Speech at the Asian Cultural Council Friends' Committee

Ladies and gentlemen,

I'm very excited to see you all here, and can't wait to share my experience in America in 2009 with you.

First of all, I'm very grateful to the Lee Hysan Foundation, for giving me a precious opportunity to stay in New York to study acting and observe theatre development in America. It absolutely is my DREAM COME TRUE. Without your generosity, it's impossible for me to achieve my DREAM.

What makes me stand here today started when I was 5 years old. When my teachers chose me to perform in the Christmas drama about "The Birth of Christ" and I was one of the lambs. One year later, I was chosen to be one of the angels. And the following year , I became the Mother of Christ. I was very happy because my costume became more and more beautiful and I was transformed from an animal to a human being. I was very very happy indeed! From then on, I had a lot of chances to perform during my school days. I was not afraid at all and I even enjoyed it very much! I know I love performing and I want to be an actor!

One day at the age of 19, I secretly applied the Academy for Performing Arts and secretly auditioned for several times. I was thrilled when they finally accepted me! It was almost the 1st September, when schools was about to start after the long summer holiday. Still, I was not brave enough to tell my parents what's going on. Until one night during dinner, I found a moment when they were chewing, I told them that I was going to study drama for 3 years and would not be able to support them financially, because I had quit the job in the airline company. They were totally shocked, I could feel that moment frozen for quite a while! They couldn't understand my choice because they thought there is no need to study acting in order to act. They couldn't understand why I have to spend 3 year in doing that. They have no idea why I disappeared from home in the early morning and back until late at night everyday. They knew nothing about my study, my rehearsals and my performances. I asked them to come to my performance in the first year, when I was playing a nurse without any line, they didn't come. In the second year, I had a better role, I asked them to come and bought them tickets. They came reluctantly. In the third year, I asked them to come again as it was my graduation performance and they came to show their support. After I worked in the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, they would ask me when will I have performances, and they would buy tickets themselves. They even gave me very good comments and shared their feelings with me. It's wonderful to see the changes in those years! And I am very happy to say that my family is my biggest fans now!

I know drama make changes in my life and it make changes to my family too!

In 2009, my life changed again when I received a grant from the ACC. I left my homeland, I left my family and friends to a place that I never lived before, but it was the BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE! I observed the American's way of living, I saw over 150 performances, I trained with a professional theatre company, I visited Yale University School of Drama, I made friends from all over the world, I had a railroad trip across America visited more than 10 cities, and I learned who I really am. I confronted my weaknesses, I experienced fear, and I tasted loneliness. And at the same time, I felt so liberated and absolutely enjoyed the freedom in America. All these experiences made me a better person, and it enriched my life as an actor. I changed, and I changed for the better.

New York is one of the world's greatest theatre centers, featuring every kind of production imaginable. Whether is the

glamourous Broadway blockbuster or something truly experimental. Out of 150 performances I've seen, I would like share with you some of the great ones.

1. Osage County (Broadway production)

Osage County is an original dark comedic play deals with issues like alcoholism, death, family dysfunction, sexual harassment, aging, and ultimately love. The main character is the mother of the family aged 65. She is a drug addict, but she is sharp-tongued and aware of the family's many secrets. I saw the great Estelle Parsons playing the role so convincingly and running up and down the stairs so effortlessly that I couldn't believe she is actually 81 years old! I was really stunned by her magnificent performance and she made me believe acting is a life-long career that require courage and persistence.

2. Streetcar Named Desire (produced by Sydney Theatre Company)

It's so wonderful to see Cate Blanchett, an actor of such virtuosity pulling out every stop of her instrument on stage. She's a kind of actor who reaches deeply and honestly into herself, free of fear, vanity and judgement. She's also able to take on the behavior, rhythms, cultural points of view and styles of language which quite unlike her contemporary self. Her passion and expressivity transformed herself into the role magically. She simply is a genius! And she definitely is my role model!

3. Les Ephemeres (produced by Le Theatre du Soleil)

This is a French production in 2 parts of 7 hours directed by the marvellous and widely influential Ariane Mnouchkine. The play explored personal stories of pain, struggle, betrayal and hope on episodes that reflect our common experience to find meaning in life. It performed on a modular revolving set pieces guided by company members crouching as if executing graceful aerobic exercises creating cinematic motion, forms the spine of the whole experience. I admire the vision of Mnouchkine. I deeply moved by the ensemble work the company did. It truly was an unforgettable, valuable and inspirational theatre experience in my life.

4. Our Town (Off Broadway production in Barrow Street Theatre)

This is a modest but highly rewarding production where the theatre only holds 150 audience members in the neighborhood of West Village. It's more experimental and the house lights never go down in the theatre which keeps us continually in the present moment, with audience members visible to one another and to the actors. It expresses with a fine clarity the idea that theatre is not an escape from life but a means of entering into it more fully. I experienced the closeness between actors and audience, and also the intimacy between theatre and life.

In addition to seeing so many performances, I also had some serious training in America. I trained with SITI Company which is an ensemble-based theatre group which emphasize international cultural exchange and collaboration. Over 60 international theatre artists joined the training in Saratoga in upstate New York, to learn about methods in actors' training known as Viewpoints and Suzuki Training. Both are very useful for an actors' practice, and strengthening an actor's physique and presence. I am very happy to have made connections with the theatre people all over the world. It surely help the exchange of ideas and the contact of artists.

Today is 16 Mar, and I remember 16 Mar last year, I was travelling to Ashfield, Massachusetts to attend a theatre event by the Double Edge Theatre. It's a 105-acre farm in the country, with mountains, fish pond, horses and green grass. The whole event was composed of a tour in the farm, 3 performances at night, sharing with the actors, and a symposium on the next day. It was wonderful to see a theatre group with such dedication and they work so hard to achieve on what they truly believe! They train together, they eat together, they perform together, they do the housework together, and they share everything together. It's absolutely not possible to have such a theatre group in Hong Kong, and I'm so glad to have a chance to meet the fantastic people there. The experience was so unique and the whole journey was almost like utopia!

During the stay in America, facing myself alone in a foreign city, it's the best chance to know who I really am. Through encountering different people, I see the reflection of myself. It's a great way of self-discovery, and it's very important for my acting career. Moreover, I became more fearless and daring that I know I would be so brave to reveal, to risk bold choices, and take on big tasks, and even failure. What I learn in America will definitely raise my aesthetic standard for the life of an artist. The continuous training of the mind and body, the freedom and courage in creation, and being a dynamic and original artist in the field who have the mission in searching meaning and making his meaning meaningful to others. I need to have dream and I want to be more responsible to the society. All these are the qualities I learned and it surely will influence my career in a long term basis.

Art makes a city stays alive! Art plays a large part in making our lives infinitely rich. Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-rounded human beings. Artists are responsible to reveal the truth of a society and they are unquestionably invaluable. I was very lucky to have this grant program to enrich my life as an artist. I fully benefited from this wonderful experience. It takes me to another level and inspires me so richly that nothing can compare with it. I truly hope more artists could be as lucky as I am, and I hope you all will continue the support to the ACC.

Thank you again for this award! My words cannot express my gratitude to my dear ACC friends for this remarkable opportunity. Thank you very much!