At the first in-person Gregory Award Ceremony for five years, PFP artists caused quite a stir, carting off four Gregory Awards for theatrical excellence, as awarded by Theatre Puget Sound at its awards ceremony Monday, October 21.

PFP producer Anamaria Guerzon won for Outstanding Performance in a Musical for her role in Reboot Theatre’s Anyone Can Whistle (Stephen Sondheim’s hidden gem).

PFP Producer Josh Valdez won for Outstanding Sound Designfor Yun Theatre’s heartfelt memory play June is the First Fall (making it Yun Theatre’s first Gregory).

Linus Guo won Outstanding Performance by a Musician in PFP’s and SIS Productions’ Vietgone (hurrah for band ninjas!)

And, to top it off, PFP and SIS Productions won Outstanding Production of a Play for Vietgone!  This marks the very first Asian/Asian American play to be named Outstanding Play at the Gregorys (Sara Porkalob’s Dragon Lady won Outstanding Musical in 2018).

PFP led an eye-popping parade of Asian American artists at the Gregorys as PFP alum Maggie Lee won Outstanding Original Script for her touching Once More, Just for You at Seattle Public Theatre,  Pearl Lam won Outstanding Performance in a Play for SIS Productions’ and Seattle Public Theatre’s Unrivaled and Robin Macartney won Outstanding Properties or Special Effects Design for Once More Just for You.

Give all of the winners a hand!

“As an Asian American who grew up in Texas, it’s always refreshing (dare I say “novel”) to see Asian perspectives and representation on the stage. We’re not the “cultural other” in this story. Instead of Asian Americans speaking incomprehensibly, it was the other way around where the white American characters spoke weird broken English to depict their difficulty speaking Vietnamese. There were also many references in the play about living in a white-dominated society that many non-Asians wouldn’t understand. Additionally, it was a welcome change seeing the male romantic lead as an Asian man (Joshua M Erme as Quang) with sex appeal, muscular physique (Gurrrrl, look at that body!), and a masculine profession in the armed forces. This representation is still so important today even in the woke PNW where I know a half-Asian kid who literally expressed that they didn’t want their Asian features. Role models and goals!”
Shows I’ve Seen

“This show has everything: Stellar acting, incredible set design and music, and an outstanding and important message that needs to be heard now more than ever. I hope as many people as possible experience this show. It’s worth every minute.”
BroadwayWorld Seattle

“Pork Filled Productions and SiS Productions are two mighty, tiny companies that attempt such work. Their production of Vietgone is this kind of mighty effort and a huge “win” for our community because they have gifted us with the ability to see this play in person, again. ”

Seattle GayScene / Miryam’s Theatre Musings

Don’t forget the press features about Vietgone!

Seattle Times feature:
“Director Katano homed in on Nguyen and Tang’s shared love of comic books for this new production, using the graphic novel “The Best We Could Do” — another Vietnamese immigration story — as visual inspiration. She also replaced the recorded backing tracks with Yuelan’s live band for the actors to rap over.

“Having a live band ups the cool factor by, like, 85%,” Katano said.”

The International Examiner:
“To prepare to portray Tong, Huynh has been reflecting on the stories her parents told about their childhoods and journey to the U.S. “I think about how hard it can be for my family and family friends to discuss their experiences fleeing Vietnam, and their difficult journeys, fighting to achieve a better life,” she said. “There’s a shared generational trauma of facing and escaping a horrific war, in desperately fighting their whole lives to ensure their survival, in yearning for a home that no longer exists as it did in their childhoods.””

And from the Northwest Asian Weekly:
“1975, the year of the play’s action, was obviously long before either lead actor was born.

“I have our expert dramaturge, Anamaria Guerzon,” said Erme, “to thank for providing much of the historical context for not only the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, but also the real-life version of Quang Nguyen. When the play is dealing with the war, it is definitely treated with the appropriate level of seriousness.”

As of this morning, Friday August 22, the Friday and Saturday performances are sold out online, but if you email tix@porkfilled.com, your name will be added to the wait-list in the order received, and at 7:20pm, any tickets that have not been picked up will be released to the waiting list. We usually have a number of no-shows (5-10), so there’s a decent chance we can get you in.

