Seeking a Penpal for the End of the World
Sat, May 02
|1062 Valencia St
Eddie Jen brings us an interactive theatrical drag performance exploring intergenerational, transracial, and depolarizing relationships in the age of Trump
Time & Location
May 02, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
1062 Valencia St, 1062 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
About the event
USAAF 2026 Event - Get your tickets here!
In the days after January 6th, 2021, this immigrant Taiwanese drag queen in San Francisco began writing to my high school English teacher — a retired, white, Republican woman in Bountiful, Utah. United in our shared outrage at Trump’s attempt to end our democracy, we crossed the red-blue divide as we traded stories of our personal lives, politics, and the books we’re reading. When Trump won re-election, I began workshopping my conversations with Mrs. Riley into an immersive and interactive theatrical production. You gotta give them hope, said Harvey Milk. The audience takes an active role in the story’s narration by taking turns reading as Mrs. Riley, and the show is interspersed with writing prompts (an index card and pen are provided). As a drag queen writer/performer with backgrounds in standup comedy and drag queen pageantry, I build and combine these elements to a rousing finish that touches the heart. At its core, Seeking a PenPal for the End of the World entertains while reminding the audience the power of writing our stories to change the narrative.
//Image PC: Joseph Niles