Steeped by Yide Cai, A New Play Workshop

Stop by and see what Yide Cai and his team director Skye Xiaotian Lu, designer Qingan Zhang, and costume/puppet designer Xinyue Zhang have been up to during their Studio 170 artist residency! Interact wtih the artists and have a cup of tea during the breaks.

Steeped (品) is a metatheatrical play that reimagines the Boston Tea Party from the perspective of the tea itself — a leaf that refuses to be a lifeless symbol but rather faces its death. It is set on the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, where two actors are rehearsing a new Boston production about the Tea Party written by a playwright based in New York. One night, the tea puppet they are playing as a prop speaks to them and tells them that it is the tea lying at the bottom of Boston Harbor for the past 250 years, plucked from a tree in China, processed, shipped, commodified, and ultimately dumped into the sea.

Public Events
The Goethe-Institut Boston invites members of the public to experience the development of Steeped (品) through a series of free events:

Open Rehearsals
Observe the creative process, interact with artists during breaks, and enjoy a cup of tea.

Friday, September 18, 2026
4:00 PM-8:00 PM

Saturday, September 19, 2026
4:00 PM-8:00 PM

Work-in-Progress Performance, Panel Discussion & Q&A

Sunday, September 20, 2026
3:00 PM-6:00 PM

Location for all events:

Goethe-Institut Boston

170 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02116

Admission: Free and open to the public