Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us for another of her weekly reviews of the Baltimore regional stage. Today, she tells us about Dawn, the new work by Vietnamese-American playwright Tuyết Thị Phạm (pron. twet-tee-FAM), now enjoying a world premiere run at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre.
Like Pham's acclaimed debut play, Dinner and Cake, which premiered at the Everyman in 2022, Dawn tackles complex issues of family, culture and identity. It tells the story of a mother and daughter who confront their legacy of love and loss, against the backdrop of historical trauma.
Mary, a first-generation Cambodian American, grapples with feelings of guilt, anger, and grief as she tries to reconcile with her parents’ experiences — and their differing beliefs — as survivors of the Khmer Rouge, the extremist communist movement that ruled Cambodia in the late 1970s with bloody ruthlessness.
Credit: Teresa Castracane Photography
Seonjae Kim directs a cast that features playwright Tuyết Thị Phạm as Mary's elder mother, Ashley D. Nguyen as Mary/the younger mother, Tony K. Nam as the commune director, and Taylor Witt as the Doctor/Sam.
Dawn continues at Everyman Theatre through Sunday, March 1.
For showtimes and ticket info, click here.
