East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest-running professional theater of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce an extension for the Los Angeles premiere of Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone, which the New York Times has hailed as “a raucous comedy” and Rolling Stone has described as “a wild, enjoyable ride.” Directed by Jennifer Chang, Vietgone began preview performances on October 18, with opening night on October 25, 2018, and now closes on Sunday, November 18, 2018 with an extension that includes four additional performances.Vietgone spins a modern twist on the classic boy-meets-girl story: Quang and Tong are refugees fleeing the Vietnam War, who hook up and fall in love in a relocation camp in Arkansas. Bold and fearless, Vietgone takes audiences on a hilariously rip-roaring ride across 1970s America with a hot soundtrack that serves up hip-hop, sass, and revolution.
Additional performances include:
Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 8PM
Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8PM
Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 8PM
Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 2PM
The cast features Paul Yen (CBS’s Young Sheldon, ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder) as Quang; Sylvia Kwan (Water by the Spoonful) as Tong; Jane Lui (Pou in Cambodian Rock Band) as Huong, Flower Girl, Thu, American Girl, Translator, Asian Girl; Scott Ly (FOX’s Bones) as Nhan, Khue, Asian Guy, American Guy; and Albert Park (The Car Plays 2018, All’s Well That Ends Well) as Playwright, Giai, Bobby, Captain Chambers, Redneck Biker, Hippie Dude.
The creative team includes Jennifer Chang (Director), Shammy Dee (Composer & Music Director), Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson (Scenic and Projection Design), Tom Ontiveros (Lighting Design), John Zalewski (Sound Design), Stephanie A. Nguyen (Costume Design), Glenn Michael Baker (Property Master), Thomas Isao Morinaka and Aaron Aoki (Fight Choreography), and Jade Cagalawan (Stage Manager).
All performances of Vietgone are staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center of the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Regular performances are from Friday, October 26 through Sunday, November 18, with 8pm shows from Thursday to Saturday, and 2pm matinee shows on Saturday and Sunday (exception: no 2pm matinee show on Saturday, November 17). Opening night was Thursday, October 25 at 8pm. Pay-What-You-Can Performance is on Thursday, November 1 at 8pm. The production runs until November 18.
Tickets may be purchased online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling (213) 625-7000, making sure to mention any wheelchair/accessible seating needs. Student, senior, and group discounts are available. General Admission ticket prices range from $40 to $60. Dates, details, and ticket prices are subject to change.
East West Players is thrilled to include Vietgone as part of Culture Shock, a 53rd Anniversary Season that is about reframing the “outsider” narrative. This production is made possible with generous support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation.
East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest-running professional theater of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, was founded in 1965, at a time when Asian Pacific Islanders (APIs) faced limited or no opportunities to see their experiences reflected outside of stereotypical and demeaning caricatures in the American landscape. EWP not only ensures that API stories are told, but works to increase access, inclusion, and representation in the economy.
For more information, please visit eastwestplayers.org.
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