Dim Sum Diaries: Second Helping
Check out the sequel to "the most controversial radio drama in Canadian history"
So many thoughts, so many feelings about Dim Sum Diaries: Second Helping and the magic of watching the world premiere with Donna Wong-Juliani (above) at Vancouver’s Chinatown Storytelling Centre on Friday night (March 22, 2024). The original Dim Sum Diaries was a radio drama consisting of five monologues written in 1991 at the - let’s go with urging - of Donna’s late husband and artistic partner, CBC radio producer, John Juliani. It was written for and debuted on CBC’s flagship radio show: Morningside. Except for the episode that didn’t.
My other date for the evening was my ex-wife, Darron Leiren-Young, who not only helped name the original but was by my side for the original debut and the ensuing storms. Some day soon I’ll write about the Dim Sum controversies - there were a few, they were very different controversies, they received international attention and they changed so many things at CBC (and Canadian media) for the better. And writing the play - and the response to it - redefined my writing and my life.
But for now I just want to make sure I spread the word about Fabulist Theatre’s incredibly ambitious, topical and timely sequel: Dim Sum Diaries: Second Helping because you can see that RIGHT NOW (as long as you’re in Vancouver and reading this before March 30, 2024).
The show was written by Kevin Chong, Aaron Jan, Dale Lee Kwong, Yvette Lu, Minh Ly, Louisa Phung Suk Yee, Kenneth Tynan and, yeah, me.
The all-star Chinese Canadian cast includes Aurora Chan, Howie Kwan, Mikayla Kwan, Jane Loy and Kyle Toy.
It’s directed by Damon Bradley Jang.
Producer/Sound Design and so much more: Mary Littlejohn. Stage Manager is Andy Sandberg Lighting Design: Hina Nishioka. Video Design: Charlie Ngo
And it’s at The NEST, 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC.
Links to tickets and info below.
Mark Your Calendar: “Dim Sum Diaries Second Helping” explores Chinese-Canadian experiences
Progress Lab To Host DIM SUM DIARIES: SECOND HELPING Industry Reading
And just a bit more from me… I was asked to provide some content and history for the program for Dim Sum Diaries: Second Helping. Here’s what I came up with:
The original Dim Sum Diaries debuted on CBC radio in 1991.
A collection of five monologues, the premise was to explore “how Vancouver had changed or was perceived to have changed due to Hong Kong immigration.”
When it was clear the project was making waves, producer John Juliani (who became my mentor) started talking about possible sequels. We wanted to keep creating monologue collections set in different worlds.
I suggested a series of stories built around trees, inspired by the response to the monologue that was (to my shock) the most controversial from the original Dim Sum- a story from the point of view of a white homeowner upset at a tree being cut. I eventually wrote that sequel. It became my first movie - The Green Chain.
After Dim Sum aired, I was urged by several people - including Chinese-Canadian community leaders - to write more Dim Sum monologues. John and I felt that if there were more Dim Sum Diaries they should be written by a Chinese Canadian writer or writers.
When Fabulist staged the original Dim Sum Diaries a few years ago, that was a treat.
And when John’s artistic partner, Donna Wong-Juliani, and I started discussing this new incarnation with the team at Fabulist, the idea of seeing John’s dream from 1991 come together tonight… magic. If John (who passed away in 2003) was in charge of CBC I suspect a variation of this would have existed in 1992.
