May 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 at 3pm each day
Flowers and fog is a theatrical portrait of the artist and her mother, Joy ChenYu Lewis, bridging cultures, identities and art disciplines.
Several years in the making, flowers and fog explores their relationship -- its ruptures and reconnections. Wong and her mother, both artists, forge a bond that is at once particular and archetypal, each following their distinct artistic lineages through film, contemporary dance, drag and classical Chinese song to find a meeting place in the middle.
Flowers and fog opens in preview on Friday, May 17, and runs for two weekends through May 26. Performances take place Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. at the historic Gateway Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown, with an optional picnic experience at 1 p.m. in nearby Portsmouth Square. Limited to 12 people, the picnic will include sweet and savory dim sum, tea and other snacks. Tickets for the in-theater performance start at $33, with an additional $11 - $44 for the picnic.
"The idea for flowers and fog came out of a longing for deeper connection with my mother," said Wong. "I wanted to know her better, and I wanted to honor my ancestry through her, who for as long as I can remember, has always served as the culture bearer for Chinese culture and language in our mixed-race family." Lewis grew up in Northern China, fleeing to Inner Mongolia for five years during China's Cultural Revolution before immigrating to New York City in 1980 to study English and music at the City College of New York and Columbia University.
Each performance of flowers and fog will feature an appearance by one of several guest drag artists including Hennessy Williams, LOTUS BOY, Obsidienne Obsurd, Peekaboo and Sir Acha -- culminating in a communal mahjong game.
$33.