Composing plays that appeal to both Chinese and foreign audiences is not an easy feat. Elyse Ribbons should know.

The 29-year-old actress and playwright from Detroit, Michigan, is the founder of Cheeky Monkey, one of only a handful of Beijing-based theater companies producing original works in English and Mandarin that center on contemporary life in China.

"One of my goals is to be a bridge between China and the West," Ribbons said.