Queer Asian drama by Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li makes world premiere as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival.
April 27 - May 2 at The Wild Project
Voyage Theater Company presents the World Premiere of LATE BLOOMING, written and directed by Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li. Performances run April 27 - May 2 at The Wild Project as part of The Fresh Fruit Festival
In LATE BLOOMING, closeted novelist Libao struggles between his sexuality and his parents’ expectations. When his childhood friend Shan returns to a gentrifying Elmhurst, Queens, buried desires and family tensions are forced to the surface.
“What makes this story different is,” Li states, “we don’t just follow the protagonist. We follow his parents: how they see, how they process, and how they struggle to understand. It’s not just about coming out. It’s about the generational gap around it. A conversation we rarely have, but urgently need to, between our queer selves and our families.”
LATE BLOOMING stars Timmy Ong, Stephanie Gong, Chris Chinn, Sandia Ang, Obinna Nwako, and Devin Hernandez, The production team includes Charlotte Shi (set), Hao Bai (lighting), Emily Hsieh (costumes), Larry Chang (sound), Cinthia Chen (projections), Brad Hamers (graphic design), Leah Bachar (associate producer/production manager) and Andrew Kasper (stage manager).
LATE BLOOMING runs April 27 at 6:30pm, April 28 at 8:00pm, and May 2 at 4:00pm, 2026 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street, New York, NY 10009). Running Time is 80 minutes with no intermission. Following the April 28 performance, a special panel will explore the topic of coming out within BIPOC queer communities. Tickets are $23 at freshfruitfestival.com
Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li (李岳燁) is a director and playwright originally from Ruifang, Taiwan. His work explores themes of sexuality, power structures, and diaspora, often culminating in devised, immersive, and participatory theatre that invites audiences not only to witness, but to experience the stories being told. He is particularly drawn to adapting rarely produced modern classics, reimagining them through the lens of contemporary sociopolitical issues. Dennis’s portfolio spans plays, musicals, dance theatre, and opera. His work has been seen at New Ohio Theatre, Judson Memorial Church, Dixon Place, and Theater for the New City, among others. He holds an M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University and is an alumnus of the Drama League’s New York Directing Fellowship and the Institute Fellowship at Target Margin Theater. He is also a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. Previously, Dennis served on the artistic leadership team at The Living Theatre and is a founding member of Al Límite Collective. He currently serves as the Director of Performance, Storytelling & Community at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). www.dennisyuehyehli.com
Voyage Theater Company showcases new and underrepresented plays from around the world, fostering collaboration among diverse theater-makers. Based in New York City, they serve the community through productions, education, internships, and accessible ticketing. By presenting multilingual works and partnering with nonprofits, they aim to broaden perspectives and advance cultural equity through theater.
The Fresh Fruit Festival is presented by All Out Arts to celebrate the LGBTQ community’s unique perspective, creativity & diversity, and to build links between the LGBTQ artistic communities, be they local or international. It was the creation of two long established LGBT community arts groups: New Village Productions, and All Out Arts. New Village Productions, established in 1989, produced ten LGBT short play Festivals including an international short play Festival in conjunction with the Vineyard Theater and Gay Games 1994. New Village Productions was committed to diversity and the celebration of difference, both in selection of material and by inclusion of disabled and minority artists, many of whom served on the Board and steering committees. All Out Arts’ mission fulfillment is constantly evolving. They produced All Out Music which became “OutMusic” (which in turn initiated the Out Music national collective of LGBT musicians and Composers) and All Out Youth – their fledgling performance-art program for at-risk LGBT youth. Their OutWords series of events for LGBT writers includes panels, a regular Slam LGBT Poetry contests and OutWright, a Developmental Reading Series for playwrights and poets. Throughout the decades, their motto has remained Fighting Prejudice Through The Arts.