Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson By Diana Khong
the stanford asian american theater project presents
mary magdalene, daughter, boatperson by diana khong
the company Nathaniel Barnard…………...………………..……...…......…….Co-Technical Director Michelle Cai.………...……..………...…….…..……...…......…...…….Co-Set Designer Angie Casarez.………...…………...…….….....…......…...…….Co-Costume Designer Cate Celio………...……..…...…...………..……...…....…….Assistant Stage Manager Dana Chiueh………...….....…......….………...…...…......……..Co-Costume Designer Chloe Chow………...…….………...……...……......…...…...….Co-Social Coordinator Aurora Feng ………...………….....…..……..……..…......…...…….Assistant Producer Eva Hwang.………...…….………...……...…...………...…...……..…….Co-Dramaturg Julie Keipp………...……………...……...…...….…….......…...…….Lighting Designer Diana Khong...……..………...……...…...…………..….....…...Playwright/Co-Director Evelyn Kuo………..………......…..…..…...…....…...…….…….Co-Social Coordinator Lance Lee………...……………………………………….....…...…….Assistant Director Sarah Lee…………………………..………...…...……..…….Assistant Sound Designer Lisa Li………………………………………...…….….….…...…...…….Co-Set Designer Jen Luo….……...……...…...……….……………...……………………..Props Designer Clara Dawn Luu…………………..……...…...…..…………...Co-Dramaturg/Run Crew Zoe Ong………...……...…...……………………………..…..Assistant Stage Manager Stephanie Castaneda Perez………...……......……………....Hair & Makeup Designer Nhu Pham………...……...…...…………………………...………………Stage Manager Christina Shen……………………………….………...……...…...…….Co-Set Designer Ellie Stalcup………...……...…...……………………………..…………Sound Designer Ashley Toribio………………………………..……….……...…....…….Co-Set Designer Jacob Vanegas…………………………………..……...…...…….Co-Technical Director Brianna Virabouth………...……...…...………………………..………………..Producer Eric Vuong…………………….………...……...…………………….....…….Co-Director Kyle Wang…………………………………..……...…….....…....…….Assistant Director Shirley Wang…………………………………………………..…...…..Graphic Designer Camilla Wickman………...……...…...……………………………..………….Composer Annie Zheng………...……...…...…………………...….….Assistant Lighting Designer Alexandra Huynh……………………………………………………...……...…...…….Má Junah Jang………...……...…...…………..………...Ms. Chu / Goblin Woman / Anne Gwen Phagnasay Le………...……….…...…………………………………………....Joy Dyllen Nellis………...…………...…….Mrs. Huynh / Aunt Dao / Corner Store Owner Binh Nguyen………...……...…...…..………………………...Joy & Mercy Understudy Phong Nguyen………...……....….....………………………………………………….Six Bea Phi……………………………………..……………….………………………..Jimmy Serena Tran…………………………………..……..………………………………..Mercy
may 12-14, 2022 | nitery theater
contents include mentions of death, suicide, abuse, homophobia, drinking portrayals of smoking cigarettes & weed, game gunfire, crisis hotlines
land acknowledgement this performance occurs on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone people, stolen by stanford university. as settlers, we recognize stanford’s ongoing colonization of the bay area and its long history of land seizure and labor exploitation. to honor this land, we must do our part to rematriate the land to its original stewards. we urge you to stay plugged into the work of Justice for Muwekma in organizing for land recognition and of the many Indigenous leaders calling for land back.
theater etiquette this play asks nothing of you. we take from the words of erika dickerson-despenza & dominique morisseau and encourage you to laugh, weep, and rejoice loudly without fear of judgment in this space. theater is a notoriously white discipline, dictated by rules on how to act respectably. we ask nothing of you but that you forget respectability. be loud and unafraid. allow your body to move as if this space is yours. It is.
Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson runs approximately 100 minutes,with a 15 minute intermission.
