Aftermath Liturgy at Wesley United Methodist Church

Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS) presents the first staged reading of “Aftermath Liturgy,” an original new play with music commissioned from award-winning playwright Min Kahng, on May 2 at Wesley United Methodist Church in San Jose’s Japantown.

The one-hour theatrical experience explores the collision of identity, faith, and queerness through a narrative that reflects Kahng’s lived history. The production features a unique staging in which Kahng performs as the live musician while an actor portrays his persona—a pastor guiding the audience through the moment when personal truth and religious doctrine collide and how to navigate it. The performance includes live music, visual projections, and audience participation.

Staging the production at Wesley United Methodist Church in San Jose’s Japantown provides a site-specific layer of authenticity. By telling a story about the deconstruction of faith within an active sanctuary, the production seeks to bridge cultural gaps and foster dialogue about belonging and self-discovery.

Kahng is a prominent voice in Northern California theater, recently receiving a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle award for his musical “Happy Pleasant Valley.” A MacDowell Fellow and National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, Kahng is also known for “The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga.” “Aftermath Liturgy” marks his most autobiographical storytelling to date.

Lisa Marie Rollins, a Filipina and Black director, playwright and theater maker, serves as director for Aftermath Liturgy. Rollins leads THE IRIS LAB, a residency, research space and new work incubator for global majority theater makers located at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Under Rollins’ direction, actor Will Dao is the featured performer opposite Kahng in this production. Dao previously collaborated with Kahng on “The Four Immigrants” (TheatreWorks) workshops and the world premiere production of “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” (Bay Area Children’s Theatre).

CATS is excited to commission this original play by Min Kahng as part of its New Works Play Commission. This play expands the AAPI theatrical canon with a story that is both timely and essential for the community.