Joyce Meimei Zheng 

Years in the industry: 3 years 

How many years have you been in the industry?  

I’m really a toddler in the industry! I’ve been working professionally for about three years now.  

What is your current role?  

I play Ruza Wenclawska in Suffs! 

What sparked your interest in the arts? 

I’ve always loved singing, dancing, and performing since I was child! Before I could even read, I would sing along to Chinese karaoke songs that I didn’t even know at family parties. 

What advice would you give to young women entering the arts? 

I would say that now is the time more than ever to be fully yourself. And Suffs should be a prime example of a collection of women/non-binary artists, actors, technicians, and characters who do not fit in your traditional musical theatre boxes. There are so many talented and wonderful artists out there, but the only thing you have that no one else has is that you are uniquely you. 

Is there a costume or object that holds special meaning for you? 

You can’t really tell from the audience, but in my final costume I wear PANTS! Culottes! They look like a skirt, but they are in fact a pair of pants. The fact that Ruza gets to rock these pants makes me very happy and points to her life of continuing to move things forward and the practicality of pants! I bet she’s felt for a long time that constantly having to wear a skirt was stupid for all the work she had to do.