ALIEN CITIZEN – A Raw and Uncensored Look at Life as a Half-Breed in a Foreign Country

Much like my title for this post, Elizabeth Liang’s one-woman show, Alien Citizen, doesn’t put on the politically correct boxing gloves as she hits you hard with the gritty and emotional telling of her story about growing up as a third culture kid (one who is of mixed ethnicity and living outside of their passport countries).

I have to give Elizabeth Liang a lot of credit and respect for creating an intimate and raw telling of her life story.  This show was an ultimate display of negative capability — the willingness to embrace uncertainty, live with mystery, and make peace with ambiguity.  Elizabeth puts herself out there, both literally and figuratively, for all to see, judge and criticize, all without so much as batting an eye.

Alien Citizen‘s story shouldn’t be a shocker to most people who embrace more than one culture or have a “-American” after their ethnic claim, but it’s Elizabeth’s performance that really stands out.  Her ability to tap into her emotions at a moment’s notice and bring forward a truthful and deep meaning to her words is something to be experienced.  You can do nothing but hang on as Elizabeth takes you on an emotional roller coaster through her life around the world.

From the outside looking in, the story of Elizabeth’s life seemed quite exciting and interesting, having lived in places like Guatemala, Morocco and Egypt.  She chooses a rather teen angst-y approach to the telling of her story, with seeming complaint after complaint of how her life in an exotic locale pushed her passed her comfort zone with a steep learning curve, but thankfully comes around full circle with an adult revelation: you are the sum of your experiences and that’s what makes you special.

All in all, Alien Citizen is a fantastic professional and personal accomplishment from a talented and passionate performer.

Elizabeth Liang’s Alien Citizen runs Fridays and Saturdays through June 1st, 2013 at the Asylum Lab in Los Angeles.  Go HERE for more information and to purchase tickets for Alien Citizen.

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and proud “-American”