The Hunger & The Haunt is an original theatrical song recital and community resource fair held at Culture Lab LIC on April 4 and 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM.

The performance explores how folks from the AANHPI diaspora reclaim connection to their heritage and discover new pathways towards ancestral nourishment. This interdisciplinary work combines contemporary dance, spoken poetry, and classical music by exclusively AANHPI composers to tell the fantastical story of a Chinese American girl trying to find her way home as she traverses a mysterious pit of hidden stories.

The performance will be presented by an Asian American ensemble, including Abagael Cheng (soprano), Marie Lloyd Paspe (dancer), and Amber Scherer (piano). The curated recital program features works by Juhi Bansal, Chihchun Chi-Su Lee, Shruti Rajasekar, Angela Yam, Johnum Palado, and Teresa Mei Chuc, among others.

Each performance will be complemented by a community resource fair at 8:30 PM, where local organizations that empower AANHPI communities in Queens will share information about their work and offer concrete ways to get involved. Partner organizations include the South Asian Youth Action, MinKwon Center for Community Action, Korean American Civic Empowerment, and more. Representing a variety of neighborhoods and AANHPI identities across Queens, these organizations advocate for residents around issues of housing, civic engagement, youth leadership, and economic and social justice.

Tickets are offered on a sliding scale from $10-$40 in advance and $20-$50 at the door. A limited number of free tickets are available upon request to abagael.cheng@gmail.com, for those with financial barriers. If your preferred night is sold out, please email abagael.cheng@gmail.com to be placed on the WAITLIST.

To learn about the accessibility of the venue, please visit www.culturelablic.org/accessibility.

Can't make it to the show? You can still support the performers by purchasing a donation ticket at checkout!

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall. This event is made possible in part with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts. This project is also supported by the Asian American Arts Alliance and Materials for the Arts.