In this special panel conversation, Afong Moy: Imagined vs. Reality – Professor Josephine Lee speaks with Author Nancy Davis about her 20-year research for her book The Chinese Lady.
This panel was created in conjunction with Ma-Yi Theater Company + The Public Theater’s production of Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady, playing Febraury 23-April 10, 2022 at The Public Theater.
Inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to step foot in America, Lloyd Suh’s critically-acclaimed play, The Chinese Lady, is a tale of dark poetic whimsy and a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of a young Chinese girl. In 1834, 16-year-old Afong Moy sailed into New York Harbor and was immediately put on display for a paying public who were mesmerized by her exotic ways and horrified by her tiny bound feet. As audiences follow Moy’s travels through America as a living exhibit for decades, The Chinese Lady shares her impressions of a young country struggling with how to define itself.
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Panelists
Josephine Lee | Panelist
Nancy Davis | Panelist
Creative Team
Nancy Bulalacao | Community Outreach Coordinator, Ma-Yi Theater Company
Ken Leung | Editor
Justin Dewey | Marketing Director, The Public Theater