playwright’s note by diana khong When I started writing this play, I was thinking a lot about ghosts. As an artist, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of haunting; I loved horror films as a kid, and as I grew older, I thought about haunting in the sense of how, as a Vietnamese person, a lot of things haunt my family. Within the Western canon, ghosts are always portrayed as gruesome beings ready to jump scare you once you turn the corner. But within Vietnamese diasporic literature, there are a lot of ghost stories; and the ghosts always look like us. Ghosts are everywhere in this play, depending on how you define the word. The characters are (mostly) living, but the world that surrounds them is magical and surreal. For Mercy, Jimmy, and Joy, who are still reeling from their mother’s death, they see ghosts in their dreams, at the bus stop, at the store; in crowds of women, they see their mother. However, these ghosts are not malevolent in the same way that while this is a play that tackles grief, it is not a world built without joy. Each of the characters takes their own path towards acceptance and love — and there is so much love. In the American imagination, Vietnamese stories are synonymous with grief and war but never the aftermath of how my people put ourselves back together. As an answer, this play rejects tragedy. I think a lot about art as a vehicle to reimagine what exists, abolish its imperfections, and create a liberated world — even if it only exists right now on stage. Setting part of this play in hell — a deeply carceral space of eternal punishment — and allowing it to be transcended is ultimately how I imagine a world dictated by transformative justice. Throughout the play is an ongoing conversation of what it means to heal from generations of wounds carved by imperialism. To learn from this. To find your family and love them deeply. As a theatermaker, my art is an act of renegotiation; and in this story, that means imagining an ending where our families find healing.
company note On its surface, Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson is a play about grief. But beyond that, it’s a story about the ghosts we all carry and creating a world (no matter how small it is) where we learn to live with them and forgive ourselves for living. This story follows the three Vietnamese siblings — Mercy, Jimmy, and Joy — who, upon the death of their mom, each grieve in their own ways. Mercy hasn’t talked to her mom in years so she buries herself in distractions: by binging TV shows and smoking a fuck ton, of course. For Jimmy, the middle child, he faces a moment of transformation, now unburdened with the need to provide a nuclear family and grandchildren for his mom. And for Joy, the youngest, she’s filled with guilt over how her mom was laid to rest in a country she never loved. The funeral is deeply imperfect — after all, her mom never taught her how to bury someone — and she wrestles with the need to see her again after an angel informs her that her mom has gone to hell. While each of their own journeys is different, at the center is a narrative about intergenerational found family, queer joy, and how love compels us to keep going. Ultimately, that’s also where we found ourselves as we endeavored to create process-driven art during the pandemic. Theater is a notoriously labor-intensive artform that can sacrifice the wellbeing of its artists in the face of great beauty. This is the type of exploitative production we wanted to rebel against as theatermakers informed by abolition. As we build this world on stage, we did not lose sight of the community this piece serves and the community formed around it. We held ourselves to caring for each other, nourishing our bonds, and giving grace, especially now when community care is more urgent than ever. We remembered to breathe, make our art with a slow kindness, and remember — art is nothing without the people who make it. We hope this love and care extends to you as well, audience member. As a production that centers Southeast Asian people, we invite you to come in this space knowing that you’ll be in community. Come with all your selves — the gossiping auntie and the child that wants to be held.
dramaturgs’ note by clara dawn luu & eva veanne hwang Hell-o and Welcome! As a response to the title of the show, our research was split into three themes: Mary Magdalene explores spirituality, religiosity, femininity, and religious imperialism; Daughter explores Vietnamese familial formations, patrilineage and matrilineage, and family worship; Boat Person acts as cursory cultural education about the Vietnamese diaspora and the politics of transnational travel. Our research is a combined approach of visual, colloquial, & multilingual sources; endless questions, starts, and stops. Most of all, we had fun co-dramaturging because everything felt like a chance to be surprised by one another. Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ early disciple and the first witness of Jesus’ resurrection who devoutly followed him through death. This show asks what if it is a daughter who follows her mother through this world and into the next? For Viet people, whose relationship to faith can be a colonial affect (Catholicism) or otherwise complicated (Buddhism), how do we reconcile our beliefs? “Boat Person” was a term first used to describe refugees fleeing Vietnam after the “Fall of Saigon” in 1975. The show reckons with living in the diaspora, severed from inheriting one’s own culture, and the boundaries of mourning. Like gift giving, someone can make an altar that sends things to the afterlife that the person did not get to experience in life. In this way, the living project and get to keep on being a part of the deceased’s life. Send up cigarettes, send up alcohol. Send paper money so that they can traverse the world (much like the River Styx.) Daughter reflects that Vietnamese culture is traditionally patrilineal and culturally matrilineal, with generations of powerful Vietnamese women who run the house. The show asks: How do you lay someone to rest if you haven’t inherited the land or cultural knowledge to do so? Family altars acknowledge history and are a future investment in family affairs with ancestors’ blessings, uniting the living family together with the deceased. In all folks is a smoky haze of collective geographic, diasporic memory; an altar is a curated scrapbook that gets updated continuously. Irreverence can happen where someone suggests adding to the traditional table a bottle of Hennessy, a Hi-Chew, or a Pokémon. But it’s the spirit that counts, and it’s all good food for thought. Venture to bit.ly/Ongoing_Dramaturgy to explore more- this will be a living document that we hope will spark, flicker and grow with thoughts from the broader community - preferably paired with some food and family drama.
introducing the company Nathaniel Barnard (Co-Technical Director | he/him) is excited for his second production with AATP. He's an avid maker and is thrilled to have gotten the chance to be a Technical Director.
