What I liked
Vivi’s gift for storytelling is tremendous. The connection she has to the piece is palpable, and the show is fascinating. The direction and the images chosen, lighting and sound design only serve to lift the story Vivi so deftly tells. There is nothing I don’t like about this show. And I genuinely learned something about the experience for so many Vietnamese people leaving in the immediate aftermath of the war in Vietnam, but just as important, I learned something about the heart of an artist who after seeing this I hold in the highest esteem.
What I didn't like
Nothing. It’s perfect. I can’t wait to see it extended and expanded.
My overall impression
Like no other show I’ve seen at the Hollywood Fringe this year. Such emotional depth in a piece which also seeks to educate and share a deeply personal family story about Vivi’s family’s escape from Vietnam as the war came to a close. A harrowing tale you can’t help but get swept up in and Vivi is so magnetic and holds the audience with such care and an open heart. Considering the life or death stakes of the story, you leave feeling hopeful for the humankind’s capacity for kindness and community and taking care of each other even in the face of the most impossible and scary circumstances.
