Life & Work with Siena Marilyn Chongchua-Morris of Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Siena Marilyn Chongchua-Morris.

Hi Siena Marilyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey! I’m Siena Marilyn Chongchua-Morris (they/he/she). I am the creator of the film series Say NO to One Paseo. I am a bi-racial, bi-coastal, Gaysian screenwriter, actor, and poet.

My play, Man and Moon, was recently published in The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays Volume 3 and is available for purchase! Get a copy of the anthology and read all the amazing Trans stories.

I have received praise for my work from publications including Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, San Diego Union-Tribune, Third Coast Review, and more.

My work discovers similarities within differences between people; showing how difference can inspire connection. The stories I write explore relationships through a queer lens told by people who speak lyrically, love big, and exist in a heightened reality where conversation is everyday speech that feels like poetry.

This is the story of Say NO to One Paseo:

Against the devolving landscape of California, three friends must choose to love each other through the changes or to grow apart.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The process of creating Say NO to One Paseo has been a roller coaster!

The biggest struggle for this project is securing funding.

We’re raising funds to adapt this play originally produced through Euphoria Theatre Company (ETC) into an episodic short film allowing this story to reach audiences far beyond the stage.

Help Us Bring Help Bring a Trans & Queer Asian American Play to the Screen at the link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-a-trans-queer-asian-american-play-to-the-screen

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Three best friends grow up—and apart— as they watch their city evolve through so-called improvements, transforming into a place that no longer feels like home. Spanning two decades, these three come back together reverting to past selves and reconnecting like no time has passed. Can unconditional love exist between people who love each other differently?

Here’s a little more about the characters:

Ree [na] : they/he … Born: 10/23/95, Lao & Irish

Curious about their body. Genderqueer. Grows up in the shadow of their wild older sister and under the rigid thumb of their Aunt. Ree matures quickly and wants nothing more than to break out of their stifling situation. Ree clings to B and her family for comfort and stability while fighting against their romantic feelings for them.
Ree is the middle child. Their younger sibling lives with a different fostering family. Their mother is dead. And their father is MIA. Ree does well in school due to motivation to get out and really live. Ree is a writer and a truth shaper… They are self-identified as the funny one. They are musically inclined. Ree is short for Reena and Reena is short for Regina but Ree hates their full name.

B [ritt] : she/they … Born: 4/5/95, Thai & Italian

A late bloomer whose curiosity about their sexual identity is catalyzed by their relationship with Ree. But this cheerleader is for sure a queerleader. She is a dancer just like her Ma. She is also a hypochondriac, just like her Ma. She struggles in school because she has a hard time focusing. To avoid growing up a lonely, mixed-race, only-child of divorce, B’s mom invites Ree on family trips. B relies on Ree to feel emotionally secure especially when B disappoints their mom… B finds planning for the future difficult… Especially if the future may not include Ree. B is easily persuaded. At times, she lies to everyone including herself.

Nely : she/her … Born: 1/21/97, Persian, Jewish, & Scandinavian

Two grades younger than Ree and B. She has three older sisters. Nely is the youngest by more than a decade between even herself and the next closest sister. Nely struggles in school due to lack of motivation in that particular direction; but she is hella smart and deeply perceptive. Nely has motivation in other directions like art. Nely is an artist in all disciplines and in all aspect and all senses of identity. She especially loves visual art — photography, painting, mixed, digital and multimedia. In her spare time she likes to make Youtube makeup tutorials, emo music videos, and video diaries of her cat. Nely is not gay at all in any way but she is an ally. Nely is a quiet, curious observer who needs extra alone time during the group hang outs. She is a compulsive truth teller.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Say NO to One Paseo is semi-autobiographical; it is dedicated to my best friends, our gay awakenings, and our amazing Asian community.

The story started as a full length play and is now being turned into a film series!

The title comes from a slogan that was popular in my hometown in the early 2000s.

Pricing:

• Donate to our new film: Say NO to One Paseo – https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-a-trans-queer-asian-american-play-to-the-screen
• Purchase a copy of Man and Moon – https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/methuen-drama-book-of-trans-plays-volume-3-9781350514874/

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-a-trans-queer-asian-american-play-to-the-screen
• Other: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/methuen-drama-book-of-trans-plays-volume-3-9781350514874/

Image Credits
All photos are credited to Austin D. Patterson