Libbey Kim

Playwright of Mother Mandu

Libbey Kim is an actor and playwright based in Baltimore, MD. 

Libbey is excited to work and collaborate with The Strand again, she has previously worked with The Strand as an actor in Anna Moench's "Man of God" where she played the role of Samantha. 

As a graduate of Towson University's Department of Theatre Arts, Libbey has come back as a guest artist to show case her latest work, "Mother and I." 

She would like to thank those who have supported her along the way and would like to thank The Strand for sharing these voices during times that we need them the most. 

Emily Avakian

Playwright of Secret Ingredient

Emily Avakian is based out of Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a graduate student at UVA and a high school World Literature teacher. She has always been passionate about theater, and as an undergraduate, she pursued the study. Emily believes the best way to honor one’s identity is through creativity. Following this theme, she has published numerous poems and articles connecting the arts to identity. Currently, in her work, she aims to honor her Parskahye heritage. In her piece, The Secret Ingredient, she tells the story of a young woman's journey navigating her own identity while addressing themes of immigration. 

Elizabeth Ung

Playwright of Spaghetti Lo Mein

Elizabeth Ung (she/they) is an Asian American actor and theatre artist based on the Indigenous Susquehannock and Piscataway lands, colonially known as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. At The Strand Theater Company, she recently directed the virtual production of Man of God and previously performed in Little Women. Their playwriting credits include work with Truepenny Projects (Now Entering: Shrine of the Internet Goddess), Adventure Theatre MTC (both.), and Keegan Theatre (THERE IS NO HOPE IN THE CITY OF CHAOS); she also provided Dramaturgy at Repstage (E2 and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992). EDUCATION: University of Hawai’i at Manoa: MFA in Theatre (enrolling Fall 2022); University of Maryland, Baltimore County: BA in Theatre Studies. UPCOMING: Director/Main Writer for a new devised piece (title TBA) at Fells Point Corner Theatre. For Grandpa Clinton and Grandma Millie. www.elizabethung.com

Lyra Nalan

Playwright of Cousins and the Soup

Lyra Nalan is a Judith Royer Award winning playwright based in the DMV area. She is a recipient of the Miranda Theatre Playwright’s Grant and Horticultural Playwrights Workshop Fellowship. Recently, Lyra was nominated for NNPN's Smith Prize for Political Theatre and the Susan Blackburn Smith Prize. She's also a finalist for Playwrights' Center Core Apprenticeship and semi-finalist for O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Her work has been developed or showcased at the Kennedy Center, Cherry Lane Theatre, Round House Theatre, Spooky Action Theatre, Miranda Theatre, Avant Bard Theatre, Tradewind Arts Asian American Artists, The Living Room Players, Three Cats Productions, among others. Currently, Lyra is under commissions from Adventure Theatre MTC and Silk Road Rising Theatre. 

She received her MFA at Northwestern University.

Robin Berl

Playwright of Support

Robin Berl is a writer of truths and fictions large and small whose work is filtered through her experiences as a parent and a mixed race CHamoru woman. Robin’s plays have received readings or productions with Spooky Action Theater, Washington D.C; Breaking Wave Theatre Company, Guam; Sandy Spring Theatre Group, MD. Robin was recently part of Company One Theatre’s C1 Volt Lab. Her writing appears in The PlayGround Experiment Faces of America Monologue Festival Anthology #3. Upcoming projects include a production with Winding Road Theater Ensemble, AZ and Breaking Wave Theatre Company’s Podcast Play project retelling Guam Legends (Robin’s episode will be on the origin of the trongkon lemmai). Robin graduated from University of Delaware with BAs in both English Literature and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. She lives in Eastern Maryland.

Karen Li

Playwright of Hot Pot at the End of the World

Karen Li is thrilled to be featured in the AAPI Women's Voices Theatre Festival, having most recently appeared at the Strand Theater in Black Super Hero Magic Mama as Connie and Lady Vulture. Before moving to Baltimore during the pandemic, Karen was an immersive theatre performer, competitive ballroom dancer, and Michelin-starred sommelier based in New York City. She is the founder and artistic director of Consume & Company, which produces immersive dinner theatre.