Posted on behalf of Asian Pasifika Arts Collective 

“Food Culture in AAPI Communities” 
Location: The Strand Theater
Time: Post-matinee (around 4:30 PM)

From preparing traditional meals, to keeping sacred family recipes, to gathering families and communities together, food has always been an important element of cultures around the world. Join us for our panel discussion following our Festival’s matinee performances at The Strand Theater and listen to some of the DMV’s most celebrated chefs, community organizers and food bloggers as they share their experiences with and perspectives on the importance of Food Culture in AAPI communities. 

Support the AAPI Women's Voices Theater Festival prior to panel

The Strand Theater Company and Asian Pasifika Arts Collective are partnering to present  the AAPI Women’s Voices Theater Festival, comprising six original short plays by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women-identifying playwrights. The aim of the Festival is to bring awareness to the stories and experiences of AAPI women, transgender, nonbinary, and gender fluid individuals throughout the United States, as well as highlight the work of AAPI writers, actors and directors. The Festival takes place in celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 2022.

About the Festival:
Following a nationwide call for submissions in the Fall of 2021, and subsequent review and selection by a collective panel of readers from both host organizations, the Festival will feature two one-act and four ten-minute plays from six finalists in a book-in-hand or staged reading format. All plays submitted to the Festival were required to follow a set of guidelines, including the length of the play, the number of allowed characters, and the inclusion of specific plot “ingredients,” such as a misunderstanding, a memory, and a family recipe. 
 
The Festival will showcase between two and five plays during each performance, due to their varying lengths. In order to experience all six productions, we encourage our patrons to attend the Festival more than once. In addition to the play performances, the Festival will include two panel discussions. The first discussion, titled Food Culture and the AAPI Community, will be hosted on Sunday, May 15, following the matinee performance. The second panel on Friday, May 20 (following the evening performance) will be a conversation with the playwrights and directors of the festival. Refreshments will be offered to the attendees.
 
The featured plays represent cultures and heritages across the AAPI diaspora including Armenia, Iran, South Korea and China.
 
The Festival participants are:
 
Spaghetti Lo Mein – by Elizabeth Ung
Hot Pot at the End of the World – by Karen Li
Mother Mandu – by Libbey Kim
Support – by Robin Berl
Cousins and Soup – by Lyra Nalan
Secret Ingredient by Emily Kate Avakian
 
Tickets are Pay What You Can
All performances take place at 5426 Harford Rd. Baltimore MD 21214.
Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours of a performance, plus mask wearing are required for attendance.
 

Performance Dates/Times:  

• Friday, May 6, 8pm, Opening Night
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Saturday, May 7, 8pm
  • (Hot Pot at the End of the World, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Sunday, May 8, 2pm
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Friday, May 13, 8pm
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Hot Pot at the End of the World)
• Saturday, May 14, 8pm
  • (Hot Pot at the End of the World, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Sunday, May 15, 2pm, Post-Show Panel Discussion – Food Culture in the AAPI Community
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Hot Pot at the End of the World)
• Thursday, May 19, 8pm
  • (Hot Pot at the End of the World, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Friday, May 20, 8pm – Post Show Panel Discussion – Meet our Playwrights and Directors!
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Saturday, May 21, 8pm
  • (Hot Pot at the End of the World, Spaghetti Lo Mein)
• Sunday, May 22, 2pm
  • (Support, Mother Mandu, Secret Ingredient, Cousins and Soup, Hot Pot at the End of the World)

Ticket Prices:  Pay What You Can