Michelle Cai (Co-Set Designer | they/them) likes laying out in the sun, making art, and listening to music. They are deeply inspired by the creativity and care of everyone in the Mary Mag company and are honored to be a part of the AATP community :)
Angie Casarez (Co-Costume Designer | she/they) is a senior studying humbio. Her hobbies include listening to podcasts, trying new foods, and thrift flipping. This is their second production to costume design for, and they're very grateful to have contributed to such a beautiful story.
Cate Celio (Assistant Stage Manager | she/her) is a freshman probably majoring in computer science with a minor in music. She was in Gaieties in the fall and is excited to work with AATP for the first time with this amazing company!
Dana Chiueh (Co-Costume Designer | she/her) studies & works in computer science and journalism. She is currently cultivating green onions, garlic, onions, potatoes and strawberries.
Chloe Chow (Co-Social Coordinator | she/they) is a junior majoring in TAPS and Communication and minoring in Asian American Studies. Current hyperfixations include crochet, coffee alchemy, finding fruit on campus, and The Unofficial Wii Sports Soundtrack on Spotify.
Aurora Feng (Assistant Producer) is an undergraduate at Stanford. Eva Hwang (Co-Dramaturg | she/her) is an undergraduate at Stanford pursuing an English Literature major and Asian American Studies minor. This is her first AATP production and she's so happy to be here!
Julie Keipp (Lighting Designer | she/her) is majoring in Human Biology, emphasis on the Human not the Biology, and minoring in Art History. She loves pretty colors and making things go beep boop which is why she's so excited to be working on lighting for Mary Mag, and is so grateful for the open learning community AATP provides!
Diana Khong (Playwright/Co-Director | they/them) is a Viet theatermaker and filmmaker dreaming about liberation. Previous theatrical productions include co-directing the first official queer rewrite of Heathers: The Musical (Ram’s Head), directing Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (AATP), and acting/collaborating in Beyond the Wound is a Portal (Stanford TAPS). As a playwright, their one-act film 108 was produced by Ma-Yi Theater Company. Mary Mag is their first full-length work produced onstage, and they’re thankful to everyone who has held this project with love and care. In their free time, they enjoy card games, gambling and other acts of Asian degeneracy.
Evelyn Kuo (Co-Social Coordinator | she/her) is a junior majoring in English and minoring in CSRE and TAPS. She loves Bri. She is also quite fond of other people here.
introducing the company Lance Lee (Assistant Director | he/him) is a junior majoring in public policy. He is grateful to have the opportunity to engage in such a welcoming creative environment and has experienced so much growth as a theatre-maker during this process.
Sarah Lee (Assistant Sound Designer | she/her) is in her fourth year. She likes rainy days, road trip movies, Mary Mag and the people in it :)
Lisa Li (Co-Set Designer | she/her) is an undergraduate student at Stanford University. Jen Luo (Props Designer | she/they) is a senior studying computer science interested in all things tech + art + design + literature. She loves poetry, essays, solo trips to museums, and long walks. This is her first theater production and she could not be more excited to be with AATP!
Clara Dawn Luu (Co-Dramaturg/Run Crew | she/they) is a walking, talking…photo scrapbook, Cantonese-Vietnamese-American, born and raised in the epicenter of San Jose. Like the creation of altars themselves as scrapbooks of life, their creative approach comes from a Costco-size variety pack of experiences ranging from my childhood all the way up to how I create modern day improv altars. After ten years of doing theater, improv, sculpture, floristry, & photography, this is my first experience as a dramaturg, and I’d like to thank Kyle Wang, Emma, AnQi, Nathan, Co, Starr, and as always, Andrew. Zoe Ong (Assistant Stage Manager | she/her) is a Human Biology major and Human Rights and Creative Writing minor. Mary Mag is her first AATP production, and she is grateful to be part of such a loving company.
Stephanie Castaneda Perez (Hair & Makeup Designer | she/her) is a junior majoring in History with a minor in Art Practice. She loves reading, crocheting, and cooking-- most recently, she's venturing into the scary world of baking!
