Afong Moy is fourteen years old when she’s brought to the United States from Guangzhou Province in 1834. Allegedly the first Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil, she has been put on display for the American public as “The Chinese Lady.” For the next half-century, she performs for curious white people, showing them how she eats, what she wears, and the highlight of the event: how she walks with bound feet. As the decades wear on, her celebrated sideshow comes to define and challenge her very sense of identity. Inspired by the true story of Afong Moy’s life, we see a dark, poetic yet whimsical portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman.  Compelling, profound, and sharply funny, it poses a question: when we look, do we really see?

“Over a year ago I saw this stunning new play in Chicago,” said TPT Producing Artistic Director, Julia Glander. “I wanted to bring this experience to Northville, make space for representation to our growing Asian population, and offer something in which we could explore the unknown. This play, directed by the insightful Jasmine Rivera, will do that and more.”