Behind the Scenes of Lunar: Celebrating Asian Culture and Community

To celebrate the tradition of Lunar New Year, IMSA’s Asian Students in America (ASIA) organization prepared their annual Lunar show. This event spanned two days, and included a student show, food reception, and a parent show. Composed of both script performances and dance choreography, this year’s show was a combined effort of dozens of actors/actresses, dancers, and choreos, as well as ISP (IMSA Student Productions). Overall, over 200 IMSA students were involved in the production, which occurred on Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st. To gain more insight into the complex planning that went into the creation of Lunar, I interviewed this year’s Lunar Director, Eric Lee (Jr.). 

The Theme

This year’s theme for the Lunar show is Crazy Rich Asians. According to Eric, the emphasis of this year’s show is to “celebrate Asian culture, both traditional and modern,” and to “bring together the entire IMSA community to bring some levity to IMSA’s stressful culture.” When speaking on the theme of Crazy Rich Asians, Eric brought light upon the “exploration of Asian-American immigrant struggles, especially the cultural divide,” referring to the internal battle that many immigrants and children of immigrants face when it comes to the various cultures that make up their identity—a central motif in this year’s show, which uses characters from the 2018 film to portray this struggle. 

The process of choosing the theme for each year’s show is thorough. As Eric describes it, the board chooses a topic “relevant to the Asian American community that they want to show through their show.” An example is from last year, which focused around parental pressure. This year, the board’s theme discusses the perception that being Asian-American differentiates one from being “just Asian,” with the production aimed at bridging the gap that separates these two distinctions and portraying them as one. 

When asked about differences between this and last year’s show, Eric points out a difference in this year’s timeline. “With Lunar, Clash, and Essence so close to each other, the three organizations have had to collaborate on these three complex events,” Eric says. This added layer makes the planning of the events more complicated, but Eric and others involved are dedicated to keeping things going “very smoothly.”

The Production

Each year’s Lunar show requires a large coordinated effort by the ASIA board, IMSA administration, student participants, third party vendors, and more. Many IMSA students are involved, each with varying roles and responsibilities in order to ensure that the show is a high quality production. For example, “as Lunar Director, [Eric] oversees the entire production and make decisions about the show.” Moreover, Eric explained how “the show is a collaborative effort between all nine board members.” The three components of the show—acts, scripts, and food—are divided amongst the junior board members of ASIA, with each member overseeing one aspect. The role of senior members is to “advise” and “help out with other miscellaneous tasks,” allowing sophomore members to observe the other members. Another responsibility for sophomores is the planning of tech week, a week of activities that lead up to the main show. 

Moreover, the ASIA board collaborates with IMSA’s administration to plan the logistics of the event. As Eric puts it, “we collaborate heavily with ODEI, our advisor Emily Cheng, and Student Life, who help us handle things that students aren’t allowed to,” such as the finances, facilities, and approvals involved in the show’s creation. 

The large number of people involved in the show is something that Eric appreciates: as he puts it, “seeing the community part of culture shows” is one of his favorite aspects. “From the production side, seeing how many people are needed to make Lunar happen, inspires me to continue making things that bring IMSA together,” he elaborates. 

Culture Shows at IMSA

As such an important aspect of student life at IMSA, many students are already aware of the culture shows that IMSA student organizations produce. Eric believes that culture shows are “always fun, collaborative, and energetic,” and are “unique to IMSA.” With IMSA’s emphasis on the balance between personal life and academics, culture shows “provide students an opportunity to get away from school and take advantage of the residential environment,” according to Eric. 

For students who are interested in becoming involved with Lunar or other culture shows in the future, Eric stresses the importance of “[making] sure to have fun.” As with any other major time commitment, “Lunar loses some purpose when it feels like a chore or a burden, so making sure that participating in Lunar activities does not stress you out or hurt your academic and extracurricular success” is extremely important.

Another aspect of life at IMSA that ties in heavily to the production of culture shows is the dance culture. Speaking on this, Eric says that “dance culture definitely surprised [him], and [he] doesn’t think people outside of IMSA expect IMSA students to dance at all.” He describes dance culture as a “vital part of campus life,” and a “great way to meet new people, get involved, and have fun,” making it a quintessential aspect of the IMSA experience. 

Beyond its contribution to the variety of student activities at IMSA, the experiences and openness of the culture shows at IMSA allows students to explore other cultures. “As a diverse school, it’s imperative that we not just welcome but also celebrate different cultures to really take advantage of being in a diverse environment,” says Eric. Culture shows provide an opportunity to strengthen the sense of diversity at IMSA, making other cultures more accessible for both students, faculty, and their families. 

As my interview with Eric began to wrap up, he left me with this parting comment: “As with any cultural event, I encourage people to explore all the cultures. Whether it’s participating in the upcoming Essence or Casa shows, celebrating other cultures can be just as important and enriching as celebrating your own.” Culture shows at IMSA are more than just unique experiences. They are a gateway into exploring other cultures, while also bringing together the community at IMSA through the event. This IMSA tradition enriches the IMSA community by not just being a fun event to be a part of, whether it be through choreos, individual acts, or dances, but also by allowing students to experience the beauty of other cultures together through the show. So, whether it’s for the show, the experience, supporting the IMSA students that are a part of the production, or even the food, everyone has a reason to come and see each of the culture shows that make IMSA’s community a better place to be!