Specially Processed American Me

Dixon Place, Ping Chong and Company, and Free Rein Projects present the world premiere of Specially Processed American Me

Written by Jaime Sunwoo
Directed by Karim Muasher and Jaime Sunwoo
Music and Lyrics by Matt Chilton
Lighting Design by Sarah Lurie
Projection Design by Cinthia Chen

Performed by Juella Baltonado, Nathaniel Basch-Gould, Monica Goff, Grace Hwoang, Eunji Lim, Adrianna Mateo, Vanessa Rappa, and Sarah Shin

Specially Processed American Me by Jaime Sunwoo is 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.

In addition to performances, Specially Processed American Me holds food history and storytelling workshops over a communal SPAM meal. To learn more, see our Workshops and Performances pages and follow @speciallyprocessed on Facebook and Instagram.

Specially Processed American Me was developed through BRIClab, HB Studio Rehearsal Space Residency, BAX Upstart Program, Barn Arts Residency, Leviathan Lab, and FailSafe with support from the Queens Council on the Arts’ Artist Commissioning Program, Ms. Foundation for Women in association with Asian Women Giving Circle, the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts, Brooklyn Arts Fund, MVRP Foundation, The Laundromat Project, and The Jim Henson Foundation.