I just got back from my first trip to London to present a paper at SOAS’s Hong Kong in Transition conference on the Hong Kong theatre group Zuni Icosahedron’s East Wing, West Wing series of plays (see photo below). It was great to meet other scholars and practitioners interested in Hong Kong theatre, history, and politics. One highlight was getting to see a curated performance of both the traditional Kun Qu “Flee by Night” and the modern, experimental version directed by Danny Yung. I will try to keep in touch with them to continue our dialogues. I stuck around a few days after the conference and explored the city. I found London to be a lovely metropolis and it seemed that every time your turned your head you would see some historical building or street. There were wonderful paintings and beautifully preserved medieval arms and armor at the Wallace Collection (see photo below). I could have spent another day in that museum. Ah well! Until next time, London!

Whit at the Wallace Collection, London

SOAS Hong Kong in Transition paper presentation

The Brown County Playhouse staged a production of the comedy Moonlight and Magnolias and I got the chance to choreograph a three-person comedic slap fight for the production. The choreography itself was a bit challenging due to the physical constraints of the older actors. Once I familiarized myself with what each actor was comfortable with, I tailored the choreography to the specific actor. The most dramatic move of the fight was a powerful slap which caused one character to fall back onto the sofa in a daze. We carefully worked out a way to safely have the actor fall back while effectively telling the story of the fight in an exciting way. Besides being tons of fun, it was the first time I had gotten paid to choreograph a fight for a professional production. I hope it will be the first of many fight choreography gigs.