"Necktie vs. High Heels"

Neckties vs. High Heels

"Necktie vs. High Heels" is a classic black comedy from the Bay Area, adapted by San Francisco-Silicon Valley playwright Shen Yue from his earlier script "Who is the Winner?" Many years ago in 2008, the play was produced by Shen Yue, directed by veteran professor Lin Hongtong of the Beijing Film Academy's Acting Department, and performed in Silicon Valley. It received widespread acclaim, with audiences erupting in laughter over a hundred times during the show.

The story encapsulates the bittersweet struggles, joys, sorrows, and absurdities of Bay Area Chinese communities, condensed into the lives of four families—Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li. This tale is one that could take place in any corner of the world.

Sixteen years later, the play makes its triumphant return with a professional production team comprised of alumni from the Communication University of China, Beijing Film Academy, and the Central Academy of Drama. Joining forces with Bay Area tech elites, multi-talented "slash" youth, and artistic talents, this production promises yet another round of laughter and reflection.

This is a story about marriage.
This is a story about men and women.
This is a story about human nature.
This is a story about the future.

This is not just a play—it’s a mirror that reflects us all.

More Comments

Production Team

Playwright

Joyce Hsu

Joyce Hsu (Shen Yue) is a renowned playwright from San Francisco's Silicon Valley and also serves as an advisor for the New Hope Chinese Cancer Recovery Foundation.

After graduating from the Department of Chemistry at National Taiwan University, she pursued graduate studies at the California Institute of Technology and conducted biochemical research for ten years at both the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.

Driven by a passion for art and theater, Hsu has written over 10 theatrical works. She previously served as a board member for the San Jose Repertory Theatre and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

In 1996, she was inspired to fulfill her dream of writing and producing stage plays, collaborating with two performing arts groups, "Bridge and Door" and "Huayi." Nine of her stage plays premiered in the Bay Area, four of which were later selected by professional theater companies in Shanghai. Her historical drama "Fu Chai and Xi Shi" was adapted into a musical and included in the 2001 Shanghai International Arts Festival.

This April, her work "A Date in This Lifetime" was adapted into a musical by Stan Lai's theater team and debuted in Shanghai.

Major Works: Who Is the Winner?, A Date in This Lifetime, Fu Chai and Xi Shi, A Basketful of Love, Mistakes and Misfortunes, Changing a Wife is Too Troublesome, Flying Across Centuries, Fairy Tales of the 21st Century

Artistic Advisor

Lin Hongtong

Chinese Film Screenwriter and Director

Professor of Acting at Beijing Film Academy

After graduating from the Acting Department of Beijing Film Academy, he remained at the school to teach, dedicating 35 years to film education.

Former roles include serving as a member of the Administrative Committee and Academic Committee of the Beijing Film Academy, Vice President of the China Film and Television Performance Arts Society, a jury member for multiple Golden Rooster Awards, a director and artistic advisor for the Youth Film Studio, among other positions.

Representative Works:

Death and the Maiden won the Honorary Award at the 13th Varna International Film Festival (1986), the Special Award at the 1st Red Cross Film Festival in China, and the Special Jury Award for Acting at the 8th Golden Rooster Awards, among other accolades. Dreaming Season won Best Children's Feature at the 9th Golden Rooster Awards (1988), the Government Excellent Film Award (1989), and the Artistic Pursuit Award at the 3rd Tongniu Children's Film Awards, among others.

In Silicon Valley, he has directed and staged over ten plays, including The Joy Luck Club, My Own Swordsman, A Basketful of Love, and more.

Director, Producer

Jingkun Yang

Graduated with a bachelor's degree in Theater and Film Acting from the Communication University of China and a master's degree in Creative Film Production from Columbia College Chicago, USA.

Representative Works: "Pepper Zhang", "Blue and White". "Pepper Zhang" is based on a real story of Chinese-Americans in New York and received high praise from the American Asian Association for its educational significance.

Yang has participated in the production of theatrical films that were shortlisted for awards such as the Golden Angel Award at the China-America Film Festival and the Maple Leaf Award at the Vancouver Chinese Film Festival, gaining extensive experience in film production.

In 2018, she served as the overall director for the Southern USA finals of the Miss China World Pageant broadcast by Hong Kong Phoenix Television.

Theatrical Works:

Portrayed Zhen Huan in Empresses in the Palace
Played Zhang Yiman in Mr. Donkey
Played Yasuko Hanaoka in The Devotion of Suspect X

Executive Producer

Zezhong Luo

Graduated in Broadcasting and Hosting Arts from the Communication University of China
Earned a Master of Arts degree from Peking University

Previously hosted various programs on national and provincial television networks, including China Education Television, Travel Satellite TV, and Guangdong Satellite TV.

Stage Designer

Haibo Yu

Yu Haibo has created over 200 works across various fields, including stage design, film, television, landscape design, museum exhibitions, live performances, and large-scale events. He is a retired professor of Film and Theater at the University of California, Riverside, a specially appointed professor by China’s Ministry of Education and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and a guest professor at the Central Academy of Drama and Shanghai Theatre Academy. Yu is a registered designer with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and a member of the British Society of Theatre Designers (SBTD). He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, the University of Leeds, and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

His works have been featured three consecutive times (every four years) in the Complete Works of British Scenic Design. He was part of the award-winning team at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (1991), receiving the British "Golden Coach Award." In 2002, he earned the USITT Best Design Award, and in 2013, he was included in the "100 World Stage Designers" exhibition at the World Stage Design Expo.

