After more than five decades of groundbreaking theater and artmaking, we are proud to announce a historic evolution: a renewed mission, a dynamic co-leadership model that honors Ping Chong’s legacy as a groundbreaking theatrical innovator, while boldly shaping the future of socially engaged performance, and a new name, PINK FANG.

Our new mission, leadership team, and name, which will go into effect on July 1, 2025, marks the culmination of a 

, funded by the Mellon Foundation, that began in 2022 with the concurrent retirements of Ping Chong and longtime Executive Director Bruce Allardice. Announced in 2023, our 

—has since stewarded a deep process of reflection, artistic visioning, and structural redesign. Together, Jane and Sara bring over 30 years of dedicated service to the company, ensuring continuity and grounding the transition in deep institutional knowledge.

“What made this transition possible was the extraordinary depth of experience, care, and vision that the Interim Artistic Leadership Team brought to the table. Collectively, they carried decades of knowledge from within the Ping Chong Company—rooted in its artistic legacy and committed to its future. Their stewardship through this multi-year process has been nothing short of transformational, grounded in thoughtful collaboration and driven by the values that have always defined our work. I would also like to applaud and celebrate the faith, hard work and dedication of current and former Board members in supporting and shaping this new genesis.” - 

In a gesture both humble and visionary, Ping personally requested that the company be renamed, recognizing that its future would be carried forward by new artists and fresh voices. The name 

 is derived from one of many absurd distortions of Ping Chong's name over the course of his career. This misnomer has been irreverently embraced by the company, as a subversive reclaiming of a distortion. This name change is not a departure, but a continuation—one rooted in deep respect for the past and a radical commitment to the future.

"All things must evolve and change, and I knew the company could not grow into the next iteration with my name on it. I knew when I decided to retire that the future was in the hands of new artists, and I told them that all I want is for them to continue creating art that honors humanity, but how they do it is their path to make. I trust them, and I believe in the future of Pink Fang" -

At the heart of this evolution is the understanding that Ping Chong’s legacy was never about a single name—but about expanding the boundaries of storytelling, uplifting diverse voices, and building artistic homes for those too often left out of the narrative. As part of this next chapter, the company will also serve as the steward and holder of the Ping Chong archive, ensuring that his formative body of work remains accessible and influential for generations to come.


Pink Fang introduces a three-part leadership structure that reflects its collaborative and values-driven approach:

This three-part leadership model will co-direct and set the vision for curation, fundraising, partnership, and organizational development, in alignment with the organizational mission. This is an asset-based leadership approach with each role bringing additional expertise in the following areas:

Mei Ann Teo – Creating new works, collaborating and cultivating partnerships with generative artists

 Sara Zatz – Helming Community Engagement, Education, and Training; Creating new community-based work

, Jane Jung – Leading Producing Strategy, Finance, Communications

Together, this co-leadership team will report to the Board of Directors and collectively guide the organization through its next chapter. The new structure also includes continued involvement from Nile Harris through a salaried Resident Artist position, as well as a project-based partnership with longtime collaborator Talvin Wilks—ensuring artistic continuity and deepened creative collaboration as the company evolves.

“Ping’s vision has always been one of evolution and imagination. We are deeply honored by his trust in us to carry the company forward. His call to rename the organization was a powerful act of faith—an invitation to shape a future beyond his own legacy. Pink Fang symbolizes both continuity and change: a name that holds our roots while embracing the fierce creativity and collective leadership that define our next chapter.” 

In 2025-2026, the company will be developing and presenting a slate of new projects and activities representing the new mission, including: 

, a participatory theater performance and collective meal ritual experience questioning habits of complicity and consumption, created 

 and performance maker Erika Chong Shuch, with dramaturg Tomi Tsunoda; Memory; 

, a new interview-based project centered on caregiving and living with dementia, led by Sara Zatz; touring presentations of Nile Harris' 

; new artist partnerships and a symposium reflecting on the legacy and impact of Ping Chong's body of work. The company will lead arts education residencies at Hunter and LaGuardia Community College, in K-12 schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and in senior centers. More details will be announced in October.

PCC IS BECOMING PINK FANG 

Pink Fang creates art at the intersection of performance, community building and social change, rooted in the ethos and artistic legacy of Ping Chong. 

We are a welcoming home and site of experimentation for multigenerational artists. We create original interdisciplinary, community-specific work; and cultivate artistry through training and education programs.


﻿In October, Artistic Director, Engagement Sara Zatz and collaborating artist Sherrine Azab (A Host of People, Detroit) completed a 1-week creative residency for 

, a new theater project exploring experiences of people living with dementia and family caregiving. Over the summer, Sherrine and Sara, along with their colleague Andrew Morton, a community advisor on the project, initiated project development with a series of conversations with other artists who are creating work around dementia and caregiving.

This new work is still taking shape, but it carries forward a history of trust, experimentation, and belief in what performance can hold. Sherrine and Sara sat down to talk about their inspirations, and challenges, entering into this period of creation.  

