It’s a story not commonly told but needs to be heard. The story of the purportedly first Chinese woman who arrived in the United States.
The Chinese Lady is currently performing at Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre and is directed by Marjorie Chan. Written by Lloyd Suh, the play is about a 14-year-old girl named Afong Moy who was brought to the U.S. from Guangzhou city in 1834. There, she is put on display for the American public as The Chinese Lady.
“There’s something magical about this play that can reach across the years of history,” Chan said in a press release.
“It’s both an intimate portrait of a historical figure as well as rooted in contemporary commentary: Suh’s writing adeptly places us in the past while speaking to our present moment,” she added.
Throughout the play, viewers will witness how the title The Chinese Lady comes to define and challenge Moy’s sense of identity as decades pass. The play centers around Moy’s immigrant experience and how Western culture is perceived through her eyes. Questions such as how she got there, why she was there and what it means will be answered.
Now Toronto spoke to assistant director Steven Hao and lead actress Rosie Simon, who plays Moy, to delve into the depths of The Chinese Lady to uncover the underlying messages of the play and what they hope the audience takes away from it.
“I think the play asks us to revisit history. For Canadian audiences, especially, even though the play is mostly about American history, you will see a lot of similarities and patterns…So I think for Chinese audiences, it’ll be an opportunity, hopefully, for them to also learn about a part of history that is one, as prominent, and one, as specific, and talked about,” Hao said.
In terms of history, Simon says one of the challenges of learning and getting into the complex character of Moy is the lack of information publicly recorded about Moy and her life. As a result, she took this as a chance to create and establish her own unique portrayal of the character.
Rosie Simon as Afong Moy in The Chinese Lady at Crow’s Theatre. (Courtesy: Crow’s Theatre)
“I was working with our director, Marjorie Chan, and our assistant director, Steven, we were able to craft this fully realized person based on our own experiences and my own experiences as an Asian Canadian woman and endow her with my experiences because I can’t draw too much on her own,” Simon said.
“The more I read the script and the more we had discussions about it, the more freeing it was to not have to do an impersonation of this person,” she added.
She goes on to say that this is the point of Suh’s writing, not to make the performance a recreation of an impersonation but an interpretation of the people at the time and their intricate thoughts during these moments in their lives. This allowed her and co-actor, John Ng, the artistic freedom to interpret the role the way they see fit.
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH IN CANADA
According to Simon and Hao, The Chinese Lady is very relatable to Asians because of her difficult immigrant story. Her experience is a familiar tale amongst Asians who have encountered loss of language, community and culture after stepping into new territory.
Simon shares the ideals which she believes the audience will sympathize with.
“The idea of always sort of feeling ‘other’ even though you might have been born and raised here in North America, just always feeling like you’re being looked at as someone who doesn’t belong. And then I also think of the idea of keeping your chin up and remaining optimistic and just living your life and moving forward and hoping that each day will be better,” she explained.
Coincidentally, the opening of The Chinese Lady falls on Asian Heritage Month in Canada. This year’s theme is “Stories of Determination” which represents the trials and tribulations overcome by Asian communities within the country, and is fitting with the inspiring story of Afong Moy.
For those looking to watch the poetic and whimsical adventure of The Chinese Lady, tickets can be purchased on Studio 180 Theatre’s website or the Crow’s Theatre website.
Tickets are on sale now and range from $45 to $65.
A special deal is available for arts workers at $25 a ticket. For students and those under 30, tickets are available for $20 each.
The 90-minute show runs until May 21 at Crow’s Theatre.
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