Biography

lingyue (凌玥) is a 1.5-generation Chinese American artist who grew up in the Midwest. She is a playwright and filmmaker whose work examines social structures and the ways individuals experience and navigate them. Her research-driven practice often incorporates mythology, folktales, and historical narratives to explore how the past continues to shape the present.

Her plays have been developed with organizations including Prop Thtr in Chicago, SFBATCO in San Francisco, and Primary Stages in New York City. Her recent work, Ordinary Women Nameless Women, was a semifinalist for the 47th Bay Area Theater Festival. lingyue was also a finalist for the 2025–2027 Jerome Fellowship and a semifinalist for the 2025–2027 Many Voices Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center. She is currently a 2026 12-month Fellow with the Digital Development Project.

Lingyue

Convergence Filmmaker

In addition to her work in theater, lingyue has begun expanding into film. She recently completed her first documentary short, me and millie and sundown towns, through the Doc U program at SPNN in St. Paul, continuing her interest in storytelling that bridges history, place, and lived experience.

GOALS

  • further expand and integrate my skills as a playright into the film/cinema;

  • write outside of experiences and characters inspired by my own life.

Objectives

  • receive formalized feedback from actors on narrative feature screenplay;

  • take steps towards feature documentary on sundown towns;

  • produce shorter film projects to help develop directorial skills and explore visual language development to move feature length projects forward;

  • explore directorial practice;

  • develop a visual language that aligns with the voice that I’ve developed as a writer;

  • improve technical film capabilities;

  • develop stronger grant writing skills in my field;

  • learn more about Chinese art theory and principles to inspire my visual/film language

  • headshots that feel like me

  • artist website with online blog or newsletter.

Professional development

Looking to work primarily on building professional relationships with local artists. Expand those relationships to include those who have more directorial experience than I do in both narrative and documentary film.

  • Meet more actors - Meet more Chinese cultural consultants and artists, especially those from China (likely outside of Twin Cities, this is already happening to a degree)

  • build expertise in documentary filmmaking process

  • build expertise in directing and/or “experimental” narrative filmmaking or storytelling - Building an audience & non-traditional distribution - Chinese art theory - artist business development -- explore where and how I want to pay my bills in two years

LINKS

  • https://newplayexchange.org/users/70095/lingyue-lingyue