The Brothers Paranormal, by Prince Gomolvilas (Portland, OR)

In The Brothers Paranormal, Brothers Max and Visarut launch a ghost-hunting business to capitalize on the nationwide increase in sightings of “Asian-looking ghosts.” When the siblings investigate the home of an African-American couple displaced by Hurricane Katrina and haunted by a terrifying spirit, everyone involved must reevaluate their notions of sanity and superstition to discover the shocking truth. A spooky and heartfelt west coast premiere by self-proclaimed “world’s only Thai-American playwright,” Prince Gomolvilas.

“I’ve always been interested in the tension between what is real and what is not. Not only in terms of the laws of the physical universe but also through the world as we know it: how we perceive things and how other people perceive us. All of my research explores the play’s disparate themes: the trauma of displacement (from one’s country of origin, from post-Katrina New Orleans, from the corporeal world); the high incidence of mental health issues among Asian immigrants; and the different ways in which people cope with incredible loss.” – Prince Gomolvilas