‘Asian Women I Know’ Preview: The Complexity of Belonging

Asian Student Art Project’s newest production “Asian Women I Know,” directed by Crystal X. Manyloun ’26 and set to hit the Agassiz stage on March 25th. Anchored by friendship and food, the play – written by Mira H. Jiang ’26 and inspired by real events — features loosely connected Asian women who explore themes of identity, belonging, and familial expectations over a dim sum dinner.

“We had a friend who had been making this film about lion dancers in Canada’s Chinatown. She realized she had never been to Boston and so on that bus, she makes a group chat called Asian Women I Know, which just pulls together a bunch of her Asian girlfriends around campus,” said Jiang in an interview with The Crimson.

The group of girls met for dim sum and — much like the characters in the play — began to delve into the complexities of Asian identity.

“I feel like, at least for me, it felt like it covered a lot of aspects about identity, about future, about thinking through honestly in ways of how have unique aspects of our upbringing influenced who we are, and what we want, and how we kind of see the world. For me, it is really eye opening and also like it felt really connecting to hear other people have similar thoughts and like experiences as me,” said Jiang.

Inspired by this fateful dinner, the girls further developed this story throughout the following year, discussing the script in their dorm room and over breaks.

“It’s been great finding those elements and seeing how we can capture the spirit of that dinner and all the characters at that dinner into our play characters,” said the show’s director Crystal X. Manyloun ’26.

As the show’s main characters sit at dinner, the conversation flows from familial expectations to jokes about coursework against the backdrop of their experiences, providing context for the girls’ current identities and goals. The one-hour show takes place over the course of a single meal mimicking a real dinner table conversation. The cast of six take on different roles throughout the show as the characters share stories of childhood, romance, and social issues.

“It was pretty heavy, actually. I have a pretty long monologue toward the end of one scene, and it takes a lot of emotional depth, and it’s kind of draining sometimes for me to do over and over, because I really have to tap into what it feels like to not belong and what it feels like to truly feel isolated from the people around you,” said Kaitlyn Mady ’29 who plays Kitty, a cheerleader from Texas who grew up in a predominantly white community.

The play seeks to bring the dim sum dinner to life by trying to keep the impactful moments and characters as close to reality as possible. Capturing the spirit of the dinner was essential in the writing process. Interactive components offer the audience a seat at the table as characters discuss the nuances of Asian American identity.

“I think some of our own questions about how does identity affect how people perceive you taking certain opportunities? Or[,] what does it mean to try to do what you want when it doesn't necessarily run with your parents expectations? I think those are questions that we wrestle with, and that [have] definitely made it into the play as well,” said Jiang ’26.

Beyond the development of the show’s characters and dialogue, “Asian Women I Know,” is putting new technical elements to the test. Along with the rest of the design team, sound designer Motoko Akiyama ’28 has worked extensively with the director to build the world for “Asian Women I Know.”

“I would look for sounds that I think would fit [the director’s] vision, and also the scene in general. And then I’d lay out some options, and we’d kind of go through them together,” said sound designer Akiyama as she described the process through which she decided on specific sounds.

Calling upon the lived experiences of Asian Americans, “Asian Woman I Know” explores themes of belonging, expectations, and free will as it explores the different ways that upbringing and culture shape the way people live their lives. The team seeks to create a sense of community and belonging that resonates with audience members who understand the feeling of social isolation. In this play, Asian American identity is discussed not just as the in-between of two cultures, but as a unique culture with its own history and traditions.

“Asian Woman I Know” will be playing from March 25 to March 29th in the Agassiz Theater.

— Staff writer Aarushi A. Vyas can be reached at [email protected].