Written by Kaitlin Overton

My first job in New York back in 2016 was at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, an off-Broadway company founded by the legendary actor, director, and producer Tisa Chang (The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, Pacific Overtures, Ambush Bay, Year of the Dragon, to name a few) in 1977 to offer more opportunities for Asian actors, break stereotypes, and expand a greater theatrical dialogue. My time there opened my eyes to the Asian American experience in a whole new way, affirming that these works are necessary to the theatrical canon of this country and why equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to the conversations we have about art and theater. I saw readings and productions of several of the plays listed below and was moved by each one. While May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, these stories and voices deserve to be heard every day of the year.

Vietgone by Qui Nguyen

Marvel Studio writer and playwright Qui Nguyen (Poor Yella Rednecks, Netflix’s The Society, Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon) uses his parents’ meeting as inspiration for this dynamic comedy, detailing the meeting of two young Americans in an Arkansas refugee relocation camp in 1975. Vietgone is a story full of lust and heartache, cowboys and motorcycles, and fuses pop culture, hip-hop, memory, and music to pin down the playwright’s own origin story. Time Out New York calls Vietgone “exuberantly youthful… a punch-drunk mash-up of hip-hop, road movies, sex farce and Vietnamese-American history. Oh, also kick-ass fights.”

No-No Boy by Ken Narasaki

Adapted from the novel by John Okada, No-No Boy is set after World War II and follows draft resister Ichiro after he is released from prison and is struggling to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all. This was the first play I saw during my time at Pan Asian Rep. Directed by Ron Nakahara (Daredevil, House of Cards, Isn’t It Romantic), it was a powerful and moving production, and very timely. The play traveled to Washington, DC, too, which made even more of a statement. DC Metro Theater Arts called it “an extraordinary and essential play. It’s about what happened  to innocent people when this country demonized and incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II. To witness it now—as anti-Muslim rumblings are being trumped up to a roar—is to be shell-shocked by how close we are to seeing that horrific and fear-fueled history repeat.”

The Brothers Paranormal by Prince Gomolvilas

If you like ghost stories, this one’s for you – I saw a staged reading and was instantly hooked! The Brothers Paranormal follows two Thai brothers who launch a ghost-hunting business. When they investigate the home of a Black couple displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the brothers’ notions of reality, fantasy, and sanity clash against the shocking truth. The Brothers Paranormal highlights how present-day humanity deals with grief and the beauty of compassion that is revealed even in our darkest hours. I also saw the full production of The Brothers Paranormal during Pan Asian’s 2018/19 season. It was beautifully directed by Jeff Liu (Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Yellow Face) and kept me on the edge of my seat. The New Yorker said: “Gomolvilas’s clever, multilayered play is gratifyingly subtle in its inquiry into migration—the pain of crossing over for the living and the dead alike.”

M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang

Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Broadway Play in 2018, M. Butterfly tells the powerful story of a twenty-year love affair between French diplomat Rene Gallimard and Song Liling, a Chinese opera star. Drawing parallels to Puccini’s famous opera Madame Butterfly, M. Butterfly explores themes of the perception of Eastern culture by the West and the persistent romanticism which clouds and inhibits that perception. The play climaxes with a shocking reveal so you’ll have to read it to find out what happens! The New York Post said: “It will move you, it will thrill you, it may even surprise you. It is a play not to be missed, and it is a play once caught that will never be forgotten.” For this work, playwright David Henry Hwang (Aida, Tarzan, Flower Drum Song, Yellow Face, Face Value, As The Crow Flies) became the first Asian American playwright to win a Tony Award, along with one of the lead actors, B. D. Wong (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Mr. Robot, Law & Order: SVU, Oz) as one of the few Asian American actors to win a Tony. 

Acquittal by Shahid Nadeem 

Another gorgeous play I saw during my time at Pan Asian Rep, Acquittal weaves together the stories of four women unjustly imprisoned in Pakistan during General Zia-ul-Haq’s discriminatory Hudood Ordinances. In this inspiring story of resilience and an unbreakable bond between women, these four women forge a bond that transcends their differences in class, ideology, and religious practice. Directed by Noelle Ghoussaini (Dreamscapes, Fatima and her Pigeon), Acquittal was beautifully acted by an equally beautiful cast. I also got to meet the playwright, Shahid Nadeem (Shararat, Manto), who used his own experience as a political prisoner as inspiration for this play. The Broadway Blog said of the production: “Pan Asian Repertory has not only given theatergoers an evening of provocative and engaging theater but it has also piqued a curiosity for learning more about this troubling time in history, caused us to reflect on our current age of world injustices and reminded us that citizens can (and will) force change over inequitable power.”

Daybreak by Joyce van Dyke

An important play about the repercussions of the Armenian Genocide, Daybreak tells the story of two Armenian women, friends and survivors from 1915, who are transported with their families into the 21st century. Set in three-time periods, Daybreak is inspired by the true stories of Victoria and Varter, survivors driven from their homeland of Armenia. Using memory, dreams, and music to carry their story through three generations, Daybreak celebrates love, beauty and the endurance of the human spirit. Theater Pizzaz said of Daybreak: “More than a play, it is a rich cultural event… By using the wonder of live theater, Joyce Van Dyke provides a magical way for us to be informed and enlightened, developing a more well-balanced understanding.”