music by 

TIDTAYA SINUTOKE

Half the Sky tells the story of an Asian American woman climbing Mount Everest. Aurelie sets out to fulfill her childhood dream of summiting Everest, in an expedition of hopeful climbers from around the world, led by a teenage Sherpa. As she grapples with the grueling demands of the mountain, Aurelie finds she must also confront her Thai American family’s past, and the rift which separates her from her younger sister. Borders between countries and cultures, past and present, and waking and dreaming begin to blur. The writers will present two songs from the show performed remotely.

Half the Sky is an inaugural commission from the 5th Avenue Theatre’s First Draft: Raise Your Voice program, and has also been developed in part with Musical Theatre Factory, Theater Mu’s New Eyes Festival, Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Festival, Town Stages, the Weston Playhouse Theatre (Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award), and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.