 Over the summer, we initiated a series of conversations with other artists responding personally and creatively to dementia and caregiving. I found those conversations to be so profound. To share with people who think creatively about the whole world around them, and that creativity helping to navigate the absurdity of dementia. Being in that space with folks who could speak in metaphors has been really moving to me.

 I think one of the particular things about being an artist and a caregiver is that other artists that haven't experienced it, don't know how to respond. I felt so seen being in those Zoom rooms with other artists that knew how hard it is to balance this thing we've been working so hard our whole lives to try to be, which is an artist, and also to care for this person that's helped me make this life. Or it’s the opposite, “it’s really complicated, and I still have to give my time and energy and care and space, and what is that?” There are a multitude of experiences.

  Sometimes, after the intensity of being in dementia-land, I just really need to get outside, be in nature, and walk around a lake.  I've also found really specific objects to hold onto have been really meaningful. I have this rock that I've been carrying with me from the day that my dad got his neurological assessment. It was in a very corporate office park, and there was a planter with no plants in it, and it was just full of polished black rocks, and I took one. And I've been carrying that around; it’s become a kind of meditation stone. It's a literal touchstone of finding myself in the story that is and is not about me.

 I think it's related to nature, but I just need silence. I think I need more silence in my life now than I did before. Because the constant repeating when I'm caregiving is draining in a way that I've not experienced in other social settings. So getting to be quiet, where I don't have to talk, or don't have to repeat, or to not have to figure out how I'm going to get out of this loop. Which, side note, I do think we're interested in how to make these loops beautiful because I think we all have experienced repetition being really beautiful, and so how can I actually find the beauty in this again?

There's this poem that I wanted to share this with you, Sara, because we are gathering things that really move us, and though it has nothing to do with dementia and memory loss, it feels related to how fractured our reality feels right now between, this ongoing war and the craziness of our country, and still trying to find joy and meaning in our everyday lives.

The beginning of this poem says, “I want a word that means okay and not okay. More than that, a word that means devastated and stunned with joy. I want the word that says, I feel it all at once.” 

That feels really right to me about this moment that we're living in, and also being a caregiver, because, one of the things that I mentioned a lot in the artist group was, I've never felt feelings of victory like I have in relation to caregiving, and I've never felt sadness, anger, annoyance, sorrow, joy, accomplishment in this way. And that there's all of that in the spectrum of this journey, this experience. I want to find a way to share those moments and layered feelings.

 There's so much in art-making about dementia, novels and films that's about all the loss and devastation, all of which is real. But also there's a lot of joy, play and humor that is renewed in different ways.  I'm interested in looking at some of those joyful aspects in this process of wanting to make an interview based piece with caregivers and people living with dementia. There is a desire to create a sense of comfort for those who are in grief for their person that they feel like they've lost, even though they're still with them.

 I also want to explore expanding our notion of reality in the moment. Could we build an imaginative experience that considers an alternate reality that a person with memory loss may be in, that we as caregivers or other people in that moment don’t have the privilege to access?  I also want to capture the laughter and the ridiculousness of the caregiver at the same time, and I think there might be moments that may seem disconnected from each other but that mirror these real moments we have experienced of shifts and pivots.

 There is something about the quality of time and the nature of conversation, that requires this ability to let go. I think it's a big part of the step in caregiving, to be like, “okay, we're going to accept that my loved one is saying something that is objectively not true, but that's what makes sense to that person or that they need in that moment,” and just to have this moment of radical acceptance, even if it is not my reality. You start asking yourself what does it mean to be living in my reality, and to be able to let go, because I think we're holding on so tightly, and there's this door that you walk through at some point where you let that go.

 It's important to me that [in the creation of this project] that a sense of performance and theatricality is present, and that that's a part of the container for the audience and participants, and that people understand it's an artistic experience. It gives us the elasticity for some of these interstitial moments that are I'm hoping outside of the everyday. And that we are uplifting the truth through this theatrical experience, that everyone needs and gives care throughout the journey of our lives.

Memory Generation: A Conversation between Sara Zatz and Sherrine Azab

We’re thrilled to share big news: Pink Fang is growing our leadership team with the appointment of three extraordinary new board members who embody the spirit of artistry, justice, and community that defines our work.

 is an Ismaili Muslim researcher, campaigner, and storyteller whose career has centered on building worker and community power. Currently a strategic campaign researcher in the labor movement, he supports workers fighting to grow union density, strengthen public services, and challenge corporate power over our lives. He has previously organized campaigns to take on tech giants, divest from policing and militarism, and end contracts fueling immigration detention. A former paralegal defending Muslim, South Asian, and Arab communities targeted under national security policies, Aly continues to uplift these stories through freelance reporting and performance. In New York City, he creates political street theater as part of the Radical Evolution Street Theatre Crew.

is one of the most prominent Asian American women leaders in higher education and law. At New York University, she served as Chief of Staff, Deputy President, and Advisor to Leadership, and was the architect of multiple pioneering leadership and education programs in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. A trailblazer in law, Yu was General Counsel of the State Bar of California, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, and broke barriers as the first Asian American to chair an American Bar Association section. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Oberlin College and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where she led the board through the pandemic. Her career reflects a deep commitment to leadership development, ethics, and equity.

