October 7, 2021

Specially Processed American Me at BRIClab

Photo courtesy of Jaime Sunwoo

Ping Chong and Company and Free Rein Projects are co-producing a BRIClab technical residency of Specially Processed American Me, a new play by former Creative Fellow Jaime Sunwoo that uses 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.

Specially Processed American Me is written by Jaime Sunwoo and co-directed by Jaime Sunwoo and Karim Muasher. Music, Lyrics and Sound Design are by Matt Chilton; Lighting Design by Sarah Lurie; Prop/Puppet/Costume/Projection Graphic Ilustration by Jaime Sunwoo; Projection Design by Cinthia Chen; Music Direction by Adrianna Mateo; Technical Direction by Justin Perkins; Stage Management by Zoe-Eve Rhinehart; and Dramaturgy by Alex Lee. The cast features Adrianna Mateo, Vanessa Rappa, Juella Baltonado, Monica Goff, Sarah Shin, Eunji Lim, and Nathaniel Basch-Gould.

This two week BRIClab residency will culminate with a work-in-progress presentation on October 7th and 8th at 7pm.

Read more about the project and presentation here.

In addition to performances, Specially Processed American Me holds food history and storytelling workshops. On Saturday, October 9th from 3-4pm, Jaime Sunwoo and Ping Chong will be at hosting a casual community conversation about food and storytelling at FABnyc's Open Arts Outside on Avenue B between 8th and 9th Streets. Stop by to share your story and to participate in performances and workshops with other Lower East Side artists.