Evolution Festival Program – Day One
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Festival hours: 12-8PM
12-8 PM
Upstairs Lobby
Vendor/Music
Henna Zamurd Butt creates conceptual and functional ceramic pieces. Henna’s conceptual works include hanging ceramic sculptures that produce and amplify sound, with an additional functional collection that includes tumblers, mugs/cups, bowls, spice spoons, platters, and salt pigs.
12:15 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
60+ Minutes Showcase
Spoken Word Showcase
Lisa Low is the author of Replica (University of Wisconsin Press, 2026) and the chapbook Crown for the Girl Inside (YesYes Books, 2023). She is the recipient of a 2023 Pushcart Prize and the 2020 Gulf Coast Nonfiction Prize, and her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in American Poetry Review, Ecotone, The Massachusetts Review, Poetry, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. Poetry Reading
Randy Kim is a queer Viet-Khmer American from the Chicagoland area with a Masters in Nonprofit Management from DePaul University. Randy is the creator and host of his award-winning podcast “The Banh Mi Chronicles” and recipient of the annual Communicator Awards in 2024. He is the founder of his current Substack newsletter, “Banh Mi Bites” which explores conversations with BIPOC creatives and more. Randy serves as a board member of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois. Storytelling
Sofia Javed is a Chicago-based comedian, storyteller, and writer. Her humor is inspired by her experience as a brown woman in America, her love of languages, and a lifetime of never fitting in. Sofia has been a featured performer at comedy festivals across the country and recently debuted her solo show, Latchkey Larki, in New York City. Sofia co-hosts Dance of Joy: a Perfect Strangers Rewatch Podcast, and is a 2026 Artist of Color scholar at the Neo-Futurist Theater. Storytelling
12:30 PM
Downstairs Lobby
45 minute performance
Live Music
Sona Umbra crafts darkwave dreampop music shaped by their love of 80s and 90s indie music, film, and animation. Band members Ed Eusebio, Christian Eusebio, and Tina Bhaga are based in Chicagoland and have released songs that harmonize themes of shadow and light.
1:45 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
30+ minute showcase
Theatre Showcase
Catherine Yu is a writer of plays and librettos. Her plays include In Spite of My Ambivalence (2025 Venturous finalist); Alice Wareham and the Fabulation of Time (2025 Screencraft Stage Play Quarterfinalist); In Love and Friendship (2023 Austin Film Festival Second Round). She is a resident playwright with Chicago Dramatists, a 2025-2026 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, a 2025-2026 Fellow with the Confluence Writers Project in St. Louis and a 2026-2027 Timeline Theater Playwright Collective Fellow. “LIKE A LIZARD” 10 Minute Play
Zihan Xiong was most recently seen as an ensemble member of the sketch and improv comedy show, It Left the Group Chat. Offstage, she works in impact investing, accompanies ballet classes on piano, and dotes on her cat, Poppy. She is working on getting her skydiving license and will literally not stop talking about it. Reading the play “Like a Lizard” by Catherine Yu
Zachary Series is a Chicago-based actor and proud alumnus of The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting (Class of ’24). Since 2016, he’s trained at Truthful Acting Studios in Orlando, FL- starting with the foundational basics of Sanford Meisner, then alongside the Michael Chekhov acting technique. Zachary is represented by DDO Artists Agency. Reading the play “Like a Lizard” by Catherine Yu
Aqdas Aftab is a community-engaged playwright from Islamabad, currently based in Chicago. Combining the grotesque with the sacred, Aqdas writes about the forces that keep them alive: Islamic mythology, gender improvisation, spiritual surrender, feral desires, and their elderly cat. Some of their creative writing can be found in Strange Horizons, Fourteen Hills, The Margins, and Doubleback Review. Aqdas is also the co-creator of Transform Gender Collective, a transformative justice collective for transmasculine and masculine of center BIPOC. “The Importance of Representation” 10 Minute Play
Tanima clowns around, makes theatre and puppets, and teaches social theory. In any free time Tanima plots the revolution, though secretly hopes to be a private detective someday. “Fireflies Dream” Puppet Play
2 PM
Downstairs Lobby
30 Minute Performance
Live Music
SamaSama Project is the Midwest’s premier Filipino Folk Fusion band. “SamaSama”, translated as “united, together”, truly lives up to its name, blending Filipino folk, rock, ska, and Latin music inspired by the 1970s Manila Sound movement. SamaSama Project is Lou Ella Rose – Lead Vocals, Agung. Baron Cabalona – Keyboards, Bass Guitar, Kulintang, Musical Director. Ran Sevilla – Guitar, Dabakan. John Kniker – Guitar. EJ Luna – Bass. Giga Yanong – Saxophone, Bongos. Migs Dimaculangan – Drums
2:45 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
45 minute performance
Performance Lecture
Olivier is an artist, cataloguer, and “exiled person” whose practice is rooted in ephemerality and the anarchival. They explore “re-reading” through participatory installation, speculative writing, and secret mail-art. Living with one cat and two bikes, Olivier has exhibited internationally—from the Hammer Museum to the Poetry Foundation—focusing on the “para-” and “trans-” creases of language. Their work often unfolds in artist-run spaces or dream states, with the ideal exhibition space being a playground.
