seattle area, definitely check it out this 4th of July! It is an incredible title. In Chinese slang, the number 250 (pronounced èr bǎi wǔ) is a common, playful insult. Calling someone a "250" implies they are doing something foolish or lacking common sense.

While I'm more recently preoccupied with the project for Wuzhen, I'm still working on Chop Suey, my play about the connection between the Chinese Communist Party and the Black Panthers set in a Chinese takeout restaurant.

I am still looking for a male Chinese actor late 20s - mid 30s based in NYC for an upcoming production. Specifically someone who grew up in Mainland China, or understands deeply what it is like to grow up there.