VIETGONE – Sensory Audience Guide Content

 VIETGONE is an intense show from a sensory perspective. Emotionally intense moments include racism, physical violence, PTSD nightmares of war, permanent separation from family members because of war and other difficult topics. Production elements include projection screens on the top half of the set, and the entire set used for spiraling and scrolling lighting effects. Because these emotionally and visually intense elements are woven throughout the entirety of the show, it is not possible to create a fully “sensory sensitive” experience from a production standpoint. Audience members who are sensitive to emotionally intense themes and moving visual imagery should consider, based on the audience guide below, if this is an appropriate show for their unique sensory needs.

Environmental Considerations for VIETGONE

• The performance takes place in the Theatre Off Jackson. It is a smaller theater, seating about 140 patrons. The ceiling is low and all seats are close to the stage.
• There are two aisles in the theatre, both of which are used by performers for entrances and exits during the show.
• The show is approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes in duration. The first act is 1 hour, 10 minutes, there is a 15 minute intermission, and the second act is also 1 hour, 10 minutes.
• Part of the sound system is located under the seats in the right section as you are facing the stage. This causes intermittent rumbling sensations under those seats.

Show Content Considerations for VIETGONE

• This show is very emotionally intense including PTSD nightmares of war, physical fighting from both male and female characters, racism, swearing and sexual situations. As such, it is rated PG-14.
• The show is also very visually intense. The top part of the set features screens used for rear projections, and the entire set is used for spiraling and scrolling lighting effects.
  • The lobby is available as a quieter space with reduced lighting if patrons wish to take a break from the intensity of the show.
• This show has live music and loud sound effects. Noise reducing headphones are recommended for patrons who are sensitive to sound.
• The show is non-linear. Different scenes take place at different points in time, moving from present time in the main plot, to moments that occurred weeks or months earlier, then back to present time. Projections on the set help in understanding where the scene is located in time. These projections state the location of the scene and where it takes place in relation to the main timeline of the show.

In the following guide, the performance is divided by scenes that contain moments of heightened sensory intensity.  

Key to Symbols

Scenes	Sensory Category	Heightened Sensory Moments
ACT I
July 1975		–   Moving projections on set –   Loud rapping, motorcycle sound effects
Saigon, 4 months earlier		–   Giai cries
Saigon Military Station, 3 weeks later		–   Loud explosion sound effects, flashing lights, comic word projections, yelling –   Saigon is falling, Quang must leave his family behind
Fort Chaffee, Arkansas		–   Scrolling lights on the set –   Tong raps about the pain of leaving her life behind –   Flashback to Khue refusing to come with Tong and their painful goodbye
USS Midway		–   Quang is told he can’t return for his family –   Quang punches Nhan –   Circular projections during Quang/Tong’s song –   The song is about the loss both feel as they try to make America home
Fort Chaffee		–   Racist signs outside the refugee camp
Oklahoma City		–   Loud music and motorcycle sounds –   A racist biker tries to run Quang and Nhan off of their motorcycle –   Videogame sound effects
Amarillo, Texas		–   Green projections of plants spiral and multiply, moving rapidly on the set –   Quang wants his memories erased
Fort Chaffee		–   A dream sequence. Tong thinks Giai followed her –   Blood appears on his shirt as if he had been shot and actors crawl across the floor as Giai proclaims that they are all dead. –   Khue asks why Tong left him behind as blood drips from his mouth –   Eerie music plays
ACT II
Amarillo, Texas		–   Quang raps about his anger and sadness over losing his family and country –   Blue and white projections scroll across the set
Fort Chaffee		–   Quang and Tong engage in acts of sexual intimacy –   Quang and Tong reenact scenes from familiar movies to prerecorded music
Flagstaff, Arizona		–   The racist biker finds Quang and Nhan at a gas station –   Stage lights blink and yellow suns spin on the projections –   Rock music plays in the background with other sound effects –   Quang, Nhan, the biker, and ninjas engage in humorous stage combat –   The biker draws a gun, which does not shoot –   Some of the ninjas play electric instruments
Fort Chaffee/Saigon 2 months earlier/Fort Chaffee		–   Khue and Huong say goodbye to each other –   Tong is very hurt that Quang is leaving –   As Tong raps, dots and hearts scroll on the set behind her
Oceanside, California		–   Nhan points out the hard truth of what will happen if Quang goes back to Vietnam. The two of them yell at each other. –   Quang realizes that he really can’t go back to Vietnam and be with his family. Overwrought with sadness and anger, Quang breaks the motorcycle, slams his seabag, screams in anguish and sobs.
El Dorado, Arkansas		–   Blue digital waves stream across the set –   Fireworks explode on the set behind Quang and Tong after they kiss
Time speeds by		–   Years flash on the projection screens, the band plays songs from various decades.
2015		–   An elderly Quang admonishes his son for saying the Vietnam war was a mistake and shares his point of view

