Shrieks of joy and laughter broke the silence of Edison Theatre the moment two shimmering lions set foot—or paw, rather—onstage. As the creatures’ bodies looped and twirled, glittering against a blood-red backdrop, only the sneakers peeking out from beneath the fabric betrayed the students controlling their every move.

Fresh off the success of last year’s show dealing with the intersection of homosexual and Asian identities, Washington University’s Lunar New Year Festival continues its trend of productions probing more serious aspects of the Asian-American experience.

Screaming, Andy sobbed on the phone to his parents, seated across the stage, as two of his friends eavesdropped on the conversation.

“Much of the intense reaction to my book has been based on a misunderstanding,” Amy Chua, author of the controversial book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” told a full house in Graham Chapel. “I never approved that headline, and I never saw it until I opened up the Sunday headline and saw it for the first time. And, in fact, I don’t agree with [it].

Students commemorated the Lunar New Year this weekend for the 15th consecutive year with the Lunar New Year Festival (LNYF) performance on Friday and Saturday in Edison Theatre.