Michele Selene Ang is starring in a feminist play titled Man Of God.
As reported by Kore AM, 13 Reasons Why actress Michele Selene Ang is starring in Anna Moench’s feminist play Man Of God for Los Angeles’ East West Players.
Based on true events, the play portrays four Korean American teenaged travellers Bangkok whose accompanying pastor plants hidden cameras in their bathrooms. The comedy centres around Asian women growing up in a male-dominated society.
“I was a teenager not so long ago. I remember what that felt like,” said Ang. “I can only speak for Chinese culture because I’m Chinese American, but my Korean castmate said the same thing—there’s a time and place and term for authority figures and for your elders. It’s not something you can readily explain to people who aren’t of Asian descent.”
Ang plays the incredibly studious Jen who struggles with the contradictions between religion and cultural norms.
Moench said she began to write the play before the #MeToo movement but drew inspiration from it after.
“I came to realize the persistence of the male gaze and the persistence of being vulnerable,” said Moench. “Most women have that experience, where you start to realize that the freedom and innocence you felt as a child [stops]. You realize, ‘Oh. The world is not so safe for me. People were always watching me. They’re always going to be.’”
Ang also performed in a female-empowerment play titled Bull In a China Shop. “[‘China Shop’] is also about empowerment, and being a woman,” Ang said. “I’ve been lucky to both consciously and unconsciously make decisions to take on these types of projects.”
Also known for her role as Courtney on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, Ang wants to continue to be involved in both theatre and film.
“My goal is to travel between film, TV and theater,” she said. “I want to have my own show, and I want to write and act and produce. Basically, I want to be Asian Reese Witherspoon.”
Man Of God is running until 24 February 2019 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre in Los Angeles. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
