It’s about “things you understand, [but] from a new angle,” said producer, editor and literary manager Roger Tang about the 17th episode of the production "Sex in Seattle."

This romantic comedy performance, which is produced by several West Seattle residents, is told from an Asian American perspective.

The show is similar to a soap opera, with separate but connected story lines focused around relationships. The story lines themselves are not particularly unique, but they are “putting [relationships] into a different context--that of Asian American culture,” said Tang.

"Sex in Seattle" was the first show produced by a company called SIS, which is short for sister. This company was started in August of 2000 by four Asian American women who wanted to see Asian American’s in roles different than what is portrayed in the mainstream, caucasian media.

These roles are often as dragon ladies, villains or submissive geishas. But in reality “they can be lovers and also active heroines in their own stories,” said Tang.

The mission of SIS is to empower Asian Americans by giving them a voice through leading roles as complex, three-dimensional characters in a romantic comedy. The hope is to spark discussion of multicultural relationships in a light and humorous way, explained Kathy Hsiesh, writer and one of the original founders of SIS.

The empowerment goes beyond what’s seen on stage, as there are opportunities for Asian American involvement in all aspects of the production, as graphic designers, producers, writers and more.

Eighty-five to 95 percent of those involved are Asian American, and the majority of them are women, said Tang.

The founders of SIS were all from different backgrounds and five years apart in age, which allowed each contribute something unique to the company.

Two out of the four founders were from West Seattle, and consistently, a large portion of the crew has also been from West Seattle. This was partially due to the networking done there by the founders, and also from working with the West Seattle’s arts center ArtsWest.

Since the first episode of "Sex in Seattle" in 2000, there has been a constant rotation of actors, creators and producers. However, they try to maintain the consistency of the series by maintaining the essence of the characters and limiting it to two writers.

As the staff changes, the story line continues to evolve, which provides “different ways to connect people” by keeping things “fresh and relevant,” explained Hsiesh.

The contemporary story line full of references to iconic Seattle places and it’s casual and comfortable nature helps to break the mold of traditional theater and attract a younger audience (of 20 to 30 year olds) to the shows.

However, the audience is not limited to any age, race or gender. Young people will bring their parents, women will bring their boyfriends and Asians will bring non-Asian friends, said Hsiesh.

“Although a mostly Asian cast, they still have love and losses like everyone else does," said executive producer Lisa Nakamura, who lives in the Admiral District. "They are real characters that everyone can relate to."

Gigi Jhong, who has done a variety of acting in Washington and New York, said this show is unique because it is episodic, has a mostly Asian American cast, and is contemporary and locally based.

“What keeps me coming back is it’s fun," said Jhong. "I have a fun time with these guys."

"Sex in Seattle" episode 17: “Coming Clean” premiers Sept. 18 and runs every Friday and Saturday evening at Richard Hugo House in Capitol Hill at 1634 11th Ave., until Oct. 17.