Al/Lex

In Development

An interdisciplinary performance about a young queer Chinese man named Alex who struggles to contain Lex—their divine feminine spirit— who embodies the gender and sexuality that Alex has repressed for years. 

As Alex explores his sexuality in sexual encounters with men, the emergence of Lex, his ‘feminine side’ is conjured; Lex’s presence erodes the boundaries that have defined Alex’s life. We later learn Lex is a manifestation of Empress Wu’s spirit—China’s only female emperor —who became empress of China during the Tang dynasty (618–907) and ruled in her own name for fifteen years (690–705); during which the empire was unified. This play is a radical exploration of gender, the model minority myth, and the search for one’s ancestral roots.  

The first presentation of Al/Lex was a result of Chase’s participation in the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s Emerging Creators Unit (2015-2016), where it was presented at the 37th Rhubarb Festival, directed by Tawiah M'Carthy and dramaturged by Mel Hague. Prior to that, a snippet of Al/Lex was showcased with b current and Cahoots in 2014: through the Rock.Paper.Sistahz festival and at the World Theatre Day Celebration (Theatre Passe Muraille). Most recently, an excerpt of Al/Lex was presented at a University of Toronto Asian Heritage Month event and the ArQuives event (Joy Kogawa House).

Al/Lex has been supported by OAC theatre recommender grants (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Factory Theatre, and Nightswimming).