Play reading of Specially Processed American Me
8 – 9:30PM
A play reading of SPECIALLY PROCESSED AMERICAN ME
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 8:00 – 9:30PM EDT
Queens Council on the Arts’ Artist Commissioning Program (ACP) and Flushing Town Hall present a play reading and talkback of Jaime Sunwoo’s Specially Processed American Me, a surreal autobiographical performance using SPAM, the canned meat, as a portal into her Asian American upbringing and her family’s experiences of the Korean War. It investigates SPAM’s legacy in the military, its significance in the Asia-Pacific, and its influence on Asian cuisine through music, shadowplay, and cooking. Oscillating wildly between absurd humor and sober tragedy, Specially Processed American Me is a thought-provoking exploration of one of America’s most misunderstood foods.
This event is free and open to the public. Registered attendees will receive an email with the watch link. RSVP is required: https://www.queenscouncilarts.org/calendar/specially-processed-american-me
Written by Jaime Sunwoo. Directed by Karim Muasher. Dramaturgy and Stage Management by Alex Lee. Music, lyrics, and stream tech by Matt Chilton. Performed by Jaime Sunwoo, Juella Baltonado, Arielle Rabano, Yurina Kutsukake, Adrianna Mateo, Eunji Lim, and Nathaniel Basch-Gould. Visual designs provided by Jaime Sunwoo, Kyu Shin, and Cinthia Chen.
About the Playwright
Jaime Sunwoo is a Korean American multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, New York. She combines video, audio, sculpture, and storytelling to create sensory performances in galleries, theaters, and public spaces. She studied art at Yale University, and is an alum of the Laundromat Project for socially engaged art. Her work has been seen at JACK, Abrons Art Center, BAX, The Tank, Flux Factory, Open Source Gallery, DUMBO Arts Festival, and Art in Odd Places. She is one of the hundred women artists commissioned for Park Avenue Armory’s 100 Years | 100 Women. She was a resident artist for HB Studio Rehearsal Space Residency and received awards from the Queens Council on the Arts’ Artist Commissioning Program, Ms. Foundation for Women in association with Asian Women Giving Circle, and the NYC Women’s Fund for Specially Processed American Me, a performance reflecting on the significance of SPAM in the Asian American community. More at jaimesunwoo.com