The Chinese Lady

“If only I could have shown you how we are so alike in many beautiful ways. And how we are different in so many beautiful ways as well.” - Afong Moy, The Chinese Lady

Award-winning Charlotte company, Three Bone Theatre, is remounting their acclaimed production of Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady at the Cain Center for the Arts. The Chinese Lady and star performances by Amy Wada and Stephen West-Rogers, received rave reviews during its run in August at The Arts Factory.

Based on a true story, Suh’s dark and poetic play explores the life of Afong Moy, the first documented Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil. Afong Moy was brought to America in 1834 to be put on display for a paying public who were mesmerized by her differences. For the next half-century, she performed across the Eastern United States for curious white people, showing them how she ate, what she wore, and the highlight of the event; how she walked with her tiny bound feet.

Lloyd Suh’s critically-acclaimed play explores an often overlooked and shameful portion of America’s colonial history through the eyes of a young Chinese woman. The Chinese Lady directed by Robin Tynes-Miller, stars Amy Wada and Stephen West-Rogers in this dynamic drama.

This show contains adult themes, including trauma to Asians and Asian-Americans, recommended for ages 14+

“…piercing and intimate…this quiet play steadily deepens in complexity as we trail the idealistic Afong and the more knowing Atung through the decades…by the end of Mr. Suh’s extraordinary play, we look at Afong and see whole centuries of American history.”  – New York Times, Critics Pick

“You will be rewarded with new insights and an extraordinary pair of performances by both Wada and West-Rogers.” – Queen City Nerve