Yeonshin Kim with Swim Pony
Clown, Comedy, Solo Show, Theater
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Kim plays Myeong, an otherworldly contemporary Korean “Pet Shaman” who summons and embodies the souls of deceased pets (Only pets! No humans!!). Playfully encouraging audiences through interaction and improvisation to invoke memories of their dead fur babies—how they moved and ate, sounded and played, lived and died—Myeong slowly coaxes audiences to tune into their memories: sweet, awkward, and funny. Each spiritual solicitation culminates in a ritual release, speaking the beloved soul’s name and saying goodbye, only for Myeong to wake with no memory of what has transpired.
But just as Myeong begins to wrap up her healing rites for grief, care, and vulnerability, a new soul insists on breaking in. Grandmother has a story to tell, and no one, not even the most powerful PET Shaman, can deny the power of the ancestors. Soon, audiences meet Grandmother—an energetic, talkative, affectionate old lady with a thick Korean accent who’s THRILLED to spend time in a young body surrounded by youths. She jokes, rambles, lectures, digresses, and slowly, arrives at the reason she’s come; to tell her story as a “comfort woman,” a Korean girl sexually enslaved during the Japanese colonial era, and finally, finally, have her story witnessed and her name spoken so she can be released.
Humorous, provocative, and playful, TELL ME YOUR NAME explores the absurd ways we hide from generational trauma and how some stories lie in waiting until we’re brave enough to stop them from being forgotten. Inspired by her own lived experience as a Korean woman, this intimate and tender play uncovers the legacy of survival and the resilience of spirit that we carry through storytelling and memory.
Cannonball is the largest hub of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, championing a revolutionary artist-led model that prioritizes equity, experimentation, and community connection. Now in its sixth year, Cannonball presents more than 100 artists across five stages, representing nearly 30 percent of the overall Philadelphia Fringe Festival. From rebellious circus and delicious dance to fearless theater and activist art, Cannonball pushes the boundaries of live performance while creating a vibrant, artist-centered ecosystem for independent performance makers and adventurous audiences alike.
PWYC Options $5+
Venue: Asian Arts Initiative Third Floor 
September 9, 2026 7.15pm
1219 Vine Street
General Admission: $25
PWYC Options
September 13, 2026 7.45pm
1219 Vine Street
General Admission: $25
PWYC Options
September 18, 2026 7.15pm
1219 Vine Street
General Admission: $25
PWYC Options
About the Artist
Yeonshin Kim is a Korean actor, dancer, and theatre maker drawn to “bigger-than-human” scale work: unhinged, shiny, hungry, mischievous, and unapologetically Yeonshin! She is currently in a devised theatre piece DREAM, CARL, DREAM, as a neuron working with the audience to create dreams that save Carl’s life; and performed as Newbie—who butt-wiggles on an accelerating conveyor belt—in OMNIA BREAK ROOM, a movement play critiquing mass consumerism. Over the past decade, she has lived, trained, and performed internationally, shaping a practice grounded in her Koreanness while continuously reshaped by a nomadic, global life across borders. Her international credits include Will You Marry (With) Me with Prologue Production (Dubai, UAE); a playwright residency in Abu Dhabi through Exit 11 Performing Arts Company, where she developed her original play Please Come, Please Go; The Fantasticks at the Daegu International Musical Festival (South Korea); and a dance performance at the Moore Theatre with Seattle Theatre Group. University of Washington MFA Acting. New York University Abu Dhabi BA Theatre.
Working in collaboration with Ms. Kim as producing partner is Swim Pony and its Artistic Director, Adrienne Mackey, who will serve as director for the play. Committed to interdisciplinary, risk-taking performance, Swim Pony’s genre-defying work lifts up tactile, sensory, and experiential storytelling. Swim Pony’s plays include SURVIVE!, a 22, 000 sq ft installation exploring humanity’s place within the universe; LADY M, a feminist re-imagining of Macbeth; and THE BALLAD OF JOE HILL, a musical created for Eastern State Penitentiary. Swim Pony also melds game design with theater in works like TRAILOFF – an immersive mobile app that uses GPS to embed minority-authored stories onto nature trails; and THE STUPIDEST, SCARIEST TIME, an interactive fantasia exploring American workaholism.
- Adrienne Mackey Director amackey1@uw.edu
Accessibility & Content Considerations
Contact the Fringe Festival Box Office for up to date accessibility information.
This event is appropriate for ages 13+
Violent ContentAudience Interaction
Fog/Smoke Effects
Loud Noise
Covid-19 Safety policy
This event does not require masks to be worn
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