Nhu Pham (Stage Manager | she/her) is a freshman majoring in Symbolic Systems. She doesn't know what she's doing in life, but she is excited for Mary Mag and can't wait to see the hard work of all her sexy Maggies come together on stage <3. While not stage maryging, she can be found in her dorm watching reality TV, dyeing her hair in the dorm bathroom and staining it, or freaking out about her CS homework.
Christina Shen (Co-Set Designer | she/her) is a junior majoring in Art History. This is the first theatre production she’s worked on and she is happy to get the chance to make cool things with cool people!
Ellie Stalcup (Sound Designer | she/they) is a sophomore double majoring in Music and Political Science. She is so excited to be doing her first AATP show and to be part of a such an amazing and talented company! Outside of theater, they love to knit and crochet, play oboe, sing, and go rock climbing.
Ashley Toribio (Co-Set Designer | they/them) is excited to be a part of this production :)
Jacob Vanegas (Co-Technical Director | he/him) enjoys building things and slice of life anime.
introducing the company Brianna Virabouth (Producer | she/her) is a freshman majoring in Asian American Studies. She is so EXCITED to be producing for the very first time (shoutout to the best producer mentor, Evelyn). When she's not working on the show you can probably find her curating new spotify playlists, going to too many concerts, finding the perfect fit, contemplating dyeing her hair again, and complimenting everyone she cares for.
Eric Vuong (Co-Director | he/him) is a junior majoring in Bioengineering. Previously, he has worked on other productions at Stanford in roles ranging from writing, designing, and assistant directing. Mary Mag is Eric's first experience co-directing, and he is so grateful to be in community with such a warm and talented company while exploring queer and Vietnamese identity. In his spare time, he enjoys slapping the hands of his adversaries in Egyptian Ratscrew.
Kyle Wang (Assistant Director | they/all) is currently figuring it out. They enjoy stargazing, comic books, and getting caught in the rain. They are incredibly grateful for AATP and Mary Mag for providing such a wonderful, loving community.
Shirley Wang (Graphic Designer | she/her) can have her work found @shwirbly on Instagram.
Camilla Wickman (Composer | they/them) is a Music Composition major and Diana Khong superfan. Sometimes they think about bears, sometimes they think about horses, and sometimes they think about foxes/dogs.
Annie Zheng (Assistant Lighting Designer | any/all) graduated in 2020 (2021-ish?) with a BA in Comparative Literature and half a coterm in Sociology. Woohoo! They love sociology, ethnic studies, Asian American history, singing with abandon, dancing at all times, and fiction. They are honored to be in this space! You can find them on twitter at @squitwordd or insta at @annie.zheng.98!
Alexandra Huynh (Má | she/her) is trying to practice love in all its forms. She loves poetry, walking to podcasts (On Being with Krista Tippett), and listening to music that transports her to the mid-early 2000's. This is her first theatre production, and she is constantly in awe of the cast and crew she gets to work with.
Junah Jang (Ms. Chu/Goblin Woman/Anne | she/her) is grateful to be a part of this original production alongside a most loving cast & crew. Recent acting credits include Number Four in Among the Dead (AATP) and Veronica in Heathers: The Musical (Ram’s Head). She really likes being in the sun, hearing her friends laugh, & seeing no lines at wilbur lunch (so yum).
Gwen Phagnasay Le (Joy | she/they/he) is a Lao and Viet small bean dreaming of a more loving world through art and organizing. Previous theatrical productions at Stanford include co-directing the first official queer rewrite of Heathers: The Musical (Ram’s Head), assistant directing Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (AATP), and playing Sam in the original cast of Double Vision: A Sci-Fi Comedy Musical (AATP). Through the tears, laughter, and hugs, they have found tremendous joy and catharsis in this production and hope that you do too. A special thanks to all the women who have raised me throughout my life and my beautiful friends.
introducing the company Dyllen Nellis (Mrs. Huynh / Aunt Dao / Corner Store Owner | she/her) is a super sophomore majoring in Human-Centered Design and Engineering. She is interested in the intersection of design, technology, psychology, and entrepreneurship but also has a soft spot for the performing arts. Though she has performed in several musicals, Mary Mag will be her first play! She has had a lot of fun exploring what it's like to embody older figures through this show.
Phong Nguyen (Six | he/him) is a freshman studying Asian American Studies and Sociology. He loves writing and performing music, binging organization shows on Netflix, and engaging in discourse about anything Taylor Swift related! He is so excited to be embarking on this Mary Mag journey with such a warm and talented company.
