Jie-Hung Connie Shiau

Various Works

(used in trailer and work): Ave Maria by Johann Sebastian Bach

Jesse Obremski and Jie-Hung Connie Shiau

Jie-Hung Connie Shiau

4 artists

Original Cast: Blu Furutate, Tiare Keeno, Nouhoum Koita, Mayu Nakaya

World Premiere at Arts on Site on July 18th, 2025 and July 19th, 2025.

The creation of How to Make a Really Cool Frog was made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement a regrant program supported by the funding agencies Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Funding, and NYC Cultural Affairs, and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in 2025.

17-minutes

"How To Make A Really Cool Frog" is an exploration on preservation. In order to preserve their sense of self, the four performing artists travel across environments, created by each other and the musical scores, to explore how to preserve themselves on their own or with one another.

In order to preserve, something or someone must be altered in one way or form to sustain its longevity. But to what extent?

When preserving salami, the skin may wrinkle, but this can enhance its flavors; when preserving a bird taxidermy, there may be no soul in its eyes, but it can be studied by generations of students; when preserving youthfulness, the multidimensionality of beauty may be flattened, but this keeps one up with the trends.

What does it mean to preserve a sense of self when the cultural norm doesn't include your experience?

The four performing artists, all AAPI individuals, bring their multidimensional cultural expressions into the work. In order to survive societal pressures, they need to preserve themselves. A part of them might need to be muted or eliminated. "How to Make a Really Cool Frog" brings these altered selves and this process to the foreground.