[Trigger Warning: Discussion of suicide, racist stereotypes]

Kristina Wong, ‘Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

“Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a show written and performed by Wong that examines the issue of suicide among women of the Asian American community, of which Wong is a member. It premiered in 2006, and has since toured nationwide. The show consists of Wong acting as a fictionalized version of herself, attempting to both understand and prevent suicide among Asian American women (“How is Kristina Wong going to save them all?”), as well as dealing with her own crisis. Though the show is primarily fictional, Wong admitted that some parts of it were based off her own life, though changed to add some humor.

“Certain parts…like the scene where I was trying to get the free help…are based off of reality,” said Wong. “I did a lot of research while I was writing the show, and a lot of that stemmed from what I went through when I was younger, and dealing with many of the same issues that I deal with in the show.”

Although dealing with a serious subject, the show frequently employed humor. One moment, Wong was discussing stories of past suicide victims. The next, she would be encouraging everyone to stand up, hold hands and sing a jaunty, dark little tune, right before darkness re-enveloped the theatre. On the subject of injecting such aspects into the serious topic of suicide prevention, Wong said, “The show is really like a Trojan horse of comedy. I know how hard it is, especially in that demographic, to show up at some information panel on suicide and look for help. It’s a lot easier to show up here and get the information you need…when you feel you’re going to a performance.”

Notes

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