Jade Circle

By Jasmine Chen
A Part of the Mother Tongue Project
A rice and beans theatre production in association with Neworld Theatre

Through powerful music, captivating movement, and poignant storytelling in Mandarin and English, Jade Circle 玉環 follows Jasmine, a second-generation Canadian who has lost her mother tongue through cultural assimilation.

Yearning to reconnect with her late grandmother, Jasmine embarks on a transformative journey to relearn Mandarin and unearth lost stories of her grandmother’s past through intimate interviews with her mother.

Layering live and pre-recorded singing with projections of interview transcripts, we witness Jasmine as she finds her place within the legacy of cross-generation matrilineal relationships.

“In the days and weeks after her passing, I found myself recalling these short fragments of children’s songs that she had taught me when I was a kid….And I could only remember these little fragments, which brought up a lot of loss for me in terms of realizing that I never really got a chance to know her because of the language barrier.” – Jasmine Chen

“A feast for the senses” – VancouverPlays Review

Pay-What-You-Will Preview

The opening night performance of Jade Circle 玉環 on Wed, May 20 is a Pay-What-You-Will preview.

Please note that the Pay-What-You-Will preview of Jade Circle 玉環  on Wed, May 20 is excluded from the Play Series and Create-Your-Own Series Subscriptions.

Runtime

45 mins, followed by a post-show gathering to share stories and memories

Language

The show is performed in both Mandarin and English, with projected English subtitles.

Creative and Production Team

Writer and performer – Jasmine Chen
Director – Derek Chan
Translator – Johnny Wu