CINCINNATI (APRIL 11, 2024) – An all-American love story about two very new Americans opens in previews on April 27 at the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre. Presented by Ellen and Ray van der Horst, VIETGONE is a reinvention of the romantic comedy. Opening night is May 2. The production runs through June 2.
It’s 1975. Saigon has fallen. He’s lost his wife, she’s lost her fiancé, and home as they’ve known it will never be the same. But this is not a war story. It’s a love story. Based on playwright Qui Nguyen’s family, VIETGONE tells the partially true tale of how his parents, Quang and Tong, met in a refugee relocation camp in Arkansas during the Vietnam War. They navigate their new lives as new Americans amidst family pressure, the challenges of migration and a culture full of motorcycles, cowboys, fast food and dreams.
“This is my origin story not only as a human being but as an artist as well,” Nguyen said. “I don’t think I would’ve become a writer if it wasn’t for my grandmother, who told me when I was very young, maybe 8 or 9, why she told me so many stories. She said when she escaped Vietnam, she left very fast without packing her bags, carrying jewelry or money, or (bringing) photos from home. All she had was her stories. And honestly, I think stories are the only thing anyone has of value.”
Qui Nguyen is an Emmy-Award-winning TV writer, filmmaker, playwright, and co-founder of the pioneering geek theatre company, Vampire Cowboys. Notable plays include Vietgone, Poor Yella Rednecks, Bike Wreck, and the acclaimed Vampire Cowboys productions of She Kills Monsters (recently awarded a 2024 Kennedy Center College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion Award). For TV/Film, he’s written for Marvel Studios, Netflix, AMC, SYFY, and PBS. He recently penned Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon (nominated for a 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature) and co-directed and wrote Disney’s Strange World.
One unique aspect of VIETGONE is the use of original hip-hop and rap music to elevate the inner thoughts of the characters. The music in the play is composed by Shane Rettig.
“It’s not a musical, but the music is important to the piece,” said Joanie Schultz, who directs the play and serves as the Playhouse’s Associate Artistic Director. “The songs work like arias in an opera and give the characters an opportunity to explore an emotional state, but by using contemporary pop music styles, they are even more relatable to us as a modern audience.”
Nguyen added, “I hope people just enjoy a good love story. I hope they long for Quang and Tong to get together. And I hope in the final scene they get a new perspective on what being American and being Vietnamese means.”
CAST
- Tong – Sami Ma
- Thu/Huong – Olivia Oguma
- Playwright/Giai/Bobby – Julian Remulla
- Quang – Hyunmin Rhee
- Nhan/Khue – Viet Vo
Production
- Playwright – Qui Nguyen
- Director – Joanie Schultz
- Set Designer – Chelsea M. Warren
- Costume Designer – Jessica Wegener Shay
- Lighting Designer – Jennifer Fok
- Original Music/Sound Designer – Shane Rettig
- Fight Director – Rod Kinter
- Associate Director – cara hinh
- Casting Director – Stephanie Klapper, CSA
- Stage Manager – Andrea L. Shell
- Assistant Stage Manager – Shelby Scaffidi
TICKETS
Tickets begin at $35.00. Prices vary and seating location and performance day. Preview performances take place on April 27, April 30 and May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is May 2 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A weekday matinee will be offered on May 15 at 1 p.m.
To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit http://www.cincyplay.com. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.
EVENTS
Preview Performances:
Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted.
- Sat., Apr. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
- Tue., Apr. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
- Wed., May 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night:
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights with a lively post-show cast party.
Art Talks
(Formerly Meet the Artists), stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.
- Sun., May 5 at 2 p.m.
- Sun., May 12 at 2 p.m.
- Wed., May 15 at 7:30 p.m.
- Thu., May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
ADVISORY
VIETGONE is recommended for older teenage and adult audiences. In this hopeful, funny and irreverent story about love, the characters sometimes express their emotions through rap music, use very strong language and make sexual references. The play includes descriptions of violence, discrimination and the aftermath of the war in Vietnam.
SPONSORS
Presented by Ellen and Ray van der Horst. Production Sponsor is Roto-Rooter. Design Sponsor is Geiler. Season Sponsor is the Vontz Family.
The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.
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