A 14-year-old girl brought from Guangzhou, China to New York Harbor in 1834 and put on public display is the subject of ArtsWest's season-opening production, The Chinese Lady, which begins performances next week at the West Seattle playhouse. The show marks the first co-production between ArtsWest and Yun Theatre, a Seattle-based bilingual theatre company, and kicks off ArtsWest's 2026–2027 season under the title A Visible Existence.
The Chinese Lady, written by Lloyd Suh, is told from the first-person point of view of Afong Moy, who was allegedly the first Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil, according to West Seattle Blog. Historical records show Moy arrived aboard the ship Washington, brought by merchants Nathaniel and Francis Carnes to demonstrate imported goods like tea sets, silk shawls, and lacquered caddies to middle-class American consumers, according to the Museum of Chinese in America. She performed her culture for curious onlookers over a half-century, per the West Seattle Blog report.
Moy's story didn't end with that initial promotional arrangement. After her contract ended and she spent time in a New Jersey poorhouse in 1838, showman P.T. Barnum acquired her in 1847 to display her at his American Museum in New York, according to the Gotham Center for New York City History. She disappeared from historical records following an 1851 appearance in Cleveland, Ohio. Barnum's involvement shifted her public representation from a dignified ambassador to a commercial sideshow spectacle, the Gotham Center notes.
A First-Time Pairing for West Seattle's Stage
The Chinese Lady will run at ArtsWest, located at 4711 California SW, from September 17 through October 11. Performances are scheduled Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Saturday through Sunday at 3 pm, the West Seattle Blog reports. A pay-what-you-can preview is set for September 16, with tickets still available for that show as well as online and by phone at 206-938-0963.
The production is directed by Zenaida Rose Smith and Christie Zhao, and features Zoe Ding and Sebastian Wang. Zhao serves as co-director and founding artistic director of Yun Theatre, which she helped found in March 2022 alongside fellow Chinese creatives following the staging of Monologues of n Women. The company chose its name, yun, meaning both cloud and speak in classical Chinese, to reflect its digital pandemic-era origins and its commitment to bold storytelling, according to Yun Theatre.
Yun Theatre describes itself as a bicultural, experimental theatre company, and it offers multilingual theatre education, artist development, readings, and community programs alongside its mainstage work. The company operates in both Mandarin and English and focuses on the intersection of Asian American and immigrant identities, systemic social issues, and marginalized voices, according to Seattle Gay News. Zhao was selected as a New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Directing Fellow, while cast member Sebastian Wang, who plays Atung, previously starred in Yun Theatre's June 2024 staging of Yilong Liu's June Is the First Fall.
Why the Play Still Resonates Nearly 200 Years Later
Zhao said the play feels very present now — not even parallel, per the West Seattle Blog account of her comments. She has also said that more visibility does not necessarily lead to more understanding; it can also create more projection. Co-director Zenaida Rose Smith added that performance is a deeply powerful tool of persuasion because it engages audiences' empathy and imagination.
The Chinese Lady had its world premiere in July 2018 as a co-production between Barrington Stage Company and Ma-Yi Theater Company, and it went on to become the most-produced play nationally at Theatre Communications Group member theaters during the 2021–2022 season, according to American Theatre. The play saw a surge in regional productions following its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater, per Concord Theatricals.
A New Season Built Around Visibility
ArtsWest's 2026–2027 season title, A Visible Existence, was inspired by a quote from contemporary artist Kara Walker stating that art is a way to make your life matter, to make your existence visible, according to Westside Seattle. The theme reflects stories of outsiders and communities striving to reclaim agency and self-understanding. The five-play season includes The Chinese Lady, the holiday musical Snowed In, John Logan's Tony Award-winning drama Red, Anthropology, and P.Y.G. or the Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle.
ArtsWest itself has deep roots in West Seattle, established at its current location in November 1999 when community organizers renovated a former 1920s retail building — once home to Meredith's Five and Dime — into a dedicated arts center with an intimate 149-seat theater, according to ArtsWest. The venue also integrates visual arts into every theatrical run through its 100-linear-foot C-shaped gallery lobby, which features rotating exhibitions designed to complement the themes and cultural identities presented on stage.
