The one-woman play is performed in its entirety by Zheng Xue, also known as Snow, who wrote and directed the performance as well. Other roles are filled by shadow puppets and unique visual effects. The story is about a daughter seeking to understand her father through her memories. The performance is in Chinese with English subtitles, but marketed as having universal relevance.
“Light” has been performed across the world from Beijing to New York’s United Solo Festival. The Austin production is staged with the support of Kung Fu Cowgirl and an Elevate Grant from Austin Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment. Independent theatrical productions like this often use methods like poster printing and social media to reach a grassroots audience.
Advertising for Light emphasizes its heartfelt nature, saying:
“This is not a large commercial production. It is something rarer: a heartfelt, artist-driven piece experienced up close, where small moments carry real weight. Audiences often describe Light as tender, unexpectedly funny, and quietly devastating.”
The Austin staging of Light will take place across two weekends, with shows from Thursday to Saturday evenings on each week, as well as a Saturday matinee. The production will be on stage from May 28 to June 6 at the Dougherty Arts Center.