Tag: King of the Yees

Meet the Cast of KING OF THE YEES – Ruth Wong-Miller is Lauren Yee!

Who are you and who do you play in King of the Yees? I’m Ruth Wong-Miller and I play Lauren Yee in the show. If her name sounds familiar – she is also the playwright of King of the Yees (the show is semi-autobiographical, she says!)

Lauren is an American Born Chinese woman who is not in touch with her Chinese side. She’s a Yale educated playwright and doesn’t understand why her dad wants to involve what seems like EVERYONE (Lion Dancers, Erhu Players, Lum Elders, Face Changers…everyone) in her new play. She happens to be workshopping her play at the Yee Fung Toy (her dad helped her get the space for free…but he wasn’t invited to the reading!)

Through the course of the play, she adventures through San Francisco’s Chinatown, learning about her Chinese community, culture and history. Most importantly, she explores her relationship with her father and why Chinatown is so important to him.

Why should audiences come to see King of the Yees? This show is comedic and poignant while pulling out all the stops to show you (and teach you) about Chinese culture in San Francisco’s Chinatown! The cast is high energy, funny, and simply awesome. Don’t miss our show!

What would you say would be a highlight of working on King of the Yees so far? It is such a treat to work with this all-Asian cast on the stage of the fabulous Walterdale Theatre! It has been a true honour to lead this cast in a piece of theatre that is so close to our own experiences. – we are all so proud to be representative of the Chinese Culture in this show and are having a blast working on it!

Many characters in King of the Yees struggle with different elements of their identity. What is an element of your identity that you discovered, rediscovered, or started to appreciate as you got older? It’s been extra special to explore a character who has experienced cultural identity challenges similar to my own. Growing up (and even now) folks are wanting to belong, and sometimes this comes at the cost of our own sense of self or pride in our own culture. Especially over the past few years, I have definitely come to appreciate even more the opportunities that were afforded to me because of my parents’ hard work as immigrants – and our journey together to learn to live between two cultures!

What was the best birthday party you attended? McDonalds – the Styrofoam box stacking challenge is an epic memory. My mom made me an awesome Grimace Cake (Still love that purple character to this day!)

Meet the Cast of KING OF THE YEES! Andrew Kwan is Chiropractor, Newscaster & Ensemble member!

What is your name? Andrew Kwan

What is your role in the show? Chiropractor/Newscaster/Ensemble. The Chiropractor is an important character in Chinatown that Lauren must visit to start her journey of discovery. Don’t want to give too much away but he’s pretty well known in these parts.

Why should audiences come to see King of the Yees? This is a charming, fun, and insightful dramatic comedy about institutions and culture that many people aren’t aware of. Its a story about family and the bonds that hold us together.

What would you say would be a highlight of working on King of the Yees so far? Being a part of an all-Asian cast (with an Asian director and SM) has been such a delight. Most of us are like Lauren in many ways, continuing to learn and discover more about our roots. As a Canadian-born Asian person we are between two worlds and navigating life isn’t always straightforward. To be able to go on this journey with people with similar backgrounds, and then to be able to perform and display this on stage, will be a true joy.

Many characters in King of the Yees struggle with different elements of their identity. What is an element of your identity that you discovered, rediscovered, or started to appreciate as you got older? I think growing up there is an immense pressure to fit in and to be ‘less Asian’. I went to a school that did not have a lot of diversity and so I did what I could to be a part of that crowd. As I grew older and met more people, its been more important in my life to embrace my cultural background and to learn more about others as well. Our diversity is what makes us stronger and better people because of it.

What was the best birthday party you attended? My son’s first birthday party! Cake smash, name that tune, outdoor BBQ… and in bed at a reasonable time!

Meet the Cast of KING OF THE YEES – Grace Li (李冰冰 lǐ bīng bīng) is The Whiskey Seller and Ensemble!

What is your name? Grace Li (If you want the Chinese name, its 李冰冰 lǐ bīng bīng)

What is your role in the show? I am a cast member, and one of the notable characters I play is the Whiskey Seller. My character is a wonderful shop keeper–always has the best deals for high quality items. Do I know anything about alcohol? Irrelevant to giving a good sales pitch.

Why should audiences come to see King of the Yees? It is a fun story with heart. I think because of the title and premise, certain expectations may come up on what the play should be about, but I believe the story plays on that, and subverts those ideas. Come to the show with an open mind, and let yourself be carried away for an evening!

What would you say would be a highlight of working on King of the Yees so far? A highlight would definitely be getting to work with other Asian people in the theatre community. Theatre is a predominantly White field, so honestly, getting to see other people of color is such a joy in my book. Another highlight is learning Lion Dancing–definitely fulfilling a childhood dream, though with a lot more leg pain.

Grace Li as the Whiskey Seller in King of the Yees; Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

Many characters in King of the Yees struggle with different elements of their identity. What is an element of your identity that you discovered, rediscovered, or started to appreciate as you got older? I think one thing that I started to get comfortable with was incorporating my cultural and lived experiences into my writing. I never felt comfortable exploring that part of my identity, as I felt like I didn’t have the authority to. Previously, I thought that my experiences were not “valid enough to write as a Chinese person.” But that’s not true, and I’m getting better at wrapping my head around those feelings. I am allowed to express aspects of experience in my writing, because they are a part of my life. I am a child of immigrants, a part of the Chinese diaspora within North America, and I am ethnically and culturally Chinese. There is no “right way” to express my experience, nor am I barred from writing about them.

What was the best birthday party you attended? Not to be a downer, but I wasn’t really allowed to go to birthdays growing up. And my own birthday is just chill occasion. 

Meet the Team of KING OF THE YEES – Barbara Mah is the Director!

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!

Barbara Mah (Right) and her grandfather (Henry W.H. Mah) in downtown Chinatown, Edmonton when she was around 3 or 4.
Barb in rehearsal at Walterdale.

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!