Somebody is Looking Back At Me

In this time-jumping fever dream satire, bestselling Asian American author Olivia returns to the Chinatown she wrote about, but the only thing that feels welcoming in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood is a group of successful old college classmates who have recently moved in and are suddenly very excited to hang out with her. Olivia believes she has finally found her community — but the more she learns about...

In this time-jumping fever dream satire, bestselling Asian American author Olivia returns to the Chinatown she wrote about, but the only thing that feels welcoming in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood is a group of successful old college classmates who have recently moved in and are suddenly very excited to hang out with her. Olivia believes she has finally found her community — but the more she learns about her new friends’ role in transforming the area, the more she feels like she has to choose between the lifestyle her career has afforded her and the values she preaches in her writing.
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SOMEBODY IS LOOKING BACK AT ME was developed as part of The Playwrights Realm’s Writing Fellowship (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director | Roberta Pereira, Executive Director).

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Somebody is Looking Back At Me

Recommended by

  • Francisco Mendoza: Somebody is Looking Back At Me

    This play made me feel all kinds of feelings as it explored the concept of “elite capture” exemplified in a group of Asian American friends who fight AAPI hate by… gentrifying a neighborhood. Jae Hoon's script challenges the "when one of us rises, we all rise" mentality by asking tough questions - and making you laugh a LOT along the way. "Siri, play my sick jams!"

    This play made me feel all kinds of feelings as it explored the concept of “elite capture” exemplified in a group of Asian American friends who fight AAPI hate by… gentrifying a neighborhood. Jae Hoon's script challenges the "when one of us rises, we all rise" mentality by asking tough questions - and making you laugh a LOT along the way. "Siri, play my sick jams!"

  • Shaun Leisher: Somebody is Looking Back At Me

    An absolutely breathtaking play about community and knowing where you came from.

    An absolutely breathtaking play about community and knowing where you came from.

  • Nick Malakhow: Somebody is Looking Back At Me

    I enjoyed the theatricality of this piece--malleable space/time, inventive use of a changing, abstract unit set, and the two sets of characters in different timelines. The conversations had here are all interesting and demand to be seen onstage--exploring dynamics of the individual and multi-armed struggles of an ethnically diverse group of people society lumps together as "same" based on the fact that they're Asian ...the ways people of historically marginalized identities are asked to either compromise for the sake of comfort OR stand their ground and eschew success. Gorgeous exploration of...

    I enjoyed the theatricality of this piece--malleable space/time, inventive use of a changing, abstract unit set, and the two sets of characters in different timelines. The conversations had here are all interesting and demand to be seen onstage--exploring dynamics of the individual and multi-armed struggles of an ethnically diverse group of people society lumps together as "same" based on the fact that they're Asian ...the ways people of historically marginalized identities are asked to either compromise for the sake of comfort OR stand their ground and eschew success. Gorgeous exploration of past and present.

Character Information

  • Olivia / Sally
    Hopeful, passionate, bookish, ambitious, credulous, a little shy – over an active volcano of rage, jealousy, and desperation.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian -- Chinese
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Nathan / Fai
    Determined, confident-presenting, definitely never insecure about anything ever.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian -- Chinese
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Analyn / Grace
    Zen, all-knowing, empathetic – she sees you, she hears you.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian -- Filipino
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Hae-Won / Bong-Cha
    Leaderlike, loyal, and fierce.
    Character Age
    20s
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Mahalia
    Unfiltered, unbothered, unbreakable.
    Character Age
    60s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian -- Filipino
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Suyin
    Persistent, bold, tired. Where do we know her from…?
    Character Age
    60s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian -- Chinese
    Character Gender Identity
    Female

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization CUNY Hunter College, Year 2022
  • Type Reading, Organization Ma-Yi Theater Company, Year 2021