Qui Nguyen made a name for himself with the premiere of his play Vietgone. He has written a follow-up called Poor Yella Rednecks and it just had its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa over the weekend. Poor Yella Rednecks builds on the story of Tong and Quang which was first introduced in Vietgone.
The inspiration for Tong and Quang’s story is the playwright’s parents. In Poor Yella Rednecks, we see them as they try to build a new life in Arkansas. They met in a Vietnamese refugee camp in the first play and now we see their life as a married couple – and all the challenges that alone presents, let alone being strangers in a strange land.
Nguyen no doubt utilizes the same sense of humor that guided Vietgone. There’s an indication of that on the production’s webpage that has the following warning: Contains strong, frequent profanity, rap music, haze, smoking and a Vietgone re-cap.
And did I mention there’s a puppet?
Tim Chiou plays Quang and Bully Chris. Maureen Sebastian plays Tong. Multiple other characters are played by Samantha Quan, Paco Tolson and Eugene Young. Poor Yella Rednecks is directed by May Adrales, who also directed Vietgone.
For tickets go here.
Main Image: Tim Chou and Maureen Sebastian in Poor Yella Rednecks (Photo by Jordan Kubat) All images courtesy of South Coast Repertory