Meet Nanyi Jiang | Performer & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nanyi Jiang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nanyi, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursue my passions for writing and performing as interruptions of the routines.

1. Writing and Therapy
When I was little, I have wild fear for my illusions at night. I would involuntarily picture bats in my closet, hands above my vision, or a man under my bed. Whenever I got too scared, I would turn on the lights and draw them down. These illusions faded as I grow up, but I started to sense fear for other things, more realistic ones. Then, I found myself doing the same thing again, turning my fear into little stories of the fantastic.

2. Theater and Impulse
Whenever I get a role for a play or a film, I get an impulse to explore her voices and desires. I find great joy of rehearsing again and again with my crew who have acute observations for my performance and provide me with precise feedback. Often, I will discover something unexpected about the character in rehearsals, adding layers of actions until I finally blend myself, thoughts and voices, into the role onstage.

3. Vanity
(Well…)

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m thankful for I AM A MOON, a play that I performed at Berkeley last year. The play uses the moon as a metaphor for the beautiful and the imperfect, and I played the role of Angela who is sensitive, honest, and loves shopping at the grocery store.

When Angela sees something beautiful, she adores it but at the same time feels it is blinding to the eyes. Through her monologues, she confesses the jealousy, shame, and fear inside her, and gets distressed about her “evilness”. As a performer, struggling along with her becomes a healing process: I learned to reconcile with my own insecurities that I used to feel ashamed of. Maybe, everyone gets more and more “craters” growing up. And that’s ok.

I’m also proud of PANDA PANDA, a short-film about exploring desires. I love the concept of the film and the special experience to perform in air with wire.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Spend a day on the second floor of the City Lights Bookstore. (I’m obsessed with the Beat Generation! And this is the most pretentious answer I can think of.)

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?
I’m grateful for my school UC Berkeley, an oddly free place where no one cares about how “weird” you are. Couples have lunch in the fountain, Bio students obsessed with observing the love relationships of the falcons, a colorfully-dressed old man who comes around nine o’clock every morning to wave at us… The diverse atmosphere welcomes my “weirdness” and provides me unique inspirations.

Moreover, some courses at UC Berkeley are wildly interesting. I’m taking Hallucinations this summer which is about visions, dreams, and psychedelic experiences in literature and films.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystal.jny/

Other: Email: nanyijiang@berkeley.edu Writing platform: 月亮纵队

Image Credits
Zijie Zhou T.I.n.Y. Shu He