Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
KristinaWongWhatinspiredyoutopursueyourcareerYouareimpressivelyversatileandtalentedsoloperformeractorculturejammerfilmmakerandwriter.WhichofthesedoyouenjoythemostCanyouprovideuswithasynopsisofDoesyourcareerinterferewithyourpersonalrelationshipsYouarethemostpopularimagesearchonGoogleunderthecriteriamentalcrazywoman.WhatdoyouhavetosayaboutthatHowwouldthepeoplewhoknowyoubestdescribeyouDoyouhaveanycelebrityrolemodelsAreyouworkingonanynewperformancesscriptsWhatsthedifferencebetweenKristinaWongonstageandKristinaWongoffstageWhatwereyoudoingbeforeyoustartedyourcareerHowdiditfeelwhenyoustartedtosucceedintheentertainmentbusinessHaveyoueverforgottenyourlinesaproporthechoreographyduringaperformanceWhathappenedWhatissomethingthatyouknownowthatyouwishyouknewwhenyouwerefirststartingoutasanactorperformerDoyouthinkyoureallyunderstoodwhatyouwereinforwhenyoudecidedthatyouwantedtobecomeanactorperformerfilmmakercastCATLADYWongFlewOvertheCuckoosNestThePickUpArtistCATLADYCATLADYGoingGreentheWongWayCATLADYKristinaWongNeedstoChilltheFoutandRelaxandEnjoyLifeMoreCATLADYFromMarch24to26KristinaWongwilltackleaggressivepick-upartistsandmustycatladiesinherfirsthilariousandslightlyfrighteningfull-lengthensembleworkatDiverseWorks.WongFlewOvertheCuckoosNestFreeWhenyoudoshowsaboutyourlifeandyourlifeisspentmostlydoingyourshowsitbecomesveryunclearwhoyouarewhennobodyislooking.March2011OutOfTheCuckoosNestThepersistentrestlessnessthatismylifeandalackofagoodtherapist.IdontthinkIcouldeverpickonethingifaskedtodoso.Ifyoulookatallmyprojectstheyaremultidisciplinarybynature.Myfilmsusealotofmyinstinctsasawriterandculturejammer.Myworkasaculturejammerusesmyskillsasanactor.MysoloperformanceemploysallthecreativejuiceIhave.ImasmoothieIblendalittleofitallinmycreativeprojects.exploresthesometimeshilariousexistentiallonelinessIexperiencedmakingandtouringwithmylastshowthelastfouryears.ThatshowexploresthehighratesofdepressionandsuicideamongAsianAmericanwomen.ItsafunnyshowconsideringthesoberingtopicbutstillitwasaveryhardfouryearsformebecauseItravelledaloneandsoongotusedtosayingthewordssuicideanddepressionliketheyweretwoofmybestfriends.ForescapeIwatchedVH1swhichfollowsthetrialsofaspiringpick-upartists.Iwasstruckbyhowsomanymeninthepick-upartistcommunityareAsianandhowtheyliterallyhadtoadaptcharactersandpickupscriptstosurvivesocially.reflectsalotofmyjourneyoverthelastfouryearsandintegratesalotofpick-upartistjargon.UltimatelyitasksWhatisagenuineconnectionAspartofourprocessIvespenttimeinterviewingprofessionalpick-upartistsattendingtheirseminarsandreadingalotoftheirblogs.WealsohiredDJFujianAsianAmericandatingandlifecoachtoteachuspick-upina14hourbootcampcrashcourse.Thiswasreallyinterestingconsideringthatthecharacterofmasterpick-upartistisplayedbyadragqueenwhopicksupwomenallthetimeindrag.Theyrealizedtheyhadalotincommon.Yourquestionisdepressingasfk.ButyesThatcareerinterferenceistotallywhatcamefrom.BecauseIworkwithalotofautobiographicalmaterialtheresthisstigmathatIllavengeeveryexwithsordiddetailsaboutourrelationship.WellIguessitdoesnthelpeitherthatIshowoffmystrap-onvaginaonstage.ThelastfewyearsoftouringmyshowtheonlyconsistentcompanionIhadwasmycatOliverwhowasgrowingincreasinglyfrustratedathowmuchIwasabandoninghimformycareer.Spendingsomuchtimeobsessingandwritingaboutthecultureofpick-upartistshasnothelpedhowIviewmenhookinguporrelationships.NowImconsciouslyawareofallthetenetsofsleazypick-upartistroutines.WhendatingIhavetotellmyselfNotallmenarepick-upartistsImactuallyquiteprivateaboutputtingmylovelifeonstageandforthemostpartprefertokeepthosedetailsfairlyambiguous.DreamsdocometrueKristinaWongistheonlywomaninher30swhostilldrinksLongIslandIcedTeas.IappreciatewomeninHollywoodwhohaverealizedtheirownvoicesinaverymale-centricbusinesswhileholdingontotheirowncreativevoiceDiabloCodyMirandaJulyandAmySedarisareafewIcanthinkof.InthespanofsixmonthsIwillhavehadtwoworldpremieresoftwoverydifferentshowsaboutthetrialsofsustainablelivingand.Illbetouringtheshowsforthenextfewyearsandwillbeworkingonaplaycalleditwillbealifelongdurationalproject.Thatstherub.Whenyoudoshowsaboutyourlifeandyourlifeisspentmostlydoingyourshowsitbecomesveryunclearwhoyouarewhennobodyislooking.ThethingIexploreinisthedifferencebetweenwhatsrealandperformedwhenthatwhichisperformediswhatsreal.Myfascinationwithpick-upartistsisthattheyuseperformancetechniquestobuildtheirreallifeidentities.Myownlifehasemergedinmuchthesameway.CollectingallsortsofhumiliatingchildhoodexperiencesthatInowhawkonstage.Imstillcollectingthemactually.Thisinterviewisrightuptherewiththemosthumiliatingexperiencesofmylife.Nothingbeatsmakingsomethingyouareproudofandreallyfeelinglikeyougavesomethingexcitingtotheworld.WhatIdidntanticipatewashowlonelythislifewouldbe.AndforsomeonewhoworksalotinfrontofcrowdsIsurespendalotoftimeintotalisolationmakingmywork.ThethingisthatwithalotofmyearlyshowsIwaspresentedinsuchcompromisingvenuesandsettingslikecafeteriasthatIstartedtomakeshowsthatcouldpurposelyholdupintheworstoftechnicalsituations.Alotofmyshowsbreakthe4thwallnotjustasanaestheticchoicebutsothatIcoulddirectthetechnicianstohitthesoundcueorstoptheshowandscreamatthestudentvolunteertogobythelightswitchnearthesodamachineandturnthelightsup.ImhappytosayImpresentedinmuchclassiervenuesnow.Slowandsteadywinstherace.Andalsoyourlifeisnotyourworkandyourworkisnotyourlifesoitsokifnotcompletelynecessarytohavelifeexperiencesoutsideofmakingyourartinordertomakegoodartandhaveagoodlife.IusedtothinkthatifIdidonewomanshowsaboutmylifethatmylifewouldbecakebecauseIwouldbegettingpaidtobemyself.WRONGIthinkfightingtodothisworkandespeciallytodoitforyourlifereallycanchallengehowmuchIenjoythisworkandhowmuchIunderstandwhatitreallymeanstomakealifeworthwhile.byCATLADYCATLADY19THEARTSASHLEYVUKristinaWongisanationallypresentedsoloperformerwriteractoreducatorculturejammerandfilmmaker.Herbodyofworkincludesshortandfull-lengthsoloperformancesoutrageousstreettheaterstuntsandprankssubversiveinternetinstallationsplaysandsketchcomedies.ShewasawardedtheCreativeCapitalAwardinTheaterandaCreationFundfromtheNationalPerformanceNetworktocreateherthirdfull-lengthsoloshowexploringtheremarkablyhighincidenceofsuicideamongAsianAmericanwomen.TheperformancewasrecentlycapturedinKristinasfirsteverconcertfilmandmaybeviewedonflyingwong.com.ShewroteandperformedintheCBSMulticulturalComedyShowcaseandhershowwasfeaturedatComedyCentralsSouthBeachComedyFestivalinMiami.Formoreinformationvisitkristinaawong.comordiverseworks.org