In Minnesota Southeast Asian street theatre arrives thanks to Lao American artist Kaysone Syonesa and her fellow performers in Brooklyn Park. Entitled SEA Echoes Through Rivers, this will be a two-day capstone project from 3-5PM each day outside of the Brooklyn Park Library Plaza at 8500 W. Broadway Avenue from June 12-13th.
This emerged from a SEAD/CURA project with Syonesa, who collaborated with Bryan Thao Worra and the Lao Assistance Center in 2019-2020 for the Laomagination 45 project as part of the Joyce Award they received. Syonesa had also been part of the Laomagination: Transitions pop-up theatre project sponsored by Springboard for the Arts in 2018, and performed at the Smithsonian’s 2019 Asian American Literature Festival as well as the Matatu Storytelling Festival in Oakland, California.
Syonesa has roots in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and North Minneapolis, where some of Minnesota’s largest populations of South East Asians (SEA) live. In 2020 her team focused on engaging community members to explore the feeling of being stuck between two worlds – neither here nor there – and highlighting the narratives of the diaspora voice and whether a sense of belonging can be found in their neighborhoods.
They sought to engage communities in telling their stories through outreach of interviews, conversations, and gatherings. The project focused on addressing issues inherent in a bicultural identity, xenophobia in America, and issues endemic to Southeast Asian American immigrant communities.
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) works with community leaders and local government partners to produce knowledge that drives change. Their mission is to connect the resources of the University of Minnesota with the interests and needs of urban communities and the region for the benefit of all. They align University of Minnesota faculty, students, and other resources to strengthen Minnesota communities. CURA support can take many forms, including community-engaged research, technical assistance, capacity building and facilitation.
CURA was founded on the belief that partnership between the University of Minnesota, community leaders, philanthropic organizations and government is mutually beneficial. Communities determine issues important to them, and provide context and wisdom to shape how they can be addressed to create vital places to live and work. The University of Minnesota contributes knowledge and expertise to support communities in discovering new approaches to solving problems. This model of engaged research leads to outcomes that strengthen the community and enrich academic research.
Started in 2010, The SEAD Project (Southeast Asian Diaspora Development) is a creative social organization on a mission to be an accessible community hub that provides streamlined pop-up workshops on language learning, storytelling, cultural exchanges and knowledge-sharing for Southeast Asian diaspora communities. Through safe and welcoming spaces, we hope to connect the disconnected and drive empowerment to plant the seeds of hope and possibility, locally and globally.
Kaysone Syonesa holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota. She has a theatre background as a performing artist/actor, director, set/costume designer and playwright. With over 17 years of performing experience, she has performed with various theatre companies in the Twin Cities with recent productions from Pangea World Theater, Teatro del Pueblo and Green T Productions.
