Christie Zhao赵元媛

I was born and raised in a family of power plant workers in Wuhu, Anhui. I came to the U.S. to study computer science and even worked briefly as a software engineer before deciding to quit that life and pursue theatre.
I make theatre because I want to participate in creating culture and social dialogue. I want to bring lives that are too easily overlooked or denied into a room and make them impossible to ignore. I love documentary theatre, multilingual work, and physical theatre. I also love working with communities. One of my favorite jobs has been making theatre with seniors at a senior center in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Before directing, I spent years studying piano. I play the guqin. I’ve sung, designed lights and sound, edited video, and taken photographs. In Chinese, there’s a saying for someone who knows a little bit about everything: 半瓶醋 — half a bottle of vinegar.
I guess that’s what makes me a director.