By Amiee Zhao
Recounting how she became interested in theater productions, Xiaonan (Chloe) Liu smiled gently and said that it was in fact “a coincidence.” During China’s National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao), Liu did not achieve the scores that would have granted acceptance into traditionally reputable universities. Searching for other options, she ended up in Shanghai Theatre Academy, an art school that adopts an alternative selection process and is in her hometown of Shanghai, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Stage Management.
Liu is the 2024-2025 National Vision Inc., Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Stage Management Fellow at the Alliance Theatre. Recently graduating from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University (CT.), Liu reflected on how her passion in theater led her on a transatlantic journey.
Initially having no idea what she wanted to focus on, Liu participated in a workshop on stage managing at Shanghai Theatre Academy, where she was captivated by the coordinating magic of giving cues in the classic production of “Les Misérables”.
Managing productions from different cultures became a window for her to delve deeper into the world of theater. Under China’s cultural censorship, it is rare for a foreign play to appear on a Chinese stage. Therefore, according to Liu, the Chinese audience is particularly excited about foreign productions. Inspired, Liu used her English skills in translating as a portal to more stage managing positions.
“So I got into Shanghai Grand Theatre to do translations for Royal Ballet, Australian Ballet, Royal Upper House, this kind of stuff,” Liu recalled.
This background in translation introduced her to the first stage managing position as the production assistant in “The Lion King” at Shanghai Disneyland.
“‘The Lion King’ wrecked my world,” Liu said. “I was seeing so many good things we can do as a stage manager, such as how to organize things well, how to take care of people, how to get every single detail helpful to a rehearsal and the actors.”
Yet, in order to continue her studies in theater, especially in an international context, Liu had to navigate a lot of challenges. One of the most significant was the exorbitant tuition for theater graduate schools. Therefore, Liu worked in Shanghai for a few more years to prepare for her graduate studies, such as managing “Beauty and the Beast” at Shanghai Disneyland. This journey has shaped her coincidental passion into a firm aspiration to become a professional stage manager who could bring local plays to Broadway.
“I want to have a leader mindset,” Liu said. “I want to know what things are happening at what time and what I should do with them. I want to have a structure of the entire production, of all the details, in my mind, to be an independent stage manager… I think I want a full development. I want to be in the best theater school. I want to be in the American musical industry.”
Perhaps, it is this striving for excellence that brought Liu to Yale and eventually to Alliance Theatre. But her growth does not stop here. During the seven months she has worked there, Liu said that she is the only Asian face and foreigner. Moreover, while people in Shanghai’s theater industry usually work in the spirit of passion and love, Liu found that the U.S. theater industry demands a higher level of professionalism. Yet, strangely enough, it is the high standards that make Liu feel included.
“I didn’t feel like you’re Asian, you’re Chinese, you’re foreigner,” Liu said. “I felt nothing like that. In fact, I felt like I am a real staff member, like anybody else, and people just give me enough trust to communicate with me like I am one of them.”
The passion for theater has continued to connect Liu with people from different cultures. Since arriving at the Alliance Theatre in July, Liu said that her favorite memory has been the production of “Christmas Carol”. The supportive production team, nicely dressed audience, and Christmas festivities central to American culture made Liu emotional as she saw the power of theater in people. Specifically, she mentioned that, unlike the traditional hierarchy in Chinese theaters, she has made genuine friendships with upper-level colleagues.
Looking ahead into the future, Liu is ready to continue her footprint in the U.S. and international theater industry after her fellowship ends in June this year. She is excited about potentially managing a Broadway show, so that she can see the diverse cities and cultures in the U.S. and beyond. Meanwhile, she also wants to connect with more Asian American people working in the theater industry by working at independent theaters such as Manhattan Theater Club (NY.).