Binh Nguyen (Joy & Mercy Understudy | she/her) is a junior majoring in Economics. She likes soft huggies and head massages. Binh was pavloved from a young age to be the big spoon. Her Vietnamese parents gave her a large body pillow to sleep with to condition her into craving human contact in adulthood. She recently stage managed AATP's Among the Dead and acted in AATP's Question 27, Question 28 last spring.
Bea Phi (Jimmy | they/them) is a sophomore majoring in Comparative Literature and minoring in Creative Writing. They have never acted before but have found their introduction to theater through an AATP show to be a wonderfully thrilling experience. Outside of the show, they are currently working on short stories based in Chinatown, trying as hard as they can to read more, and going on all sorts of misadventures with their friends!
Serena Tran (Mercy | she/her) is a freshman pursuing Psychology and Theater and Performance Studies, and is from Chicago, Illinois. Outside of AATP, she is also an intern for SVSA’s Culture Night. She loves writing, acting, singing, hugging dogs, and eating Vietnamese food. Mary Magdalene is officially her first production at Stanford, and she is very grateful to be part of a wonderful cast and company!
BUILD CREW | Elias Aceves, Miza Nanaiya Hixson, Miley Sinantha Hu, Jswigy, Kevin Thor, Noah Bartelt, Jeong Shin, Taeoam Liu, Stephanie
Pictured: Part of the Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson Company at Design Run (April 17, 2022)
special thanks to our friends, family & loved ones who have supported us and this project Stanford Vietnamese Student Association NExT Board AATP Board A3C Family Okada House Adelfa+ Tam Nguyen Tham Khong Young Jean Lee Ajibola Tolase Natalie Greene Grace Shaver Daniel Cadigan Kimberly Batdorf Sierra Elyse Porter Allison Oddman Theresa Gao AnQi Yu Adam Gutierrez Emily Saletan Yannie Noah Bartelt Esther Tsvayg Anna Kimmel Amara Tabor Smith A-lan Holt Jerome Reyes Ni’Ja Whitson Linda Denson Audrey Mitchell Elizabeth Fox Betsy Kim Georgia Limcaoco Kaelyn Ong Kinnaly Virabouth Pho Virabouth Olivia Virabouth The Onevathana Family Jessi Piggott Mai Lan Nguyen Matthew Canlas Genny Knowles Laxmi Kumaran
Monica Sok DPL Cindy Ng Jerald Adamos Latana Thaviseth Gillyn Maung Edith Wu Mary Ngo Lee Xiong Nick Virzi Claire Morton Alane Stalcup Alain Chirinian Lili Chen Zheng Cai Cat Horkay Sandi Khine Em Ho Paul Mitalipov Sam Ogunsanya Julia Hok Phouang Phagnasay Phan Phagnasay Ethan Wang NaSun Cho Acacia Lynch Shreya Garg Becky Miller Arpit Ranasaria Dalynn Miller Lucy Duckworth Coco Layton Teddy Suisman Kaavya Pichai Sam Benabou Dhruv Bhatt Alia Singh Daniel Chizhikov The Huynh Family Jimmy Le Lee’Shae Lawson Marina Luccioni Obed de la Cruz
about AATP The Asian American Theater Project (AATP) is dedicated to cultivating a space that empowers artists and audiences to engage with issues affecting the API community (including, but not limited to, discussions of identity, race, and representation), facilitating discussions of these issues within the larger Stanford community, and participating in the imagination and creation of a more equitable, just world through the language of theater. We welcome all artists, regardless of race, culture, nationality, or previous theatrical/artistic experience.
AATP board Chloe Chow, Artistic Director Evelyn Kuo, Executive Producer Kyle Wang, Community Manager Khuyen Le, Technical Director Junah Jang, Financial Officer Matthew Canlas Ian Chang Margarita Jamero Diana Khong Gwen Phagnasay Le Georgia Limcaoco Sarah Lee Miranda Liu
Ayanna Minnihan Binh Nguyen Mai Lan Nguyen Brianna Virabouth Eric Vuong Eden Wang Audrey Xu Hope Yoon Katie Yoon Kathryn Zheng Tiger Zhou
fellows Katie Baik Joey Chen Joy Kim Elaine Lai Lance Lee Jin Y Moh Srihari Nageswaran Ellie Tanimura Andrew Yung Anna Zheng Eric Zhu
nitery experimental theater board Danielle Adair, Co-Artistic Director Tim Jones, Co-Artistic Director
Marie Bland, Production Manager Genevieve Knowles, Technical Director