Fundamentals of Western Stage Design (China Drama Publishing House, 2016)
Opening the Door to Narrative Spaces: Western Museum Exhibition Design (China Drama Publishing House, 2020)
Scene Narratives in Film: A Century of American Film Art and Design, 1920–2020 (China Drama Publishing House, 2023)
Improvisation and Non-Scripted Creation (co-authored, Crowood Press, UK, 2002).

Sound and Sound Effects Designer

Wenze Li

Composer, music producer, and educator, supported by the CAC (California Arts Council) fund.

Li holds a bachelor's degree in Music Editing from the Communication University of China and a master's degree in Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In addition, he performs as a violist for the LGBTQ symphony orchestra in the San Francisco Bay Area, the "Bay Area Rainbow Symphony," with over 20 concert appearances.

Li has contributed to the sound production of numerous independent films, one of which achieved a box office revenue exceeding $50 million. He has created influential music videos for nonprofit organizations, such as "When Love Dances" for the Alamo Counseling Center in 2020 and "Dream Friends" for Friends of Children with Special Needs in 2021, benefiting more than 50 children from the special needs and LGBTQ communities.

As the operator of Bruce Music Studio, Li completes over 100 music projects annually and teaches audio production at Compass Point Mentorship, where he has educated over 200 students. He is also an advocate for local community music education, participating in more than 10 community events each year.

Dance Director

Jason Chen

Jason Chen (Chen Xiang) – Veteran Professional Ballroom Dance Instructor

Jason previously taught at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and is now a distinguished instructor at Dance Vita, a renowned dance studio in California’s Bay Area. He also serves as a special advisor and choreographer for the “Bay Area Ballroom Dance Club.” His expertise lies in ballroom dance instruction, choreography, competition coaching, and guidance, earning him numerous domestic and international awards and an esteemed reputation in the dance world.

In 2023, he won first place at the Teacher-Student Open Competition during the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival, further solidifying his exceptional status within the global dance community.

Beyond his accomplishments in ballroom dancing, Jason actively engages in competition choreography, group dance creation, charity performances, and choreography for films and stage plays. In 2023, he choreographed and performed in the Bay Area stage production "The Chair at Columbia."

In 2024, he will take on the role of choreographer and coach for ballroom dance in the large-scale performance "China Night."

Yan Liu

Liu Yan is recognized as the creator of "Cui Hua, Serve the Pickled Cabbage," widely hailed as the pioneer of Beijing commercial comedy theater.

She is the playwright, director, and producer of the first blockchain-themed drama, "The Troubles of Bitcoin," and the founder of the "First Producers Alliance."

Directed stage plays: "Cui Hua, Serve the Pickled Cabbage 2003" and "Cui Hua, Serve the Pickled Cabbage and My Sassy Girlfriend"; short films: "NetEase Campus Edition of My Sassy Girlfriend"; TV: Served as a theatrical director for seven episodes of CCTV-1's "Today's Law: Special Edition - Eleven"
Liu specializes in writing and directing comedic scripts with an absurd and nonsensical style, adding a distinctive humorous flair to her works.

Cast Introduction

Necktie vs. High Heels

Mr. Zhao - Performer

A product developer.

A slash-generation middle-aged individual, an optimistic pessimist, and an emotionally stable madman.

Mrs. Zhao - Performer

Zezhong Luo

Bachelor's Degree in Broadcasting and Hosting Arts from the Communication University of China

Master of Arts from Peking University

Television Program Host

Mrs. Zhao - Performer

Han Yifu

Graduated from Harbin Medical University School of Stomatology, Han Yifu has worked for many years in the clinical practice of orthodontics and dental restoration. She enjoys the colorful and whimsical world of comedy while embracing the twists and turns of real life.

Currently, she works at a medical academic clinic in Sunnyvale.

Mr. Qian - Performer

Ben Wang

Graduated from Fudan University, Harvard University, and Georgetown University.

Currently working as a lawyer in the Bay Area. He enjoys skiing, playing sports, music, and theater. He has experience writing plays and comedies and has performed on amateur theater stages.

Mrs. Qian - Performer

Liz

Graduated from Miami University with an MBA in Finance.

She enjoys singing, dancing, and creating singing-and-dancing short videos.

She also runs a YouTube channel and other social media accounts

Mrs. Qian - Performer

Wendy Liu

Graduated from Tsinghua University and Cornell University.

Special skills and interests include ballroom dancing, piano, and theater performance. She has played leading roles in numerous stage productions such as The Joy Luck Club, Love in Silicon Valley, and Queen of Acting Coy. She has also participated in the filming of several short plays and microfilms.

Mr. Sun - Performer

Hanning Zhou

Bachelor's degree in Automation from Tsinghua University,
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Currently serves as the Head of Search Algorithms for an e-commerce platform.

Mrs. Sun - Performer

Xiao Dong

Bachelor's Degree in Broadcasting and Hosting from Southwest University of Communication.

Currently serving as a news anchor for the video department at the Chinese Radio Network in the United States.

Mr. Li - Performer

Long Chen

Advocate of Chinese Traditional Clothing(Hanfu), Fan of Murder Mystery, Stage Singer-wannabe, and a full time Realtor

Mrs. Li - Performer

Jessica Wei

Pre-med at NYU, Master's in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University.

Having experience in both major corporations and startups, she maintains a strong entrepreneurial spirit and an endless passion for health. She has a wide range of interests, particularly in dance, theater, rock climbing, and skiing.

Mei Mei - Performer

Mengxi Duan

Graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy with a degree in Broadcasting and Hosting.

Previously worked in program planning for the new media department at Dragon TV.

Formerly served as a lecturer at Yunnan Open University, teaching broadcasting, hosting, and theater performance. Currently pursuing a master’s degree at San Francisco State University (SFSU).