Performances

The Development of a One-Woman Show Based on Personal Story 

(自编自演自己的故事)

Don't You Have Dignity, Mama? (Trailer)
(original title: Ze Ren (责任))

Audience Reviews: 

"Xiaojuan Shu is a wonderful performer and storyteller, with a wry sense of humor and terrific sense of character."                                 

---- Jeff Greenwald, Author, Travel Writer, and Storyteller

​​"Xiaojuan Shu has a poetic delicacy rarely seen in nature. You'll find yourself mesmerized, glued, frozen in place, taking in every nuance."
 

                                                                                                                            ---- Ty Mckenzie, Co-producer at Stage Werx Theatre, Stage Lighting Designer, and Writer

"We love, root, and feel for Xiaojuan and her mother, one of the most unforgettable characters ever. Xiaojuan Shu serves the audience in ways she may never know. She heals us. Genius too how she writes so beautifully and performs in her second language."

---- Bradley Paterson, Writer and Solo Performer

“Mesmerizing and funny. Xiaojuan Shu’s fearless spirit inspires us to pursue our wildest dreams and shows us what it is to be truly American.”                  

---- Alison Whittaker, Writer, Solo Performer, and Nurse

"I learned more about modern China in 20 minutes from Xiaojuan Shu's solo work than in years of news reports."                                

-- --Annette Roman, Writer and Solo Performer

“Xiaojuan Shu has a wonderful sense of humor and often places it to punctuate scene endings so that just when you’re about to dissolve into tears, you’re laughing and completely charmed.” 

---- Laurie Guerin Carnal, Writer, Solo Performer, and Co-producer of Word Up 

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"This is at times hilarious (I love how she can just toss off a line), at times heart-wrenching (I even choked up hours later when I was telling my sister about the show), and always absorbing."                 

---- Mia Paschal, Actress, Playwright, and Solo Performer

"One of the sweeter surprises at the 2012 San Francisco Fringe Festival was Ze Ren....Xiao Juan Shu's performance has a gawky authenticity which includes the kind of mangled phrases and nervous pauses that help an audience warm to her personality..."      

---- George Heymont, San Francisco-Based Arts Critic
                                                                                              (Read the full article on Huffington Post)

2018

• Marsh Rising, San Francisco, CA (May 9, Wednesday, 2018, 7:30 pm)
• Key Tea @ Open Secret Bookstore, San Rafael, CA
• Right Livelihood Circle Group Interview
  

2017 

• Don't You Have Dignity, Mama? (65 minutes), performed at The Open Book bookstore in Grass Valley, CA. Sponsored by CATS (Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra)
• Becoming a Filial Daughter (18 minutes), performed at Solo Sundays Solo Performance Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
• Becoming a Filial Daughter (18 minutes), Monday Night Marsh at The Marsh Theatre in San Francisco  

2016

• Chinglish, produced by Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS)

2015​

• Don’t You Have Dignity, Mama? (Excerpts 2010-2014), performed at Solo Sundays Solo Performance Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
  
• The Sky is Grey (15 minute), performed at Solo Sundays Solo Performance Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
  
  
• Weekend intensive storytelling workshop with Elizabeth Ellis
• Solo performance class with David Ford at The Marsh Class, Berkeley, CA

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2014​

• Don’t You Have Dignity, Mama? (30 minutes) performed at Solo Sundays Solo Performance Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
• Don’t You Have Dignity, Mama? (30 minutes) performed at the 9th Anniversary of Tell It On Tuesday at The Marsh Berkeley, CA
• Storyteller at The Vent Storytelling Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
• Storyteller at The Shout Storytelling, Oakland, CA
• Singing, dancing, and acting classes at College of Marin, CA

2013

• Solo performance workshop with Charlie Varon at  The Marsh Class, San Francisco, CA​ (Class performance: Auntie Two)
  
  

  
  

  
  
• Don’t You Have Dignity, Mama? (25 minutes) performed at Solo Sundays Solo Performance Series at Stage Werx Theatre, San Francisco, CA
• Singing, dancing, and acting classes at College of Marin, CA  
• Ze Ren (责任) (25 minutes) performed at Tell It On Tuesday at The Marsh Berkeley
• Solo Performance Workshop (SPW) with Martha Rynberg. Other collaborators: Randy Rutherford and Cynthia Lin
• Storyteller at The Shout Storytelling, Oakland, CA
• Storyteller at Word Up, Santa Cruz, CA
• Monologue Ze Ren (责任) performed at Special Barrie Performance, Ontario, Canada (Opening Act: A little bit of Magic, by Owen Wong)

2012

• Storyteller at KALW’s LitCrawl, San Francisco, CA
• Monologue Ze Ren (责任) debuted at the 2012 San Francisco Fringe Festival (Part I & Part II)
• KALW (Local Public Radio, 91.7 FM in San Francisco) Hear Here: Meet Xiaojuan Shu
  
• Monday Night Marsh performance at The Marsh San Francisco, CA (Title: Growing Up in China)
•  Storyteller at Fireside Storytelling in San Francisco, CA
• Solo performance class with David Ford at The Marsh Class, San Francisco, CA (Class performance: Returning Home)

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2011 
        Monologue performed at Monday Night Marsh at The Marsh San Francisco (Title: Ze Ren)

                                                                  

2010

• Monday Night Marsh performance at The Marsh San Francisco, CA (Title: Leaving the Dream Job)
• Write Your Life ​workshop with Ann Randolph (Class performance:  Learning English)
  
  

2009 
        Solo performance class with David Ford at The Marsh Class, San Francisco, CA (Class performance: Indecision)