Gordon, the first black female playwright to be produced in the West End, knows intimately what the theater is capable of, and the human connection a great production can create. For Gordon, Shen Yun at the Eventim Apollo absolutely accomplished that.

“It is magical. It sort of goes beyond,” Gordon said after the evening performance on Jan. 23, 2020, where she watched a performance with her partner and two children. “The way you receive it, it feels like you’re part of the experience, which is fantastic.”

“I think you sort of go into a sort of trance. For one, you’re blown away by the stamina, the athleticism, the extraordinary contortion of movement that those incredible dancers are able to perform.”

“Everything about it really is mesmerizing—it’s gorgeous,” Gordon said.

For the playwright, Shen Yun gave a colorful and beautiful insight into another culture and its beliefs.

“It was just absolutely wonderful.  The art of it, the music of it, the beauty of it, there’s just so many different elements that are just extraordinary to see,” she said. “We’ve just had a really beautiful, amazing, mesmerizing evening.”

Gordon expressed her congratulations and gratitude toward the artists and added, “whatever it is in you that makes you able to do that and to keep going.”