By Jaime Sunwoo 

 is a surreal autobiographical performance by former PCC Creative Fellow and Affiliated Artist Jaime Sunwoo using SPAM, the canned meat, as a portal into her Asian American upbringing and her family's experiences of the Korean War. Co-produced by Dixon Place, Ping Chong and Company and Free Rein Projects, 

will premiere at Dixon Place from January 27 - February 19, 2022.   

Specially Processed American Me 

Ping Chong and Company creates works of theater and art that reveal beauty, invention, precision, and a commitment to social justice.

Founded by Ping Chong, Ping Chong and Company is a welcoming home and site of experimentation for multigenerational artists. The company creates original interdisciplinary, community-specific work; and cultivates artistry through training and education programs.


What’s cooking behind the scenes at Specially Processed American Me?

, a new multimedia theater work written by former PCC Creative Fellow, Jaime Sunwoo, and co-directed by Sunwoo and Karim Muasher, features multiple layers of design, music, video projection, mask work, and shadowplay. It investigates the legacy of SPAM, the infamous canned meat, its significance in the Asia-Pacific, and its influence on Asian cuisine, unraveling the stories of three generations of women in Sunwoo’s family. The many ingredients that make the show’s flavor richer and denser are seasoned with history, both cultural and historical, as well as Sunwoo’s personal history in artmaking.

, Sunwoo is truly interdisciplinary in her practice and approach, as she is also the prop, puppet, and costume designer, as well as the projection graphic illustrator for the show. She studied art as an undergraduate at Yale and was able to use her visual arts skills in illustrating the graphics and making the props in collaboration with other artists for the production.

The set design features multiple traditional Korean elements. The design for the projection screen frame was based on the traditional Korean cabinets in the house where Sunwoo grew up. Julia Kwon, a Korean American artist who specializes in bojagi, created the pink bojagi-inspired SPAM flats that are always present on stage. Bojagi is used to wrap gifts and food in Korea.


Sunwoo designed the symbol on the left that is painted on the Korean war era U.S. military reed organ in the show, based on the “Lucky Hormel Girl” good luck tokens from the 1950s. The Hormel Girls were a drum and bugle corps of American women veterans after World War II, who traveled across the United States to promote SPAM and other Hormel products. Notice the four symbols for luck surrounding the pig!


Sunwoo illustrated these projection graphics and shadow puppets made from polycarbonate sheets. The oral history recording from Sunwoo’s grandmother used in the show was the main inspiration for Sunwoo’s depiction of Korea in the 1950s.

She also worked with her mother, Clara Sunwoo, a contemporary fashion designer, to design and create the mudang (Korean shaman) costume, drawing inspiration from the Chilseong mudang regalia. She also conducted additional research with a practicing Korean American shaman in NYC.

On the music, Sunwoo worked with her long-time collaborator, Matt Chilton, with whom she first worked on her first original play, 

 [2014]. Together, they also worked on “You Are The News Now” as a part of 

 PCC’s collaborative work from 2020 which invited a group of artists to respond to the original script of Ping Chong's 

. In 2018, Sunwoo and Chilton started working on 

with Chilton writing the music, the lyrics, and the original sound cues and effects. One of the most interesting aspects of the song lyrics is that every line in the Hormel Girls' lyrics is a "backronym" (an acronym formed from an already existing word) for SPAM. Listen closely during the show to catch them all…

On her collaboration process with Chilton, Sunwoo says that “Our collaboration is fruitful because we're both self-driven, have mutual respect, and give each other freedom to explore within our specialties while valuing each other's critiques and suggestions.”

There are so many visual and auditory aspects of the show to unpack. From the detailed secrets hidden within the song lyrics to visual designs of the set and props that mix SPAM imagery and aspects of traditional Korean cultures, the table is overflowing. Scrumptious, Piquant, Appetizing, and Mouthwatering, 

will take place at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street, NYC) from January 27- February 19, 2022, with performances Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm.

What’s cooking behind the scenes at Specially Processed American Me? 

We are thrilled to kick off 2022 by co-producing the world premiere production of 

 with Dixon Place and Free Rein Projects, from January 27 - February 19, 2022.

Written by former PCC Creative Fellow Jaime Sunwoo and Co-directed by Sunwoo and Karim Muasher, this new multimedia theater work investigates the legacy of SPAM, its significance in the Asia-Pacific, and its influence on Asian cuisine, unraveling the stories of three generations of women in Sunwoo’s family.

Through a narrative collage of oral history, video, music, and shadowplay, SPAM becomes a powerful symbol of colonization, immigration, assimilation, American dreams, and disillusionment, inviting us to examine the memories we hold onto and those we leave behind. 

 oscillates wildly between absurd humor and sober tragedy as it unpacks the ambivalent connotations of one of America’s most misunderstood foods.

This is the first major interdisciplinary performance PCC has co-produced at this scale that wasn’t created by Ping Chong—signaling our company’s expanding commitment to incubating and supporting work from emerging voices.

“Many Asian Americans including myself have a strong emotional connection with SPAM because it is a stigmatized food that is simultaneously associated with home and nostalgia—a food that connects us to our families and links us to shared histories within the Asian diaspora.” 

Specially Processed American Me 2022 Promo Reel 

 will be performed at Dixon Place, 161 Chrystie Street, New York, NY from January 27 - February 19, 2022, with performances Thursday - Saturday at 7:30pm. 


