Meet Carol Seungwon Lee | Performing Arts Administrator/Researcher/Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carol Seungwon Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol Seungwon, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Curating a performance space, especially for a people-driven collaborative art like theatre, inherently requires risks. The risk may be more physical in nature, with specific stunts or fight choreography like actions that can be physically demanding. For me, the risk in the field of theatre arts and my life as a theatre creative is in establishing an ensemble in the performance space. As a theatre manager and independent researcher, I define performance space to be physical spaces that welcome performers to engage in the collective act of creating, presenting, and engaging with a performance. When individuals who may be complete strangers mere minutes ago come together for the shared goal/objective of working together to create theatre together, we are all taking risks as creators, collaborators, and fellow artists. This is an inherently necessary risk that we take, especially to create the art that reflects our values.

It’s easy to default to what might feel comfortable. Nothing will change if we stay within our respective comfort zones and never question. When curiosity stops, the creativity and artistic pursuits also stop. In that sense, my continued endeavors in life and career as a theatre creative, manager, and researcher represent risks that I am choosing to take in pursuit of a braver, innovative, and welcoming performance space.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Following my parents, I moved to China when I was 9 and grew up attending international schools. Growing up in a country that I now call my second home, but one that I was neither born in nor hold a citizenship of, I always wondered about the definition of “Home” and “Belonging.” Home and Belonging quickly became the central backbone of my creative curiosity in both research and career development. With my background of growing up abroad and receiving education in a completely different language (English) than the primary languages that were spoken back home with my parents (Korean and Chinese), I naturally fell into considering methods of communication that defy the constraints of linguistic differences.

Theatre introduced new ways of doing exactly that. Theatre taught me the power of the arts as something that connects people through a shared, collective experience that may defy linguistic differences. I felt a sense of belonging as a part of the theatre community, and I felt free and safe to be vulnerable. The journey of staying in theatre was and still remains challenging. There were moments when I felt unseen and isolated; I could not break through. Out of so many theatre creatives, finding my own community and figuring out what it was within theatre that I wanted to do remains an ongoing journey that I have grown to embrace.

One of the projects that reflects my curiosity and long-term passion for theatre led to my continued research focusing on performance space curation for the performance of cultural trauma and collective memory, which I am most excited about! Memories as a source of information about the past are constructed in ways that could at times distort what could be considered “Truth.” Through the performance of cultural trauma and collective memory, I hope to establish a space for these memories to live on through storytelling and for collective healing by engaging with these performances.

On this journey so far, the most important lessons I have learned are to stay curious and that trust is not guaranteed. Curiosity acts as a fuel for artistic exploration, an essential ingredient in any performance space. Trust is an integral base in establishing a brave space where vulnerability, community agreements, and respect can be truly celebrated. This is not something that is guaranteed, but rather something that should be reinforced and built throughout the process. As a company manager and independent researcher, I hope to continue to curate performance spaces where all creatives can feel a sense of community and artistic curiosity. Connections that people in the room feel as an ensemble and communication are integral in establishing a brave space where everyone can feel empowered to freely explore and embrace the artistic synergy stemming from the collaboration.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a huge coffee person, and NYC is truly the best place to embrace all the different kinds of coffee. Trying new coffee places around the city is something I love doing on my day off! It’s been a great way to explore new neighborhoods. One of my favorite things to do is cafe hopping in Williamsburg! From small hole-in-the-wall cafes hidden in a corner to famous New York franchises, you can find them all. “Land to Sea” is a unique one if you want to try Chinese-inspired drinks and pastries while supporting an Asian American women-owned coffee shop & creative space! Partners Coffee is another one that is great for meeting people for a coffee chat or if you simply want to get some work done. You might find me in either of the places when the weather is nice!

Besides coffee and theatre, I highly recommend walking along the Museum Mile or the High Line. They are both great places where you can see both nature and the city all in one. Museum Mile, in particular, has naturally built-in stops like the Guggenheim and the Met. You can also enter Central Park and enjoy a beautiful day there! These trails offer a different New York experience from Times Square.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I even begin?

Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley introduced me to a new framework and approach to considering the term “Creativity” in the context of my work as an administrator and scholar. While studying theatre management, whether management can be considered creative or artistic. The deeper I got into discovering my own management style and identifying the research focus that I wanted to pursue, I sought a continuous motivator/inspiration that could make me feel more creative and unique. That’s when this book and the concept of “Creative Confidence” came along. According to Kelley, creative confidence refers to “believing in [one’s] ability to create change in the world around [one].” It’s this sense of confidence and self-assurance in one’s own creative capacity that could fuel the integral engine of innovation. This framework continues to remind me that creativity and the arts are not restricted to frames of an empty canvas or pages of a script or even the performances presented on the stage. It is this mindset and the belief in everyone’s unique creative capacity that continues to remind me of why I fell in love with theatre in the first place!

In addition to informational and inspirational texts, I feel very grateful to have met all my mentors, colleagues, and friends throughout my academic and professional career. I have met and continue to meet a lot of new collaborators and peers as a part of my job as a Company Manager. And that is one of the core things about working in theatre that is exciting!

Most importantly, I would not be the person I am today without my family and especially my parents, who have been endlessly supportive of my choices. They have empowered me throughout my creative journey as a theatre administrator, researcher, and writer, thus far, and continue to do so every day. I learned what it means to love the life I live and live the life I love.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carol_sw_lee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-seungwon-lee/