Siamese Collective Announces 2026–2027 Season

Siamese Collective is proud to announce its 2026–2027 season, continuing its commitment to developing bold, interdisciplinary works that center Thai and Thai diasporic experiences.

This season, the Wanipok Incubator will continue the development of two new theatrical works: How to Make Tom-Yum Soup and With Rice. Both pieces will be presented as part of the ongoing Siamese Play Cycle, a series exploring the multiplicity of Thai identity across geography, memory, and time.

How to Make Tom-Yum Soup, a chamber multimedia opera by Tidtaya Sinutoke, will also be featured as the first offering in the Virtual Table Readings series.

The work is inspired by the untold yet extraordinary life of Yai, a first-generation Chinese-Thai woman. Blending live cooking and storytelling, the opera follows Wan, Yai’s granddaughter, as she recalls her grandmother’s life through the act of making soup—interweaving memory, history, and flavor while revealing the origins and cultural significance of the beloved tom-yum dish. This bilingual opera features two performers and a looping pedal chorus, merging music, movement, and memory into a sensory exploration of heritage, resilience, and identity.

With Rice is a documentary musical based on interviews with Thai and Thai American communities. Centered on the concept of “กับข้าว” (with rice), the piece gathers personal reflections on food—favorite dishes, memories of home, misconceptions, beloved restaurants, and recipes passed down through generations. Structured as a musical menu, the work introduces audiences to a range of Thai dishes and the stories behind them. The score blends elements of the Thai tonal system with contemporary American musical styles, reflecting the evolving journey of Thai cuisine as it travels across cultures and onto new tables.

Expanding its commitment to emerging voices, Siamese Collective will launch the Young Artists Sandbox, a creative initiative dedicated to providing accessible theatre and arts education for young people. As part of this program, the Collective will premiere Thai Fairy Tales Project: Volume I, a radio play podcast that reimagines traditional and contemporary Thai stories through a new generation of storytellers.

The season will also feature a Current Season programming series of Virtual Table Readings of new works by Thai-identified artists. This ongoing platform creates space for artists to gather, share, and engage in dialogue around plays that center Thai and Thai American experiences.

Additional programming and announcements will be shared throughout the season.

Stay tuned for more information about the Virtual Table Readings and upcoming seasonal programming!