Youlim Nam

Hannah, a Korean-American high school senior born and raised in New York City, stands at a cultural crossroads. Her grandmother Hal-Mue-Ni (할머니) fled North Korea during the Korean War, made her way through Seoul, and eventually crossed an ocean to build a new life. Her parents make ends meet by running a small deli in the neighborhood. The family has been in its most festive mood in years — Hannah has just been accepted into NYU Stern School of Business, a major step toward her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Just before her tuition deposit is due, Hannah is spotted by a prominent Korean music industry CEO and offered a lucrative opportunity to join Girls Power, a global K-pop group launching out of Seoul. Pressed for time, she must decide: NYU, or a one-way ticket across the world.

When Hannah asks her family to weigh the options with her, they would rather remain in peace and celebrate her acceptance. Something deep inside her cracks open. As she tries to resolve these two conflicting paths, she begins excavating her complex relationship with her family — a second-generation Korean-American daughter who has never set foot in Korea. When she finally opens this Pandora's box at New Year's Day dinner, chaos ensues. The rest of the family fights to protect the joy of the festivities so that Hal-Mue-Ni, the family matriarch, can have the most joyous day at her favorite family dinner of the year.

Jane yearns for a connected place. The play invites us into the tender space of that yearning, following Jane as she fights to carve out a life for herself as a writer living in New York City. Throughout, conversations about bills, ice cream, and dancing serve as entry points into the many stressors that shape a writer’s life. For Jane, surviving these stressors has required disconnection; she is “depressed,” “fragile,” “hanging on by a thread.” Stuck in her own head, she has arguably lost her mind.

As witnesses to this loss, we might expect a connected place to tell the story of how Jane overcomes her own distress, banishing her insecurities and achieving a fully integrated sense of self. This makes sense; as audience members, we are trained to recognize and anticipate certain narrative patterns. a connected place both traces and diverts from these patterns; indeed, as we quickly discover, Jane’s attempt to address her mental anguish as something to move beyond has only yielded further fragmentation and disconnection. As the play continues, a connected place reaches towards alternatives, exploring psychic pain not as something to move beyond but, rather, as something to move with.

This motion is not limited to the world of the play. By gathering us together in the theatre, Nam ultimately invites us to become co-participants in that moving with, sitting alongside Jane, ourselves, and one another as we collectively pursue a connected place.

- Dr. Alexis Riley
The University of Michigan

The Subway Play is set in the heart of Brooklyn where three young New Yorkers, Mini, Fred, and James, find themselves stranded on a subway platform late into the night. Their desire for a peaceful journey home turns upside down as a string of surprising events throws them into chaos.

Yumi and her dad are celebrating his birthday at a restaurant, yet Yumi finds herself increasingly frustrated as her dream of a perfect dinner with her dad is being thwarted.

Just a Yellow Cab in New York City captures a candid moment of vulnerability on a late Saturday night. Regina, a tipsy woman nearing 30, hails a cab to Brooklyn. Her driver, new to the country, becomes an unwitting confidant as she unpacks her birthday disappointments. In the backseat, she confronts the loneliness of entering a new decade, her reflections contrasting with the city’s ceaseless hustle—a snapshot of connection and isolation in NYC.

The story unfolds a woman who examines her recent unusual behavior. A familiar scene for those who have been fallen in love with an "unexpected" person.

A familiar restaurant scene relevant to most New Yorkers: a big group of customers trying to pay for a hefty bill at a Manhattan restaurant.

Set on New Year's Day 2006 in New York City, David's New Year follows the Korean immigrant Park family as they gather for their holiday dinner— more festive than ever as Hannah, the good girl of the family, has been accepted into a prestigious college, fulfilling both her dream and her family's long-held hopes. Just before the festivities begin, however, she shares unexpected and disruptive news with her older brother David. As the family's formidable grandmother presides over the evening, David is caught between preserving the fragile happiness of the moment and guiding his sister toward what he believes is the right path. The play explores the delicate bond between siblings, examining responsibility, identity, and the challenge of navigating life's biggest choices together.

Inspired by 'Complement', a short story by Émile Zola

A girl, Jessica, is trying to change the world via her sister, Jenny's YouTube channel.

On a beautiful, but brutally hot day, Ciaran summons April to a small park along the Brooklyn waterfront. The two gnaw, clamor, and cry their way through a night set against the Manhattan skyline.

It's New Year's Day. April is joined by Dave, they are celebrating her 30th Korean birthday at a restaurant in Brooklyn near their apartment. April is looking forward to the New Year as an opportunity to grow into a responsible adult, however, her poor financial condition and resurgent ex-boyfriend prove to be difficult obstacles. Only time will tell if April and Dave's friendship can withstand the comedy of errors bound to ensue.

Jessica must prepare a successful dinner party for her fiancé's parents, meanwhile, Jennie, her sister and roommate, gets an unexpected call that will test their sisterhood.

It's a quiet night at a beautiful beach house. Dr. Anderson and his wife, Devon, are having a dangerous talk in their bedroom.

Adaptation of a scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth.