Meet Sarah Shin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Shin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

So my dad owns a restaurant, Bonjung Sushi & Korean BBQ, out in the Philadelphia suburbs. We’re about to reach the 20th anniversary in March, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve seen my family work day and night to keep business running. To this day, I help out with updating the website and the menus, and I work some shifts when I visit home while most people are vacationing for the holidays.

During the pandemic, we were one of the only Asian restaurants that stayed open in maybe the whole county, so we were reaching peak sales with reduced staff – aka my parents, my uncle, my younger brother, myself, and one kitchen cook. There were good days, but also some rough and stressful days… but we always came back to work. Five months later, I eventually went back to NYC, but my parents have always been there, and always go back, for almost 20 years. It was only in 2022 when he decided to close on Mondays, otherwise he was working 7 days a week as the owner, manager, sushi chef, kitchen chef, server, host….everything to save money and keep the doors open.

Knowing that my dad was always working, and that there was a legacy from his father that he was also upholding – of sharing Korean culture and gathering community – I think it just became a natural part of who I am. And my mom, who was always working to raise me and my brother, driving me to piano lessons and rehearsals, and also shopping groceries for home AND the restaurant multiple times a week – she just always found a way to help, or created a project or goal to make for herself. So again, I think seeing that everyday made it become a natural part of me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a theatre artist. A lot of the time this means I am directing or acting in other people’s plays. Sometimes it is specifically helping a playwright develop their script, which I’m doing right now at Chuang Stage and Fresh Ink Theatre as part of their New Work Development Residency.

I’m also developing some projects of my own as a writer and songwriter for me to perform in, and also produce from time to time – meaning I’m even more behind the scenes and am organizing events and shows. I’ve gotten to work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and at the fringe level, and would love to break into Film & TV. I think what’s most exciting about it to me is that everyone has a story, or just something unique about that that is so worth sharing, and whether I’m acting, directing, or producing, I can bridge the connection so that their/our stories can be told. A lot of what I work on is centered around AAPI and LGBTQ+ stories, and engaging specifically with those communities so that more of them are coming to the theatre and enjoy live performances.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I found a way for it to all start with the same letter – Stay curious, courageous, and caring. I think when you’re early in your journey, it’s important to just live life and learn more about who you are, and with that you’ll find your community that can support you and cheer you on as you keep trying to grow, and that you can also cheer on and lift up while we’re going through the thick of it out here.

And curiosity and courage – I think to be an artist it is our job to be asking questions, exploring new ideas, trying new things…to constantly put ourselves out there to meet new people. And that can be scary and tiring! So take care of yourself and find that balance so that living your life is a part of your artistry and work.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’d love to meet with all kinds of people! Producers – I’m looking for you, cuz I got some ideas to share on really cool art and experiences that I think a lot of people would enjoy. Playwrights, actors, dramaturgs, designers, musicians – let’s create something together! Spaceowners – if you have a space to share and want more people in it, let’s talk! I think there’s something really cool about putting live performance and theatre in public spaces and alternatives to stages and traditional theaters. Like if i can put on a play in a restaurant, and serve some really good food as part of the experience – I’ll be happy. You can find me on Instagram @shinnysarah, and my website www.sarah-shin.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarah-shin.com
• Instagram: shinnysarah

Image Credits

headshots – Alex Wohl Photography
Red Sunglasses photos – Marcus Middleton
Purple Suit – Ken Yotsukura Photography
Outdoor Clown Photo – Phil Mansfield
Empire Records (McCarter Theater Center) – Doe’Raine Deane Photography