Pao Arts Center and Company One Theatre (C1) are thrilled to announce the 2020-2021 PlayLab Pao Fellows, Kit Yan and Melissa Li. Over the next two years of community-centered art making, Yan and Li, with the support of Community Producer Christina R. Chan, will create a new theatrical work that responds to the neighborhood’s concerns and shapes a rapidly changing Chinatown through artistry.

The duo’s previous collaboration Interstate was hailed by The Village Voice as “a glorious pop-rock musical about inclusivity, queer and trans community, and the open road.” It won five awards at the 2018 New York Musical Festival, including Best Lyrics, and will be one of eight musicals to be featured in the 2019 National Alliance for Musical Theatre festival.

“We both have deep roots in Boston's Chinatown community and love our people, stories, traditions, and cultures,” said Kit Yan. “My first job was helping people in Chinatown get insured.”

Melissa Li is a Boston-native who grew up in Chinatown, went to Josiah Quincy School, and was a counselor at the Kwong Kow Chinese School. Her family is still deeply involved with the community.

“Boston's Chinatown is a huge part of our art today,” said Li. “Most of our work is inspired by ideas of community, friendship, intergenerational dialogue, and the intersections of queer/trans and Asian American identities.” Adds Yan, “Because our work is so deeply rooted in community, it is an integral part of our process to involve dialogue, feedback, and community accountability.”