, born in Oakland, CA, is an actor, musician, and activist whose artistry has shaped both stage and screen for over three decades. A longtime member of La MaMa’s Great Jones Repertory Group, he co-founded the bold SLANT Performance Group, known for subversive explorations of Asian American identity. His screen credits include HBO/Netflix’s Warrior, Netflix’s The 3 Body Problem, The Knick, and John Wick 2. As an award-winning shakuhachi bamboo flute musician, Perry has studied in Japan and brought the instrument’s haunting sounds to film and television scores worldwide. Beyond his artistic work, he is a fierce advocate for justice, delivering national keynotes against anti-Asian violence and for workplace equity, and has been recognized with awards for his activism.

“Pink Fang is thrilled to welcome Aly, Diane, and Perry to our board,” said the Pink Fang Leadership Team - 

Mei Ann Teo (Artistic Director, New Work), Sara Zatz (Artistic Director, Engagement), and Jane Jung (Managing Director) - 

in a joint statement. “Each of them embodies the spirit of artistry, innovation, and experimentation that drives our work. They join our longstanding and dedicated board of directors who have guided our leadership succession and transition period with vision and grace.

In our first year as Pink Fang, we are in an exciting moment for the company, as we build on a 53-year legacy of artmaking that centers bold voices, artistic experimentation, and community care. From labor and community campaigning to national leadership in law and education, to groundbreaking art and activism on global stages, our new board members bring invaluable vision and experience that will strengthen Pink Fang’s commitment to our artists and community.”

“I could not be more excited to welcome these three extraordinary leaders,” said 

, Board President of Pink Fang. “Their combined experiences reflect the full spectrum of what Pink Fang stands for:  visionary artistry, fearless advocacy, and transformational leadership. With their voices at the table, we are better positioned than ever to build a future where our creativity and social change thrive hand in hand.”

With these new members, Pink Fang continues to expand its reach and deepen its commitment to supporting artists, leaders, and communities through advocacy, performance, and cross-sector collaboration.


Pink Fang Expands Its Board of Directors

This summer, Pink Fang collaborated with 

LaGuardia Community College’s (CUNY) Nursing Program

 to lead a two-part workshop series for nursing students. Facilitated by Artistic Director of Engagement Sara Zatz and Teaching Artist C. Meranda Flachs-Surmanek the sessions invited students in their capstone course to reflect on identity, leadership, and their transition into the nursing profession. Drawing from Pink Fang’s signature documentary and interview-based theater methodologies, and C. Meranda Flachs-Surmanek’s extensive background in arts-in-health work, students explored storytelling as a tool for self-reflection, intercultural communication, community-building, and personal narrative—key skills for future healthcare practitioners.

This pilot program represents a continuation and expansion of our long-time partnership with LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, where we previously developed and presented

Inside Out…stories from the disability community

, and a Queens Pride Day staged reading based on and adapted from the interviews in LaGuardia/Wagner’s LGBTQ archives.

For nearly all of the participating students, this was their first ever theater workshop, and a rare opportunity to step outside the academic and clinical rigor of the intensive nursing program to get to know their classmates and to express both the joys and fears of their journey in the program to date.

In their reflections, students shared “It was a great experience. I felt safe and supportive, and this workshop helped me to step out of my comfort zone” and “The workshop helped me to stay focused, be calm, and be supportive of my classmates.”

We are honored to support the next generation of health care professionals through storytelling and community-building. Their stories remind us of the transformative power of care—and of being truly seen.

Centering Voice and Care with LaGuardia Community College’s Nursing Program and LPAC

We are proud to announce we have been awarded a general operating support grant from the Mellon Foundation, the nation’s largest funder of the arts and humanities. This major support signals a powerful endorsement of the company’s renewed mission, new leadership model, and long-term vision for creating performance at the intersection of art, community-building, and social change. The grant amount totals $900,000 over three years, with Mellon committing $300,000 annually through a reapplication process each year.

The grant arrives at a milestone moment for us, as we recently unveiled a new name, mission, and identity following a three-year, Mellon-supported strategic transition. After five decades as Ping Chong and Company, in July 2025 we stepped into our next era as Pink Fang—a name that embraces transformation, creative irreverence, and radical continuity. The shift honors the legacy of founder Ping Chong—who retired in 2022 after 50 years of groundbreaking artistry 

as chronicled in this Mellon Foundation profile

—while centering the next generation of artists and cultural workers shaping the company’s future.

“We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for this meaningful investment,” said Jane Jung, Managing Director of Pink Fang. “Mellon’s support over the past three years has been instrumental in guiding our transition and reimagining what the future of this company can look like. This new grant allows us to continue building a sustainable and equitable structure for artist-centered creation, community partnerships, and experimentation. It’s a vote of confidence in both where we’ve been and where we’re headed.”

The Mellon Foundation’s Arts and Culture program supports organizations committed to just communities empowered by creativity and knowledge. This grant will provide Pink Fang with critical resources to deepen its programming, support artist partnerships, and continue its archival and education work—all while growing its new identity with integrity and purpose.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty and empowerment that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at 

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