Stacey Tang: A Day in Baltimore
by: Stacey Tang
An opportunity for CSC-affiliated Hopkins students to share the places they frequent in Baltimore.
The Chinese Lady
Before Thanksgiving break, I had the pleasure of going to the Everyman Theatre for a showing of The Chinese Lady, a two-hander based on the story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America in 1834. I first heard about this event from Dr. Charles Lu, the Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion at JHU. Dr. Lu is a co-founder of an Asian Employee Resource Group at JHU, and as part of his initiative, he invited members of a club I am a part of, Inter Asian Council (IAC), and other groups at Hopkins and APIDA identifying community groups to network and get to know each other. As an introvert, I have a tendency to avoid theater and performing arts, but I took up Dr. Lu’s offer as a way to challenge myself to explore new avenues to convey stories and messages and maybe find a new pastime and way to engage with Baltimore.
I was heading off to the Everyman after a long day of work on the East Baltimore campus and took the subway from the Johns Hopkins Hospital to Lexington Market, the oldest public market in the United States. From the subway stop, the theater was just a 3 minute walk away. I met up with some of my IAC friends at the theater and together we got to mingle with some folks over Ekiben. I learned about some new groups and initiatives in Baltimore such as the Chinese American Parent Association of the Baltimore Community and also met some cool people from the President’s office!
While I won’t spoil too much, the plot of the play and the overall message that was conveyed was meaningful to me. The main character, Afong Moy was in a museum as a way to inform museum goers about the culture and history of China. However, we as the audience also act as the museumgoers, breaking the 4th wall. By the end of the play, being an active participant in this play forced me to reflect on myself and how as a community, our curiosity can both uplift and harm the others around us. It made me wonder in what ways our experiences and biases perpetuate cultural divides and systems that our society has been built on and it was insightful to share and unpack my takeaways with those around me after the show.
Closing Reflections
Reflecting on this evening excursion, coming to the Everyman made me realize just how many opportunities there are to engage in the arts in Baltimore. While I could easily have read a synopsis of The Chinese Lady online, being in the presence of others made the experience more memorable and it was so impactful to be able to witness the telling of a thought provoking experience live. Everyman is just one of many institutions nestled within the Bromo Arts District, but my experience here has inspired me to want to visit other neighboring organizations in the future such as the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and the Hippodrome among others. Baltimore has so many things to offer and I highly encourage my fellow peers to consider taking time away from being a student and immerse themselves in new neighborhoods.