Masks are required, which can only briefly be removed if you're having a drink from the Dixon Place cocktail lounge. We strongly recommend K95 or N95 masks. A proof of vaccination AND your personal ID are also mandatory. A CDC Vax Card or your NY Excelsior Pass on mobile devices,along with your ID, must be shown upon arrival. If you have Covid-19 symptoms or have been exposed, please stay home! Refunds will be issued by emailing: 

. Please note that these protocols may be updated based on the evolving situation.

Adrianna Mateo (Performer - Hormel Girl/Ensemble), Vanessa Rappa (Performer - Hormel Girl/Ensemble), Juella Baltonado (Performer - Hormel Girl/Ensemble), Monica Goff (Performer - Hormel Girl/Ensemble), Sarah Shin (Performer - Jaime), Eunji Lim (Performer - Grandma/Ensemble), Nathaniel Basch-Gould (Performer - Jay Hormel/Ensemble), Grace Hwoang (Performer - Understudy). 

Jaime Sunwoo (Playwright/Co-Director/Prop, Puppet, and Costume Designer/Projection Graphic Illustrator), Karim Muasher (Co-Director), Matt Chilton (Composer/Lyricist/ Sound Designer), Sarah Lurie (Lighting Designer), Cinthia Chen (Projection Designer), Aoife Hough (Stage Manager), Samm Lynch (Assistant Stage Manager and Covid Compliance Officer), Justin Perkins (Technical Director), Julia Kwon (Textile Artist), Clara Sunwoo (Costume Designer), Lisa Friedman (Food Fabricator), Camille Labarre (Mask Fabricator), Kevin Cobb (Miracle Meat 3D Animator), Jane Fujita (Dialect Coach), Alex Lee (Dramaturg), and Adrianna Mateo (Music Director).

Specially Processed American Me Premieres January 27 - February 19 

PCC Artist-Scholars were on the ground in Alaska in December 2021

One of the exciting educational ventures Ping Chong and Company undertook in the past year was the development of a brand-new 9th grade social studies curriculum entitled 

, rooted in our interdisciplinary theatrical production of 

. This curriculum explores the stories, histories, cultures, and contemporary identities of Alaska, and integrates with interdisciplinary arts activities.

Created in partnership with the Lower Kuskokwim School District in Bethel, Alaska, the course has been piloted in November and December 2021 by educators and students in three 9th grade classrooms in Bethel as well as two remote village schools in Napaskiak and Tuntutuliak.


The nine-week course fulfills Alaska History content standards, Alaska Arts Standards, and Alaska Cultural Standards through an arts-based approach. Each unit features video excerpts from ALAXSXA | ALASKA, provided as part of curriculum materials, and the course invites learners to explore their own personal stories, and the stories of their families and communities, in response to cultural and academic content, ultimately creating artistic expressions that acknowledge and celebrate their lived experiences as integral parts of Alaska history. The journey of the course culminates with a viewing of the full production of ALAXSXA | ALASKA, followed by dialogue and reflection. The curriculum is also linked to EncountersAlaska.org, a web archive of real contemporary Alaska stories created by Ryan Conarro and Ping Chong.

In December 2021, members of our curriculum development team and the cast/creators of ALAXSXA | ALASKA were on the ground (in -19 degree weather!) for a curriculum revision retreat, gathering feedback from participating educators and students, and working together to revise and refine the curriculum for future wider use in Alaskan high schools. One partner teacher shared that "The connections this course makes to modern-day concerns in Alaska are really strong…and the art projects demand deeper critical thinking of our students. The course has already changed how I teach history!”

Throughout the week, our team has been visiting each participating pilot classroom to meet students and teachers, and to help students workshop their final course projects. In addition, a recording of our production of ALAXSXA | ALASKA was screened for school and public audiences on Wednesday and Thursday nights, followed by vigorous Q&A sessions with the cast and creative team members. Ping Chong and Company is grateful for the opportunity to engage in such meaningful community-based education work at the intersection of place, partnership, and pedagogy.

Passages Alaska was created in partnership with the Lower Kuskokwim School District by Ping Chong and Company artist-scholars Ryan Conarro, Asia Freeman, Nita Yurrliq Rearden, and Jennifer Tungatuq Romer, with review by Gary Upaayuilnguq Beaver, Christina Bixland, Nadia Kim, and Justin Perkins.

Passages Alaska: A new educational curriculum inspired by ALAXSXA | ALASKA

 series that shares the experiences of New York City BIPOC Teens during the pandemic, will premiere this Friday, November 5th at the New Victory Theater. This piece shares the real-life experiences of NYC teens as they reflect on the last year and a half and the impact of the pandemic and systemic inequality. 

Generation Rise Trailer 

Written and directed by Sara Zatz and Kirya Traber, 

 was created in collaboration with the storytellers: Johanni, Kenroy, Kilhah, Nathaniel, Sanaa and Serena and features additional performers: Kayla Bennett performing for Sanaa; Manny Dunn performing for Kenroy; and Matthew Martinez performing for Nathaniel. Lighting Design is by Marika Kent; Sound Design is by Megumi Katayama; and Stage Management is by Caren Celine Morris. 

Performances are from Friday, November 5 - Sunday November 14, 2021 at The New Victory Theater.

 All tickets are $25. Tickets and the full performance schedule are available 

 was created in Spring 2021 in partnership with 

, and will be available to rent on demand on the

Photo of Kilhah and Matthew by Alexis Buatti-Ramos, courtesy of New 42.
Video Courtesy of New 42. 

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