52nd Season • 493rd Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / OCTOBER 4-25, 2015 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS IN ASSOCIATION WITH MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB presents the world premiere of VIETGONE by Qui Nguyen Timothy R. Mackabee Anthony Tran Jaymi Lee Smith SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN Shane Rettig Jared Mezzocchi Andy Knight ORIGINAL MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN PROJECTION DESIGN DRAMATURG Joshua Marchesi Joanne DeNaut, CSa Kathryn Davies PRODUCTION MANAGER CASTING STAGE MANAGER Directed by May Adrales Marci Maietta Weinberg and William Weinberg Honorary Producers Vietgone was commissioned by South Coast Repertory as part of SCR’s CrossRoads Initiative, with funding from the Time Warner Foundation. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. Vietgone • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS Asian Guy/American Guy/Nhan/Khue ..................................................... Jon Hoche Quang .................................................................................................. Raymond Lee Asian Girl/American Girl/Thu/Huong/Translator/Flower Girl .... Samantha Quan Tong ........................................................................................... Maureen Sebastian Playwright/Giai/Bobby/Captain Chambers/Redneck Biker/ Hippie Dude ..................................................................................... Paco Tolson LENGTH Approximately two hours, including one intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Production Assistant ............................................................................. Amber Caras Movement Coach ................................................................................... Qui Nguyen Graphic Illustrator ................................................................................. Swedian Lie Assistant Scenic Designers ................................. Libby Stadstad, David Valentino Costume Design Assistant .................................................................... Sarah Timm Lighting Design Assistant .................................................................... Darrin Wade Stage Management Intern .................................................................. Becca Sharpe Light Board Operator ..................................................................... Steven Williams Deck Crew/Follow Spot Operator ....................................................... Isaac Jacobs Projection Operator ........................................................................... Vincent Quan Dresser ............................................................................................... Jessica Larsen Wig and Makeup Technician ............................................................. Audrey McVay Additional Costume Staff ...................................................................... Emily Burst SPECIAL THANKS Thuy Vo Dang, Giana Nguyen Foster, Tram Le, Oanh Nguyen, Tu-Uyen Nguyen, Yvonne Tran, Linda Trinh Vo, Alan Woo The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. Videotaping and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Electronic devices should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Media Partner Media Partner P2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • Vietgone Gone Before: Evacuation During the Last Days of South Vietnam by Andy Knight PAVN and Viet Cong and the war ended. n early April 1975, after al- Helicopters packed with most two decades at war, refugees landed on U.S. air- South Vietnam was on craft carriers in the South Chi- the brink of collapse. Al- na Sea. As more Vietnamese though the Paris Peace Ac- escaped by aircraft after Op- Icords of 1973 brought about a eration Frequent Wind, space temporary ceasefire between aboard the ships dwindled. the communist North and the To make additional room, capitalist South, the People’s sailors pushed empty heli- Army of Vietnam (PAVN) from copters not making return the North and the Viet Cong trips overboard. (the South’s National Libera- The refugees aboard the tion Front tied to the North) U.S. Navy fleet joined other launched a series of success- evacuees at temporary pro- ful invasions of South Vietnam cessing centers in Guam and that began in January 1975. By the Philippines. From there, April, they were closing in on the U.S. relocated them to Saigon, the South’s capital. camps in California, Arkansas, For many Americans at Florida and Pennsylvania and that time, the Vietnam War had began the process of reset- ended two years earlier when, tling the refugees as perma- as a part of the Paris Peace