Lighthouse Ladies and Local AAPI Artists Will Perform STUY OR DIE

 Playwright Jason Wang, Director Jonathan Chang, and Producer Sònia Victoria Werner in association with Lighthouse Ladies, an emerging production company elevating marginalized voices through accessible, mobile theatrical work in civic and community spaces, announced the world premiere of Stuy or Die—an incisive new memory play written by Jason Wang, directed by Jonathan Chang that will perform in various boroughs of New York City. 

Wednesday, May 28 – Dweck Cultural Center @ Brooklyn Public Library (11:00 AM)
Sunday, June 29 – Bronx Music Hall (3:00 PM)
Saturday, July 12 – Speyer Hall @ University Settlement (2:00 PM)
Saturday, July 26 – Flushing Town Hall (Finale Performance + Filming) (7:00 PM)

 
The filmed final performance on July 26 will mark the culmination of the summer tour, providing educators, students, press, and policymakers an opportunity to experience the show in a celebratory community setting.

Stuy Or Die follows three AAPI students navigating the relentless pressure of New York City's Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) culture. It's a serio-comedic reckoning with education, identity, and mental health—a story for anyone who's ever felt like their future hinged on a single test. 

Stuy Or Die is staged by a team of NYC born and raised artists - many of whom are intimately involved with the SHSAT. The play was conceived in 2022 from reflections of former students, including cast members Matthew De Lorme and Ruponti Wazid, who, nearly ten years after taking the S.T.E.M-focused SHSAT, had navigated their way into the performing arts. Jason himself was a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in 2018, and wanted to find others who had spent hundreds–to thousands of hours in test prep.

After multiple successful workshops, the most recent at Glow Cultural Center for a record turnout of 100 attendees, Stuy Or Die continues to make its mark on the Big Apple through the summer. Its first stop on May 28: a partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library to invite local students to attend a performance at the Dweck Cultural Center. The company will then perform at the Bronx Music Hall (June 29) as a part of their Sunday Salon, and finish the last leg of their tour at Speyer Hall and Flushing Town Hall (July 26)–a 10 minute walk from where Wang and countless others grew up attending test prep.

At its core, Stuy Or Die is a love letter to New York's youth—and a challenge to the systems that attempt to define them before they've had a chance to carve it out for themselves. The story unfolds with humor and heartbreak, spotlighting the emotional toll of academic competition and the cultural nuances within immigrant households.

“It is an honor to perform this play for an audience that reflects the lived experiences of my team members– in local venues to our communities,” Wang says. “Thank you to the many communities, artists, and organizations who brought what was a thesis play in college to a city-wide tour promoting purpose, play, and interconnectedness.”

The cast of Stuy Or Die features Matthew De Lorme, Ruponti Wazid, Alyssa Naka Silver, Emily Anne Goes, and William McMahan, with additional cast members soon to be announced.

Stuy Or Die features assistant direction by Dylin Taylor, scenic and prop design by Danis Zhang, sound design by Alicia Qian, lighting design by Persephone Matlazihua Squires, Costume Designer Sally Chen, and stage manager Eliana Coe. Lisa Virginia serves as scenic and transportation coordinator. Sònia Victoria Werner's producing assistant is Jordan Anderson. Press representation and consulting is provided by Dan Demello / DDPR with additional public relations & outreach support from Lighthouse Ladies' Taylor Legall.