3 PM
Downstairs Lobby
30 minute showcase
Dance Showcase
Preeti Veerlapati is a facilitator, producer, and mover who uses dance to process somatic and emotional experiences. Trained in Kuchipudi and shaped by collaboration, her practice now incorporates pranayama and gardening. Since 2024, she has reclaimed her artistic voice following a hiatus for motherhood, creating with deliberate care. Preeti is the Co-Founder of Ishti Collective, a nonprofit centering collaborative performance, and CEO of Rishi Strategy Consultants, bringing 20 years of cross-sector leadership experience.
Vrisa Odedra is a third-year Musical Theatre student at Columbia College Chicago, originally from Metro Detroit. At Columbia, she has performed in Pippin, Fabulation, and You On The Moors Now, while showcasing her skills as both dancer and choreographer. Her third year includes roles in Grease, Shrek The Musical, and her Chicago Playwrights Festival debut in The Merry Widows. Vrisa is deeply grateful for the unwavering support of her family, friends, and mentors.
Mustafa Anwar (they/he) is a Chicago-based queer Asian American flow artist, educator, and community builder. Their work centers embodiment, ritual, and joy as pathways toward healing. Drawing from dance and flow arts, Mustafa creates grounding, playful performances that invite deep connection. As a facilitator, they prioritize accessibility for queer and BIPOC communities, emphasizing safety and curiosity. Through motion, Mustafa explores themes of transformation and identity, viewing the body as a site of power and liberation.
4 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
30 minute performance
Multimedia Dance
Radia Ali, AKA Noori, is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and fire dancer whose work weaves South Asian classical traditions with flamenco, samba, and burlesque. Drawing from her global upbringing, she uses fire fans and swords to tell stories of liberation. A seasoned performer at venues like Electric Forest and the MCA Chicago, Radia also founded the East Winds Festival in 2025, a platform dedicated to elevating pan-Asian artistry and marginalized voices.
Wannapa Pimtong-Eubanks is a Thai-born Butoh artist, choreographer, and actor who transforms personal memories into poetic, movement-based images. A veteran of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and MCA, she was a longtime member of Erasing the Distance, using performance to address mental health stigma. Her practice explores the intersection of movement and mental conditions. Recent projects include curating “Into the Garden” at Elastic Arts and co-choreographing “Elvira” with the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance. Performing “Home”
4:30 PM
Downstairs Lobby
15 minute performance
Performance
AiRos 頌恩 medill is a nonbinary trans Taiwanese Scottish American culture bearer and organizer focused on ecological abundance. Practicing with the five elements to decolonize the body, AiRos uses participatory ritual and song circles to foster community reconnection. Their multidisciplinary work includes storytelling, dance, and hand-stitched adornments that redistribute inheritance. A 2024 Links Hall CO-Mission Resident and 2023 3Arts Make Wave Grantee, AiRos continues to weave together folk opera and visual arts within the diaspora.
