Production Notes

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Aurorae Khoo

As we are promised withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and as economic times stateside toughen, it is easy to sweep this war to the corners of our minds. I hope this play reminds us how life at home stumbles along and is fractured under the looming threat of loss and conflict in the
Middle East.

The town of Fayetteville, North Carolina is a character in this play. The city is not-so affectionately known as “Fayette-Nam”. It is also home to Pope Air Force Base (“No-Hope Pope”) and Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the country. Fayetteville is often in the news when the President stops by to make a speech or when it is voted “town most supportive of our troops.” But this play tries to explore the unheard voices of Asian Americans and other minorities trying to survive on a civilian street (Bragg Boulevard) in the shadow of the military industrial complex.

Special Thanks: Duy Nguyen, Pearl Wong, Darryl Chiang, Elana Greenfield, my wonderful actors, Asian American Theater Company of San Francisco, Mu Performing Arts of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation for the generous grant in support of this production. Oh, and playwrights Rosemary Moore, Lisa Shea, Lizzie Olesker, Gina Gold, Eric Cunningham, and the beagles for keeping me awake while writing.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE Duy Nguyen

Alright, the actors were awesome. Thank you to their spirit, their patience, and the ability to survive off Ghirardelli chocolate at 10 o’clock at night.

Aurorae was a teacher, though she never taught. The play spoke for itself, containing a toughminded, penetrating wisdom about what it takes to genuinely change, even if just a little bit.

I love this play.

I didn’t start off loving it, though I did start off with respect. But when it refused to yield to easy answers and formulas, to easy deductions about people and their strange blatant behavior, I paused, then thought, and thought, and thought.

How do you love someone who hurts you but would give their life for you?

How do you tell love from sex? From confusion and expectations?

How do people change?

How can words of affection or sorrow be misunderstood as insults?

And how are some insults, really, a cry of love?

How do intense intellect and feelings deal with grease, donuts, and trash?

How do they?

Day after day, with all the years behind, and all the years that stretch forth, uncertain, unchangeable, unresponsive.

Yea, I love this play.