Video: Alex Lin & More Explain What CHINESE REPUBLICANS Is All About

"It's a play that's always been with me," said playwright Alex Lin about her latest piece, Chinese Republicans. "It's heavily based on my family and their experiences as Chinese American women and women working in finance and also just wanting to explore this point of view that I found very, very confusing and trying to understand it."

In the play, now running at the Laura Pels Theatre, three high-powered businesswomen meet for lunch every month to discuss their latest career triumphs, as they’ve done for decades. But the group is jolted when Katie, a bright-eyed 24-year-old new to the workforce, joins to navigate the world of corporate finance. As each of the women attempts to steer Katie towards what they’re certain is best, they’re forced to grapple with how much they already have and are willing to sacrifice to climb the corporate ladder.

Shifting between sharp-tongued humor and the harsh realities of modern capitalism, this world premiere production explores themes of assimilation, intergenerational conflict, and gender politics in the workplace—all with unflinching wit and empathy. 

Chinese Republicans features Jennifer Ikeda as Ellen/Ailin, Ben Langhorst as Waiter, Jully Lee as Iris, Jodi Long as Phyllis/Young Phyllis and Anna Zavelson as Katie.

"These women are so fierce and they say things that  people can't really say in public,
 explained Lee. "Just the fun that these characters had and really fighting into each other and snapping at each other. mean, Alex Lin wrote really sharp dialogue. What a privilege to get to say these words on a stage and have people hear these words."