Theater Mu's world premiere new play HMong Futures: The Future of Us tells the specific story of three generations of HMong women in rural Minnesota, that is universal in its depiction of a family with conflicts and misunderstandings, but great love and a sense of tradition that keeps them together, even when things get hard. Written by HMong American playwright Katie Ka Vang, whose work has frequently been seen on Mu and other stages around town (most recently
Sixpack at the Jungle), it's a story that resonates in any time, but particularly now when our HMong community was one of those targeted by the recent ICE invasion. It's a sweet, funny, hopeful story about how we move forward into the future, featuring a fantastic five-person cast and a gorgeous design that's bursting with spring.
HMong Futures: The Future of Us continues at Gremlin Theatre through May 3. Now that food truck season is upon us, come early to see what's parked outside Vandalia Tower (I had some great Thai food for lunch), or order
OG Zaza Pizza and eat it at
Lake Monster Brewing,
King Coil Spirits, or on the lovely patio under the tower.
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mother/daughter connection (Sharon Omi and Nancy Ma)
(photo by Rich Ryan) |
The play takes place at Zong's home on the co-op farm she runs with her neighbors. Her daughter Fhoua returns after five years away, having left after a fight between mother and daughter that we'll learn about later. Her teenage daughter Maly is at a camp nearby, learning about NVC (non-violent communication). Fhoua wants to move home, but has a hard time asking her mom for help, especially after learning that she's showering with the neighbor, and there's a young stranger named Aben living in the house with a surprise connection to the family. This is a play in which not a lot happens, but everything changes for these characters. There are a lot of arguments and avoidance that eventually lead to some heart-to-heart conversations. This multigenerational family of three very different women connect through nature, food, and their cultural traditions.
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Maly (Melody Her) and Fhoua (Nancy Ma)
working in the garden (photo by Rich Ryan) |
"Bicoastal" director Reena Dutt makes her debut with Theater Mu, and has worked with Katie and Mu on the development of the play. The script and the direction are very polished and smooth, the story playing out in scenes inside and outside the family home over the course of a couple days. Sharon Omi and Nancy Ma make their Theater Mu debuts as Zong and Fhoua, respectively, and are very believable as mother and daughter, with a prickly and familiar chemistry. Local actor Melody Her completes the trio as granddaughter Maly, a smart and sweet teenager. Greg Watanabe is funny and natural as neighbor "Unclefriend," and Mason Yang (a high school senior!) is so endearing as Aben. It's a tight ensemble that works together very well.
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| the cast of HMong Futures (photo by Rich Ryan) |
This is one of the more elaborate sets I've seen at Gremlin in a while, with a full structure built out of warm rich wood, with some beautiful open slats on the back wall and a porch extending out into the space, surrounded by a realistic garden. The floor is covered with turf and dirt, cabbages grow in the garden, a raised flower bed is filled with herbs, and vines trail up the walls. It's incredibly detailed, even to moss growing on the corners, and sweet little flowers growing under the porch, lit up with twinkling lights in some scenes. Inside the home there's a comfy couch, a kitchen island filled with items and instruments for cooking, and photos and artwork hanging on the walls. Characters are dressed in casual wear appropriate for working in the garden, which most of them do at some point, and I love the detail of everyone taking off their shoes and putting on house shoes when they enter the home. (Scenic and costume design by Sarah Bahr, props design by Sarah Harris, lighting design by Ellie Simonett.)
HMong Futures: The Future of Us is a well-written slice-of-life play that doesn't tell us everything about these characters, their lives, or their history, but it does give us a clear picture of who they are and what they mean to each other. It shows us the possibility of connection, of moving forward while still honoring traditions, and it kind of makes me want to go live on a farm co-op in a community of people helping each other, living in and tending to nature.
