If you want to see Canada through the eyes of a newcomer, Maki Yi is happy to be your tour guide.
Five years ago, as part of the lobby shows at Pacific Theatre in Vancouver, the South Korean native presented Suitcase Stories — a series of 10-minute autobiographical tales she turned into a full-length play two years later.
This week, Yi will be at Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre to highlight her one-woman show that details her journey from Asia to Toronto, Regina, Montreal and finally Vancouver.
Speaking with The Tri-City News last Friday, Yi said she choose Canada as her destination because her brother had a map of Toronto from his North American travels.
“There was really no other reason for it,” she said. “I was in my 20s. I didn’t have much English — only the little bit that I learned at school — but I wanted to explore the world.”
In Regina, she gained her bachelor of fine arts in theatre performance — writing her first autobiographical show, Home of My Soul — and, once in B.C., she obtained her master’s of fine arts in interdisciplinary studies at SFU, where she penned her second self-discovery solo play, Gramma.
Her full version of Suitcase Stories premiered at Pacific Theatre for its 2016-’17 season.
Directed by Colleen Lanki, Yi said her script and performance have been well received across the country.
“I’m sharing my personal story and I think it’s something that many people in Canada can relate to,” she said. “There are hardships for immigrants but people can also have hope and encouragement and dreams, too.”
• Suitcase Stories runs May 17 to 19 at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam). For tickets at $33/$28/$15, call the box office at 604-927-6555 or visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
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