We are delighted to present a never-before-seen event on Dec 1st at 6 p.m., where you will have the opportunity to see a professional actor from the USA perform and learn about the Chinese comedy genre.
Jesse Appell, also known as 艾杰西, is an intercultural comedian whose bilingual Chinese/English comedy focuses on using humor to bridge cultures. Jesse writes, performs, and produces comedy works for his millions of fans around the world.
In addition, the actor is a Fulbright Scholar Alumni whose research focuses on Chinese humor and performance. He is a disciple of master xiangsheng performer Ding Guangquan, and regularly performs xiangsheng, bilingual improv comedy, and Chinese stand-up live and on TV. Appell creates comedic online videos intended for the Chinese audience; one of these, “Laowai Style,” gathered 2 million hits across several media platforms. Appell’s performances, writing, and commentary on Chinese comedy, media, and culture have been seen and heard in the U.S. on CBS, TEDx, PBS, NPR, and PRI, as well as Chinese media such as CCTV, BTV, and CRI. He has performed Chinese comedy at several venues, including Yale, University of Washington, and Brandeis University. Jesse founded Laugh Beijing in order to use comedy to bridge cultural gaps. Find more information about his work at www.laughbeijing.com.
In a one-off performance at Vilnius University Jesse A. will introduce the traditional Chinese comedic art of cross-talk xiangsheng, it‘s history by showing off his own skills in the traditional art form. He will also share his own creative journey in the world of Chinese stand-up comedy, learning Chinese and living in Beijing.
The show will take place at Vilnius University AULA PARVA, Universiteto str. 3, will be in English and does not require you to understand Chinese language or know much about the culture. Join the event to learn something new and have a great laugh while Jesse does stand-up comedy bits, Chinese tongue twisters or presents his hilarious internet videos. At the end, there will be a Q&A, so do not miss it!