Tickets sold at https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/vietgone/

JOIN US on August 15th after Vietgone for a post-show discussion with Susan Lieu, author of her new memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter!

Cover photo by Jenny Crooks. 

SUSAN LIEU is a Vietnamese–American author, playwright, and performer who tells stories that refuse to be forgotten. She took her award-winning autobiographical solo show 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother on a ten-city national tour, with sold-out premieres and accolades from the Los Angeles Times, NPR, and American Theatre. Her debut memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter, is an Apple Book of the Month, Apple Book Must Listen of the Month, and has been featured on The New York Times, NPR Books, Elle Magazine, LA Times, and The Washington Post. Creator of The Vagina Monologues, V (formerly Eve Ensler) calls The Manicurist’s Daughter “a stunning, raw, brave memoir that wouldn’t let me go.” She is a proud alumnae of Harvard College, Yale School of Management, Coro, Hedgebrook, and Vashon Artist Residency. She is also the cofounder of Socola Chocolatier, an artisanal chocolate company based in San Francisco. Susan lives with her husband and son in Seattle, where they enjoy mushroom hunting, croissants, and big family gatherings. The Manicurist’s Daughter is her first book.

BOOK SUMMARY

An emotionally raw memoir about the crumbling of the American Dream and a daughter of refugees who searches for answers after her mother dies during plastic surgery.

Susan Lieu has long been searching for answers. About her family’s past and about her own future. Refugees from the Vietnam War, Susan’s family escaped to California in the 1980s after five failed attempts. Upon arrival, Susan’s mother was their savvy, charismatic North Star, setting up two successful nail salons and orchestrating every success―until Susan was eleven. That year, her mother died from a botched tummy tuck. After the funeral, no one was ever allowed to talk about her or what had happened.

For the next twenty years, Susan navigated a series of cascading questions alone―why did the most perfect person in her life want to change her body? Why would no one tell her about her mother’s life in Vietnam? And how did this surgeon, who preyed on Vietnamese immigrants, go on operating after her mother’s death? Sifting through depositions, tracking down the surgeon’s family, and enlisting the help of spirit channelers, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of beauty.

The Manicurist’s Daughter is much more than a memoir about grief, trauma, and body image. It is a story of fierce determination, strength in shared culture, and finding your place in the world.

BOOK ORDER LINK
https://www.susanlieu.me/the-manicurists-daughter

NATIONAL TOUR DATES
https://www.susanlieu.me/events

SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @susanlieu, @celadonbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanlieuofficial

TikTok: @susanlieuofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlieu/

For the Deaf community Pork Filled Productions and SIS Productions is offering closed captioning for four performances of Vietgone by Qui Nguyen (author of Raya and the Last Dragon presented in association with and at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA).

This ribald, funny romantic comedy can be enjoyed by all audiences on theSaturday, August 10^thand Friday August 16^th at 7:30 pm and both performances on Saturday, August 17^th (2 pm and 7:30 pm). Patrons can use their personal devices (phone or tablet) to tune in to a special site for dialogue.

