Attending a performance of Vietgone at Manhattan Theatre Club I knew very little about the show, other than it centered around a love story starting after the Vietnam War, and that there might be some rap. It turned out to be a beautiful and hilarious piece written by Qui Nguyen and directed by May Adrales, about two people accidentally falling in love while neither of them were looking for it. The plot was forwarded by an amazingly effective theatrical device in which the characters “speaking Vietnamese” speak in modern day English slang, contrasted by the characters “speaking English” who have thick southern drawls and speak in Americanized lingo gibberish (Highlights include “Hamburger, freedom, monster trucks” and “Yee-haw, freckles, NASCAR!”). The production was surprising and engaging, but the aspect of the show that really captured my attention was the projection design.

The set, lighting, and projection designs helped transport us through time and place–Vietnam to Arkansas, and the 1970s to today. Projection Designer, Jared Mezzocchi created a comic book aesthetic including pop art mimetic imagery which helped clarify action, while adding to the humor already seeped through the production. Mezzocchi, faculty at URTA member school University of Maryland, created a holistic theatrical experience from the opening scene to the close. The projection design was heightened with lighting design by Justin Townsend, an URTA alum with a MFA in lighting design from California Institute of the Arts.

Vampire Cowboys, the theatre company of playwright Qui Nguyen, is often credited with being a pioneer of “geek theatre”, and is the only theatre company sponsored by New York ComiCon. This association is abundantly clear through the visuals which highlight the actions of Vietgone. Many of the projections, mostly shown on two billboards on opposite sides of the set, were in the style of a graphic novel mixed with a movie. This was most aptly used through multiple sequences where two actors ride a motorcycle, as moving video accompanies them and simple animate objects pass, creating the illusion that the characters are riding along the highway.

Theatre is always pushing boundaries, merging art forms, and incorporating new forms of technology. URTA faculty and alums on this production have done a fantastic job of combining the worlds of sequential art, cinema, and live production. Check out Vietgone, playing now at Manhattan Theatre Club.

Rachel Friedman is Education Manager at URTA.