Ac- nent immigrants in the U.S. cords, the United States with- and abroad. By the middle of drew all its combat personnel May, 130,000 Vietnamese ar- from Vietnam. Even with Sai- rived at the American camps. gon’s fall imminent, President Playwright Qui Nguyen’s Gerald Ford remained stead- parents were among this fast: the U.S. would not inter- wave of 130,000 refugees who vene in a war that was “finished came to the U.S. in the spring as far as America [was] concerned.” As a last resort, the U.S. launched of 1975. In Vietgone, he recounts how Without military aid, South Vietnam’s Operation Frequent Wind, a series of they met at the Fort Chaffee camp in armed forces crumbled with a swift- helicopter evacuations. On April 29, Arkansas. Although Nguyen’s play has ness that caught both Vietnamese and 395 Americans and 4,465 refugees a pivotal moment in world history as Americans by surprise. (mostly Vietnamese employed by the its backdrop, his family’s personal his- On April 1, the U.S. Defense Atta- U.S. or South Vietnam’s government) tory is at its forefront. And with hu- ché Office in Saigon opened the Evacu- escaped Tan Son Nhut by helicopter. mor, irreverence, a little hip hop and ation Control Center (ECC) at the Tan Approximately 2,000 other refugees, plenty of exaggeration—all hallmarks Son Nhut Air Base to facilitate the de- unable to reach the airbase, mobbed of the playwright’s distinctive style— parture of Americans and at-risk Viet- the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, a sec- Nguyen brings his parents’ story to namese from the South. By April 21, ondary evacuation point. Although life as only he can. approximately 5,500 evacuees left the helicopter pilots accommodated as ECC by plane each day. But on April many passengers as possible, more Above: the deck of the USS Midway during 28, the PAVN bombed Tan Son Nhut, than 400 potential refugees remained Operation Frequent Wind, April 1975; a fam- ily in the refugee camp at Fort Chaffee, 1975 and the facility could no longer sup- at the embassy compound on April (photo courtesy of UCI Libraries Southeast port departures by fixed-wing aircraft. 30—the day that Saigon fell to the Asian Archive). Vietgone • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P3 Artist Biographies JON HOCHE SAMANTHA QUAN Asian Guy/American Guy/ Asian Girl/American Girl/Thu/ Nhan/Khue Huong/Translator/Flower Girl is honored to be making his SCR recently appeared in SCR’s 2015 debut with Vietgone. Recently, he Pacific Playwrights Festival reading was a performer/puppeteer in the of Vietgone. Her theatre credits in- North American tour of War Horse, clude workshops of Peerless, Han- as well as performing in the show’s nah and the Dread Gazebo, Red Asian debut in Tokyo, Japan. He is the artistic asso- Flamboyant and American Hwangap (Ojai Playwrights ciate of Vampire Cowboys Theater Company, where Conference), B.F.E. (Just Add Water Festival), Masha playwright Qui Nguyen serves as co-artistic director/ No Home (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and An Infinite co-founder and resident playwright. Hoche recently Ache (The Globe Theatre). Her television credits include participated in the 2015 Jim Henson Company Diversity “NCIS,” “Blue,” “Subergatory” and “Castle.” Her film Puppetry Workshop. He also has worked with Ma-Yi The- credits include 4 Wedding Planners, Sake Bomb and the ater, Two River Theater Co., American Globe Theatre, upcoming independent film Good Grief. Quan is a gradu- 2G and Premiere Stages to name a few. Find out more at ate of the New York University graduate acting program. JonHoche.com. MAUREEN SEBASTIAN RAYMOND LEE Tong Quang recently appeared in SCR’s 2015 appeared at SCR previously in the Pacific Playwrights Festival reading Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of Vietgone. Her regional credits of Vietgone and in productions include Arabian Nights (Berke- of Robin Hood and Four Clowns. ley Repertory Theatre and Arena Born in New York City and raised Stage), The Winter’s Tale, A Mid- in Los Angeles, Lee is an actor, summer Night’s Dream and The Taming of the Shrew musician, physical performer and founding member of (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey) and Thunder the Los Angeles-based, internationally touring clown Above, Deeps Below (Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and troupe, Four Clowns. The company’s inaugural show, Second Generation). Her off-Broadway credits include also titled Four Clowns, toured nationally and has taken Now Circa Then (Ars Nova), Lonely, I’m Not and Year them to notable venues such as La MaMa E.T.C. (New Zero (Second Stage), Soul Samurai (Vampire Cowboys York City), SCR, Sacred Fools Theater Company,