PANDEMONIUM!

by Nancy Sun

As a giant panda, Yiyi’s purpose is to save her species from extinction. And according to her Instagram, it might also be her whole personality :) But after struggling with her fertility for nine years, Yiyi starts to doubt whether her life’s work requires her to bear cubs. When you live in captivity, though, do you really have a say? PANDEMONIUM! is about the hard choices we make in a society that values new...

As a giant panda, Yiyi’s purpose is to save her species from extinction. And according to her Instagram, it might also be her whole personality :) But after struggling with her fertility for nine years, Yiyi starts to doubt whether her life’s work requires her to bear cubs. When you live in captivity, though, do you really have a say? PANDEMONIUM! is about the hard choices we make in a society that values new life, yet restricts the bodies that make life possible. Inspired by real-world animal conservation efforts, our contemporary reproductive rights discourse, and the chronically online, this play is for those who touch grass and those who should.

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PANDEMONIUM!

Recommended by

  • Gina Femia: PANDEMONIUM! by Nancy Sun
    “

    This is such a smart, sharp, hilarious and heartbreaking play. Poignant, timely, absurd, it is deserving of attention. I hope to see this play produced in the future, very soon.

    This is such a smart, sharp, hilarious and heartbreaking play. Poignant, timely, absurd, it is deserving of attention. I hope to see this play produced in the future, very soon.

    ”
  • Shaun Leisher: PANDEMONIUM! by Nancy Sun
    “

    This is such an absurd play with so much to chew on. It is moving while also being absolutely hysterical. I loved how this play takes an incisive look at our modern internet culture. To portray this panda as an influencer was such a brilliant choice. I loved how the internet is being depicted here. I loved seeing how the world of the commenters pushed up against what is happening in Yiyi's lives. This also has so much to say about the pressures of motherhood. I can't wait to see what this would look like fully produced.

    This is such an absurd play with so much to chew on. It is moving while also being absolutely hysterical. I loved how this play takes an incisive look at our modern internet culture. To portray this panda as an influencer was such a brilliant choice. I loved how the internet is being depicted here. I loved seeing how the world of the commenters pushed up against what is happening in Yiyi's lives. This also has so much to say about the pressures of motherhood. I can't wait to see what this would look like fully produced.

    ”

Development History

  • Reading, Big Bang Works-in-Progress, Spring 2026
  • Workshop, Echoes Writers Group, ESPA at Primary Stages, 2025
  • Reading, Piper Theatre, 2025

Awards

  • Scenes taught in Intro to Dramatic Writing and Advanced Playwriting Workshop
    matthew paul olmos, UC-Santa Barbara