Blog? What Blog? PART 2
2) And now a show not worth your valuable time OR money. So my friend over at spurn, sends me an email-vertisement about some new theater show in the West Village. Based on the content of this email, he wondered aloud to me, “should I be taking this seriously or is it meant to be funny?” See below:
From: Young Jean Lee
Subject: Koreans vs. Japanese vs. Whites
I am Korean-American, and my worst nightmare is to make a show about Korea called Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven. Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven presents my confused, disturbing, and frequently offensive take on my cultural background in all of its romanticized, half-informed, and brutal honesty. The show is also about being in love and trying to be happy when you’re so fucked-up that all you want to do is destroy everything in your path. But most of all, Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven is about white people.
The show starts with a video of me getting hit in the face repeatedly (for real) and then launches into a weird pseudo-Korean world navigated by a Korean-American, who is kind of like a contestant wandering through different stages of an identity-politics video game. Then, out of nowhere, there is a white couple having a relationship drama. The Koreans and whites alternate scenes, infecting each other thematically and occasionally coming into direct conflict, until eventually the whites "eat" the play and we never see the Koreans again. A good chunk of the play is spoken in Korean and Japanese (see if you can tell the difference!) and there’s some Korean dancing as well."
SONGS OF THE DRAGONS FLYING TO HEAVEN
Written and directed by Young Jean Lee
Video and choreography by Dean Moss
Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22 ONLY!
8:30 pm at the HERE Theater.
Sang Kim is not good at many things…being motivated, showing warmth (while sober), or not talking in the 3rd person but he is good at 2 things: having a conniption and over-reacting. Thus, please see my even handed response to Ms. Lee’s contribution to Asian Theater. I even threw an Edward Albee ref for you high brow folks:
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:45:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Sang Kim <sangkimail@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: FW: KOREANS VS. WHITE PEOPLE VS. GOATS
Well. Apparently you can have Asian on Asian crime.
“I am American-Korean, and my worst nightmare is to make a show about White People eating Korean People while using valuable grant money for pretentious art pieces. I would call this show called Ballad of the Goat Fucker Pissing on My Grandma.
Ballad of the Goat Fucker Pissing on My Grandma presents my confused, contrived, and frequently derivative take on my cultural background being a suburban Korean from Hoboken, NJ in all of its romanticized, half-informed, and brutal honesty.
The show is also about being in love… and goat fucking but its mostly about being in love… being love with a goat but being so fucked-up that all you want to do is destroy everything in your path or just waste 3 years getting an MFA from Brooklyn. Yes. Brooklyn does give out MFAs. It’s rumored they also give out law degrees. But most of all, Ballad of the Goat Fucker Pissing on My Grandma is about white people… and fucking goats
The show starts with a video of me hitting Young Jean Lee in the face repeatedly with a CGI goat (motion captured by Andy Serkis). It then launches into a weird pseudo-Korean world (Flushing, Queens) navigated by the ghost of Pat Morita. Then, out of nowhere, there is a white couple having a relationship drama i.e. fucking a goat. The Koreans and whites and goats alternate scenes, infecting each other thematically and occasionally coming into direct conflict, until eventually the audience walks out and demands a refund. A good chunk of the play is spoken in Korean and Japanese (see if it makes the play any better with subtitles!) and then Young Jean Lee comes out and pisses on my Grandma.
BALLAD OF THE GOAT FUCKER PISSING ON MY GRANDMA
Written and directed by Sang S. Kim
Video and choreography by Debbie Allen
By the way. I have nothing against Debbie Allen and as opposed to Ms. Lee, I find Ms. Allen a legitimate force in the Performing Arts.
Okay. Off to work. Thanks to all who left me some very heartwarming and appreciated birthday wishes. I did indeed have a wonderful birthday, thanks for asking.
