“Gossip is a fearful thing,” wrote Ruan Lingyu in her suicide note. A star of Shanghai’s leftist cinema in the 1930s, her fate was eerily prophesied by her last movie, “New Women.” Nine years later in 1944, seminal Vietnamese playwright Vũ Đình Long published Đàn bà mới or New Women, the story of a writer who is preyed upon by the male publisher of a women’s magazine. This cautionary tale links the pursuit of a career and modernist ideals of independence and self-determination to her downfall and disgrace.
These early 20th century stories give us an opportunity to reexamine today how the creative and intellectual labor of women interacts with patriarchy and capitalism. In this dramatic reading, Hương Ngô has adapted the play by omitting all of the male voices. This process leaves behind blank spaces and long pauses, opening the text to a contemporary reinterpretation. The reading will take place within a sculptural set fabricated by Ngô, using geometric costumes that Ngô designed.
READERS 讀者
La Chiquitta is Hong Kong's most prolific and sought-after drag queen. She is a sleep-deprived showgirl, wig enthusiast, makeup connoisseur, thespian, camwhore, radio host, partyphile, recording artist, (once-a-semester) uni lecturer, and more. Stripped of the rouge and the 2-inch thick foundation, she is Rye Bautista, a classically-trained professional contemporary dancer, teacher, choreographer stage actor.
Claudia Jim is a visual artist based in Hong Kong. After four years of studying in Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Visual Arts, she hopes that her art creation will not be limited any specific single medium.
Jes Fan is from Canada/Hong Kong, China. They hold a BFA in Glass from Rhode Island School of Design. They are the recipient of various awards, such as the Pioneer Works Residency, Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship at Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), CCGA Fellowship at Wheaton Arts, and John A. Chironna Memorial Award at RISD. They have had solo shows at MAD, NY; Vox Populi Gallery, PA, Brown University, RI.