Qui Nguyen’s play Vietgone, which opened earlier this month, marries raw, intimate anecdotes about the life of refugees following the American War with modern storytelling techniques such as hip-hop and rap verses à la Hamilton.
According to NPR, Nguyen, a second-generation Vietnamese-American, is no stranger to the complicated and, at times, frustratingly commercial American movie industry, having penned several scripts for Hollywood’s Marvel Studios. He describes Vietgone as a “sex comedy” about his parents’ first encounter at a refugee camp in Arkansas.
Playwright Qui Nguyen. Photo via NPR.
The biographical play is indeed unconventional, when one considers the usual portrayal of Asian characters on American screens.
"It's something that you don't see very often in American media, where Asian characters are sexy; and when they're sexy, they're a fetish of sort," Nguyen told NPR.
Vietgone, however, is sexy, but not sexual. There are scores of adult jokes, and his characters are not shy in expressing their desires for one another and acting on them. He wants to paint them as multi-dimensional individuals who are more than the war in which they are entangled.
The play stars the dashing Raymond Lee as Quang Nguyen, the playwright's father, a helicopter pilot for South Vietnam. Quang meets Tong (Jennifer Ikeda) and her mother (Samantha Quan) when they arrive at the refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas where Quang is stationed.
Quang (Raymond Lee) and Tong (Jennifer Ikeda) at the refugee camp. Photo via NPR.
Qui’s real-life parents are happy that their life story made its way into the script, despite initial reservations.
"They're very proud that I wrote something about them," Nguyen shared with NPR. "They understand why it's important to be out there...It's hard for them to revisit their past. Those losses are still very painful."
Vietgone, directed by May Adrales, runs at the Manhattan Theater Club from October 4 to November 27. Tickets are available here at US$90 each. You can have a look at the trailer here or meet the cast behind the refreshing play in the video below, courtesy of Manhattan Theater Club:
