RED FLAMBOYANT

Firebone Theatre
Hosted by The Olmsted Salon
61 Gramercy Park North
April 24-May 16

Directed by Laura Savia
Written by Don NguyenFeaturing Nancy Sun, Karen Huie, Kim Wong, Creina House, Don Castro

In present day Vietnam, people living with HIV/AIDS are isolated and shunned. Mrs. Hue was infected by her heroin addicted husband. She tries to build a support group by inviting other women infected with the disease to live in her house. Adjusting to all the conflicting personalities while trying to summon the courage to fight for the treatment they need is difficult for this shy woman.

Don Nguyen’s RED FLAMBOYANT, tells the story of Mrs. Hue’s growth from victim to leader in this affecting play combining folk lore, storytelling and the relationships with her fellow sufferers.

When one walks into the space, the simple but artful design transports you to a small village in Vietnam. Unfortunately, the rest of the staging and design are more distracting than transporting. Because of the 360° staging, there was almost always a stage light glaring in my eyes. The shadow puppets (a great idea) were sloppily handled in some scenes, but worked well in others. The aerial work (another great idea) also was inconsistent and messy. Instead of being highly affecting, it often seemed as if the actors were just bouncing around for no reason.

The acting was also inconsistent, with the exception of Karen Huie as Mrs. Sau who was consistently strong.

I hope the play is given another, simpler staging, as I think it could be quite affecting. The real Mrs. Hue deserves a successful show to bring her story of heroism to a wider audience.

- Jean Tait -