Deaf Audience members who are unable to make it those nights have other options. Upon request, audience members may use printed copies of the script along with a reading lamp and follow the action on stage. Both options will have special sections of the house so patrons can enjoy the show without being disturbed by the rest of the audience.

“Our experience with producing new work centering Deaf artists showed us the need for this,” says PFP Executive Director Roger W. Tang. “Many theatres are missing a vital part of the community by not providing for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences and we wanted to bridge that gap.”

Tickets for all performances of Vietgone (running August 9^th to 27^th) are available at https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/vietgone. Patrons wanting printed scripts to follow along may request them in advance at porkfilled@gmail.com (Name, number of scripts and for which performance).

It’s 1975, after the fall of Saigon. Two young survivors (who may or may not be the playwright’s parents) meet in Arkansas. Will this strange land of burritos, bikers, hippies and pot allow them to fall in love? Flipping stereotypes and remixing history, Vietgone cooks up a sexy, funny romp (with live music!) that’s a secret origin story for playwright Qui Nguyen (author of Raya and the Last Dragon)!

The show is rated PG-14 for sexual situations, swearing, redneck racism, nightmares of war, and badass kung fu fighting. For more information, contact PFP at oink@porkfilled.com, call (206) 486-0375 or go to their website, www.porkfilled.com.

TheThursday, August 22nd  performance at 7:30pm and will feature a sensory relaxed performance to increase access and equity by reducing intensity of lighting and sound to enable more audiences to enjoy the show.

SIS Productions is a production company that strives to create, develop and produce quality works that involve Asian American women, their themes, and Asian American issues. SIS Productions encourages opportunities and support for Asian American women to be involved in all aspects of the production of artistic endeavors. SIS Productions is supported by 4Culture, ArtsWA & Melvin Inouye.

The oldest Asian American theatre group in the Pacific Northwest, PFP centers Asian American and POC artists to imagine fantastical, inclusive, and FUN universes. Through the genres of science fiction, noir, fantasy, steampunk and more, we envision a bright universe informed by diverse experiences and perspectives, populated by larger-than-life characters, where everyone’s story can be told.

PFP’s season is supported by 4Culture, ArtsWA, ArtsFund and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Pork Filled Productions is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington with the services, resources, and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.

Pork Filled Productions and SIS Productions are pleased to announce that the August 22nd performance of Vietgone, by Qui Nguyen, at 7:30pm in association with and at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., Seattle, WA) will be a sensory relaxed performance.

  Tickets for this sensory relaxed performance, as well as all others, are https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/vietgone-relaxed/.

What’s a sensory relaxed performance?

A relaxed performance is designed to make the audience more comfortable.  We tweak the performance just a bit to  help people with disabilities, disorders, or differences. They get to enjoy the experiences along with other patrons.

“Relaxed” implies that the experience can be more casual. But overall is more welcoming.  

People who experience sensory overload are more likely to seek out a relaxed performance.  For example, did you know over 1/3 of the population is more likely to experiences sensory overload?

“Overload” refers to being overstimulated and overwhelmed.  As a result, sensory overload occurs when one or more senses are receiving too much stimulation, typically from one’s surrounding environment.

What makes a performance sensory relaxed?

Mainly, we’re adjusting light and sound cues to make them more friendly to folks who can get overloaded. We’ll keep house lights at 30% to let folks adjust.

We’ll also keep the back two rows on the left hand side of the theatre (when you’re facing the stage) for folks who need to stand up during performances. Folks who need to use electronic devices (speech to text, or reading lights to read a script along with the play) also will have seats on the left side of the theatre.

As well, we are developing a guide for Vietgone for patrons to prepare themselves for what’s going to happen on stage. (For an example, check out the guide we provided for She Devil of the China Seas).

Why have a sensory relaxed performance?

Theatre is for everyone! And all it takes is a little tweak here and there to make it for everyone. It won’t take away from the experience of anybody else who doesn’t have problems with sensory overload, so why not have a performance for those who do?

