Who are you, and what is your role on the show? I’m Barbara Mah and I am the Director of King of the Yees. I have the privilege of working with this insanely talented group of people to bring this story to life.
Why should audiences come to see King of the Yees? The show is very funny and audiences will relate to the father/daughter communication gap. They will also get to see authentic Lion Dancing!
What would you say would be a highlight of working on King of the Yees so far? The story is a deeply personal one for me. Although the themes of parent/child communication gap are universal, the setting, an office space in a Family Association (which the main character has no understanding about) is very parallel to my own journey. Some background: my grandfather, Henry W. H. Mah was one of the founders of the Mah Society in Edmonton. I did not know or understand what the society was about. It had served a use during the days of the Chinese Immigration Act (in the US the Chinese Exclusion Act) but seemed to be a relic of the past. In 2022, younger members of the Mah society tried to put together an archival history and were interviewing any surviving community elders. They interviewed my father and my aunt. I was at the interview and heard stories of the history of my family that I never knew. The stories from all elders were gathered and the result was the Exhibit “Journey of the Horse” (Mah means horse in Chinese). Not only had they managed to put together a timeline, they placed this timeline against the context of the socio-political events in Canada at the time, including the hardships and racism faced by the community. This exhibit opened in 2024. My father did not live to see it. That said, for the people still reading, the show is a comedy!!!
What was the best birthday party you attended? One for my friend Dorothy, who was in her 80s at the time. All that she asked for was for each guest to bring a story. The evening was a celebration of her — while she was still alive!
