One of several productions by CalArtians at the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival is Duoyi (Zoe) Wang’s (Theater MFA 24) Luna, performing at the California Room at Thymele Arts in Los Angeles. The festival runs now through June 26 at dozens of venues throughout Los Angeles.
Luna is a modern reimagining of the ancient Chinese moon-goddess myth, set to the context of today’s social media livestreaming world. The 45-minute, one-woman show is described as “immersive, kaleidoscopic experience in the hybrid aesthetics of theater, live-streaming, animation & installation art.”
Wang’s production adapts the myth of a young woman punished to everlasting youth—and everlasting loneliness—after she takes her husband’s pill of immortality. In Luna, a young Chinese social media influencer becomes trapped in the temptations and loneliness of the virtual world’s facades. Luna struggles with finding her own truth, worth, and strength while battling against deeply ingrained patriarchal forces and self-doubt in the technological age.
With an all-woman creative team, the show was created as an ode to womanhood. The team features multiple CalArtians including writer, director, and producer Wang, media designer Elle Reck (BFA 22), lighting designer Cad Apostol (Theater MFA 24), and art designer and puppetry artist Siena Foster-Soltis (Art BFA 22). The one-woman show is performed by visual artist and director Shuwen Cao.
The show has four performances from Saturday, June 11 to Saturday, June 25, with tickets available for purchase for $15 or $10 with student ID.
Other shows by CalArtians at the Hollywood Fringe Festival include Something in the Air, Yellow/Blue, Signals, Terrible Lizard, and Apocalypse at the Rainforest Cafe.
—by Ishika Muchhal