We want to let you know about community events connected with Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, done at and in association with the Theatre Off Jackson. Running through August 24, this co-production between Pork Filled Productions and SIS Productions performs at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7^th Ave. S. in Seattle’s International District.

Vietgone is a hilarious romantic comedy set against the Vietnam War, starring two Vietnamese survivors who romp through time and Viet and American culture, contending with burritos, bikers, pots and hippies to find love (and just maybe give birth to playwright Qui Nguyen, who also wrote Raya and the Last Dragon).

Event Highlights:

• Relaxed Sensory Performance

  Thursday, August 22, 7:30pm
  Tickets

  Relaxed Sensory Performance, Thursday, August 22, 7:30 pm.
  A sensory-friendly, relaxed performance enables children and people with sensory sensitivities to experience theatre with relaxed rules, such as the house lights staying on, theater doors remaining open, and a designated “quiet zone”. A guide to scenes will be available. Tickets for this show are available at https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/vietgone-relaxed/

• Closed Captioning Performances

  Saturday,  August 10, 7:30pm
  Friday, August 16, 7:30pm
  Saturday, August 17, 2pm
  Saturday, August 17, 7:30pm
  Tickets

  Closed captioning for Vietgone for Deaf and hard of hearing audience members on Saturday, August 10 (7:30pm), Friday, August 16 (7:30pm), Saturday, August 17 (2pm) and Saturday, August 17, (7:30pm). Follow along on a tablet or handheld mobile device! Printed scripts will be available for other performances.

• MEET Susan Lieu on August 15, 2024. Performer of the hit solo show 140lbs and author of The Manicurist’s Daughter (one of Elle Magazine’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2024) will do a post-show talk dealing with her artistic process to understand her immigrant parents.
• MEET community partner PeaceTrees Vietnam, Monday, August 19, 2024, at 7:30 pm. PeaceTrees Vietnam is a Seattle-based community group devoted to addressing the legacy of war by removing dangerous explosives, returning land to safe use, promoting peace and cultivating a brighter future for the children and families of Vietnam. For more information, visit them to https://www.peacetreesvietnam.org.
• SEE Kathy Hsieh in the role of Huong and others on August 22 at 7:30 pm! Part of PFP’s and SIS’ mission is to provide opportunities for local Asian American talent! This is a one-time opportunity to see Kathy in Vietgone. She is one of the lead producers for SIS and is one of the most noted performers in the Pacific Northwest, having performed at Portland’s PassinArt, 14/48, Seattle Shakespeare and many others.
• SEE Adele Lim in the role of Tong on August 18 at 2 PM! Part of PFP’s and SIS’ mission is to provide opportunities for local Asian American talent! This is a one-time opportunity to see Adele.  iAdele is a Chinese Singaporean actor/singer/mover based in Seattle who detoured to the veterinary, technology and climbing industries after studying Musical Theatre at the University of Washington (2017).
• SEE James lee in the role of Quang on August 17 at 2pm. Part of PFP’s and SIS’s mission is to provide opportunities for local Asian American talent.  James’s credits include Ivan Homeless in Dacha Theatre’s The Master and Margarita and Toby Liggett in Pony World Theatre’s Hotdish. He aspires to participate in works that strengthen communities and inject playfulness into our lives. Outside of acting, James loves freestyle choreography, classical violin, and short fiction writing.

The show is rated PG-14 for sexual situations, swearing, redneck racism, nightmares of war, pervasive loud music and badass kung fu fighting.

Please contact us for interviews, previews, press tickets or more at oink@porkfilled.com

PR Photos may be downloaded at https://porkfilled.com/wp/vietgone-press-page22/

Thank you!

The SIS Gals and the PFP Boys

Industry Night

Monday, August 19, 7:30pm
Tickets

Matinees

Sunday, August 11, 2pm
Saturday, August 17, 2pm
Sunday, August 18, 2pm
Tickets

Featured Guest Night

Susan Lieu, Thursday, August 15, 7:30 pm
Friends of Little Saigon, Friday, August 16, 7:30 pm
PeaceTrees Vietnam, Monday, August 19, 7:30 pm
Tickets