In celebration of Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Month, the Hope College Many Voices Project will present a staged reading of “Young Americans” by Lauren Yee on Tuesday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Schaap Auditorium of the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The script is set on two identical road trips, one taking place 20 years in the past. On the first, Joe, an immigrant and adjunct professor in Portland, Oregon, brings home his arranged soon-to-be-wife. In the present, he travels with his adopted daughter, who has recently returned from a year abroad. Showcasing the immigrant and adoptee perspectives, “Young Americans” explores themes of belonging, family, and love.
The Many Voices Project (MVP) is a collaboration between the college’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Student Organizations and Department of Theatre Department, and showcases stories representing a wide range of characters from diverse backgrounds. The April 16 event is being presented in collaboration with the college’s Asian Student Union (ASU), Hope Adoptee Organization (HAO) and Department of Theatre, and has also been scheduled as part of the “Something Every Tuesday” series hosted by the Student Activities Committee.
“Young Americans” is co-directed by junior Alegría Guzmán of Quito, Ecuador, and sophomore Claudia Hwang of Norton Shores, with Rhett Luedtke, associate professor of theatre, as faculty advisor, and Eric Van Tassell, assistant professor of lighting and sound design, as lighting director. Senior Carole Chee of Grand Rapids, who immigrated from Perak, Malaysia, will act as cultural representative of ASU and HAO.
The cast includes sophomores Robert Adams of Valparaiso, Indiana, and Eliana Cocking of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and freshman Schuyler Waters of Las Vegas, Nevada; and senior Lydia Konings of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as stage direction reader.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
The Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center is located at 115 E. 12th St., at the center of the Hope campus between College and Columbia avenues along the former 12th Street. Schaap Auditorium is on the lower level near the building’s southwest corner.