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Kit Yan

[edit]

Kit Yan is a Chinese-American poet, playwright, and lyricist. Along with long-time collaborator Melissa Li, they[a] are the creator of the musicals Interstate and MISS STEP. They are a recipient of a Jonathan Larson Grant and a Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre for Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettist (with Melissa Li).

Early Life

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Yan was born in Enping, China and grew up in Hawaii.[2] Raised on the island of Oahu until he was 18 years old, he moved to Massachusetts to attend Babson College<refname="ARTinterview"/>.

Kit and frequent collaborator Melissa Li formed a spoken word band called Good Asian Drivers, which traveled across the United States.[3]

Career

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Theater

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Yan often writes with long-term collaborator Melissa Li[4].

Yan was one of the founders of Translab in 2017, an incubator for transgender and non-binary voices in the American Theater, along with MJ Kaufman and Cece Suazo and supported by WP Theater and Public Theater.[5] They are a member of Breaking the Binary Theatre's Core Community, a voluntary advisory board of transgender, nonbinary and two-spirit industry members.[6]

Yan was a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow in 2018-2019[7], Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Writer in residence[8], a 2019 MacDowell Colony Fellow working in the Kirby studio [9], 2019-2020 Musical Theater Factory Makers Fellow[10], a 2019-2020 The Playwrights' Center Many Voices Fellow[11], and a 2019 National Alliance for Musical Theater (NAMT) 31st Annual Festival of New Musicals selection for Interstate.[12]

Yan and Melissa Li's one-act musical Cancelled was commissioned as part of and a commission from Keen Company for a Keen Teens one act musical.

[13]

Interstate

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Yan co-wrote the book of the pop-rock poetry musical Interstate with Melissa Li, with music from Li and poetry and additional lyrics from Yan. Interstate is about Dash, a transgender spoken word performer, and his best friend Adrian, a lesbian singer-songwriter. Together they become internet-famous as an activist musical duo, and they embark on their first national tour across America. Their political and personal music touches Henry, a transgender teenage boy living in a small Kentucky town, and he finds solace in their art as he struggles with his own identity and family. Henry becomes a video blogger and documents his own gender journey. He sets out on a quest to meet his heroes in person, hoping to find answers to his own struggles.

Interstate was first publicly staged at Dixon Place's HOT! Festival in 2013.[4]

[14] [15] [16]

East West Players


Miss Step

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Miss Step is a heartfelt 80s dance musical comedy featuring a transgender/non-binary (TGNB) cast, live aerobics, stunts, competition, and exercise. This diverse and exhilarating show is a classic underdog story that portrays TGNB characters as both ordinary and extraordinary people, defying all odds to sing, dance, compete, and dazzle audiences. MISS STEP is for anyone with a dream, who loves the 80s, and who has ever found family in the most unexpected places. a first draft commission of Miss Step from 5th Avenue Theatre,

Residencies:

Beta production at Village Theatre[17]

Poetry

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Yan was a Capturing Fire Slam finalist in 2010, which was the first annual International Queer Spoken Word Slam.[18]

Queer Heartache is a series of fifteen autobiographical poems staged as a one-person slam poetry theater show.[19]. About the structure of the show, Yan said, "I strung (the poems) together to create this show to go on a journey, like a character does, of discovering identity and to grapple with the issues of being queer.”[20]

Queer Heartache won 5 awards at the Chicago Fringe Festival and San Francisco Fringe Festival. It was then produced during the 2016/17 OBERON I.D. Festival and produced at A.R.T. Breakout in 2018, directed by Jessi Hill[21]

The show was adapted into a full length poetry collection published by TransGenre Press in 2016.[22]

Yan attended the Hermitage Artist Retreat in 2023. He presented a night of music and poetry that included past and new material at Asolo Repertory Theatre in March 2023 at the end of the residency.[23]

Film

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AFTEREARTH, a short film by Yan, Jess X. Snow, and Peter Pa, was included in the online exhibition "Care Package" hosted by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center[24]

Awards and honors

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  • 2021: Jonathan Larson Grant recipient[8]
  • 2021: Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre for Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettist (with Melissa Li)[25]
  • 2019: Inaugural winner of the Vivace Award for Musical Theater[26]
  • 2018: Interstate won five awards at the 2018 New York Musical Festival (Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role, two Performance Awards and a Special Citation for Representation and Inclusion).[27]
  • 2016: Best of Fringe and Volunteer's Choice Awards at San Francisco Fringe Festival for Queer Heartache[28]
  • 2015: Audience Choice, Artist's Pick, and Spirit of Fringe Awards at Chicago Fringe Festival for Queer Heartache[29]
  • 2010: winner of the first annual Mr. Transman Competition[30]

References

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  1. ^ "Kit Yan". Ring of Keys. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  2. ^ Kit Yan https://kityanpoet.com/bio. Retrieved 2023-02-26. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Chen, Yan (02-05-2018). "A Journey of the Heart with Kit Yan". American Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2023-02-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Peterson, Tyler (06-20-2013). "Dixon Place to Present Staged Reading of New Musical INTERSTATE, 7/8". Broadway World. Retrieved 2023-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Co-Directors". Translab. Retrieved 2023-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Core Community". Breaking the Binary Theatre. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  7. ^ "Fellows". Dramatists Guild Foundation. Dramatists Guild Foundation. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  8. ^ a b "Receipient: Kit Yan". American Theatre Wing. American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  9. ^ "Kit Yan - Artist - MacDowell Colony". MacDowell. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  10. ^ "Kit Yan & Melissa Li". Musical Theatre Factory. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  11. ^ "Many Voices Fellowship". Playwrights' Center. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  12. ^ "Interstate NAMT". NAMT. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  13. ^ https://kityanpoet.com/testosterone
  14. ^ https://playbill.com/article/how-a-life-changing-road-trip-inspired-writing-duo-melissa-li-and-kit-yan-to-pen-a-musical
  15. ^ https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/arts/2022/06/21/-interstate--is-a-musical-journey-through-gender--self-discovery-and-friendship
  16. ^ https://www.marist.edu/-/nysaf-at-marist
  17. ^ Wild, Stephi (02-02-2023). "Village Theatre Presents MISS STEP This Month". Retrieved 2023-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "History". capturing fire. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference ARTinterview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Chacon, Amanda (04-10-2018). "Kit Yan performs slam poetry about life as a queer transgender during AICA's Culture Week at CSUF". Daily Titan. Retrieved 2023-02-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Queer Heartache". American Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  22. ^ "Queer Heartache". Kit Yan. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  23. ^ Wild, Stephi (2023-03-02). "Hermitage Announces New Programs in March in Partnership With Asolo Rep and Embracing Our Differences". Broadway World. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  24. ^ "Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Introduces "Care Package"". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  25. ^ Meyer, Dan (02-18-2021). "Lyricist Benjamin Scheuer and Co-Librettists Melissa Li and Kit Yan Win 2021 Kleban Prize". Playbill. Retrieved 2023-02-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Vivace Award". The Bret Adams and Paul Reisch Foundation. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  27. ^ McPhee, Ryan. "New York Musical Festival Names 2018 Award for Excellence Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  28. ^ "Queer Heartache". American Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  29. ^ "Queer Heartache". American Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  30. ^ "My Intention Behind Art & Soul". Retrieved 2015-09-19.


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