4:45 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
40 minute performance
Theatre
Rusty Allen is a founding member and intimacy director for Madness Most Discreet, where he performs in unique, four-person Shakespearean adaptations. Chicagoland credits include Twelfth Night (Midsommer Flight) and Bernhardt/Hamlet (Edge of the Wood). Other highlights: The Chinese Lady and Hold These Truths (GENseng), and over 20 productions with Barter Theatre. He has also performed with Nebraska Shakespeare and Lexington Children’s Theatre. Deepest thanks to his family, friends, and his beloved co-conspirators for their endless support. Performing “Sound & Fury: A Solo Macbeth”
5 PM
Downstairs Lobby
40 minute performance
Live Music
Juliann Wang is a Chinese-American artist whose music extends her multidimensional creative practice. By redefining traditional genre boundaries, she establishes a profound dialogue between freedom, self-discipline, and the inner self. Wang acts as a vessel for perception, measuring emotional energy to “paint with sound.” Her performances create composed yet spontaneous aural spaces, inviting listeners into a meditative exploration of time and atmosphere through her unique, immersive sonic landscapes. Expect Asian Fusion, experimental music, improvisation, and poetry.
5:45 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
40+ minute showcase
Standup Comedy Showcase
William Paik is a Chicago-based stand-up comedian and researcher who blends personal narratives with surreal, “out-of-pocket” scenes. His work explores transnational culture, interpersonal relationships, and the intersection of sex and society. Paik’s international experience includes performing in Tokyo, Taipei, and Seoul as a Fulbright scholar. Domestically, he has appeared at the Asian Comedy Festival and Milwaukee Comedy Festival. Locally, he produces the popular showcase East of LA at The Lincoln Lodge.
Becca Nix Tham is a seasoned Chicago comedian and writer who has graced stages at SF Sketchfest, The Second City, and Zanies. A 2024 Victor Wong Fellow, she created the original sketch show Youth in Asia. Her diverse credits include performances with the Jewish Comedy Project and features in Lilith Magazine. Follow her @beccsayswhatnow on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with her sharp humor and latest projects across the comedy circuit.
10 Minute Performance
Yzzy is a comedian who makes hearts smile. She is the co-producer of the monthly Lincoln Lodge show, East of LA. Yzzy has a special: “There‘s no “I” in Yzzy”, available on YouTube.
Jerry Tran is a Chicago-based comedian and writer recognized for his sharp, meticulously crafted jokes and charming stage presence. A regular at major festivals like SF Sketchfest, the Milwaukee Comedy Festival, and NBC Second City Break Out, Jerry was named one of the “Eight North American Asian Comedians to Watch” by Cold Tea Collective. He produces and hosts a recurring showcase at First Sip Cafe in Chicago’s Argyle neighborhood and was recently nominated for the Chicago Reader’s Best Stand-Up Comic of 2025.
6 PM
Downstairs Lobby
20 Minute Performance
Dance
IS/LAND is an interdisciplinary Performance Collaborative composed of AAPI artists and collaborators. Their performances center movement, storytelling, and aesthetics as processes to explore the extensive and diverse landscape of AAPI lived experience, including an increased focus on optimizing audience engagement through reflection, education, and dialogue. Performers: Qū Jié, Olivia Lemmenes, Tuli Bera “Floating World”
6:45 PM
Upstairs Studio Theatre
55 minute showcase
Film Showcase
KT Wester is a Vietnamese photographer whose roots in a small Tennessee town fueled a lifelong drive to explore global cultures. Her work is celebrated for capturing the quiet rhythm of existence and raw intimacy within a location. Described as a “fly on the wall,” KT documents the world through a lens that is both deeply personal and intentionally unobtrusive. Her unique perspective transforms travel into a profound visual narrative of human connection and global discovery. “Vietnam – The Never Ending Prelude” 10 Minute Film
Christina Seo is a queer Korean-American artist, actor, environmentalist, and writer based out of Chicago, IL. “A Soft Place to Land” 30 Minute Four-Part Series
7 PM
Downstairs Lobby
30 minute performance
Live Music
Established in 2017, Ochin Pakhi is a Chicago-based ensemble performing ecstatic Bengali folk music and dance. Their diverse group creates innovative arrangements of traditional Baul, Fakiri, and Qawwali genres using instruments like the dotara and bansuri. Named after Lalon Fakir’s metaphor for the “unknown bird” of the heart, the band fosters community through shared meals and rehearsals. Recent highlights include their album Praner Alap and performances at the South Asia Institute.
7 PM
Downstairs Lobby
Dance
Formed in 2021 by Joanne Gutierrez, Ajumma Rising is a Chicago-based not-for-profit group dedicated to empowering middle-aged women. The group provides a vital community space for building friendships through cultural exploration, sports, and crafts. Known for their high-energy flash mob-style performances, they reclaim the Korean term for “auntie”, “ajumma”, as a symbol of bold, visible living.
