Refugee Nation coming to Twin Cities 2010

On February 9th, the Lao Assistance Center received $5,000 from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to bring the acclaimed play Refugee Nation to the Twin Cities in October, 2010. The play will be held at Intermedia Arts with Pangea Theater and TeAda Productions.

TeAda Production's Refugee Nation is an interdisciplinary/multi-media collaboration exploring the impact of war, refugees, global politics and U.S. citizenship. It has performed across the United States, but this will be the first time it has ever been presented in Minnesota.

The actors collected oral histories and use ensemble performances to reveal the connections between the history of the U.S. and Laos. The play brings voice to a growing part of the Asian American diaspora excluded from mainstream and Asian American textbooks and art.

Presenting their very personal reconstructed memories, Refugee Nation seeks to create a performance to create dialogue within and outside of the Laotian community to promote restorative justice.

"We wanted to bring Refugee Nation to the Twin Cities for one month to have these talented actors work with our community members to bring our voices and stories to the stage," said Lao Assistance Center
Executive Director Sunny Chanthanouvong. Throughout the month, other exciting workshops and events are planned to help the state celebrate and remember the contributions of refugees.

The lead actor and writer is the acclaimed Ova Saopeng. Minnesota audiences may be familiar with Saopeng's work with the MN Children’s Theater and the Disney film series the Pirates of the Caribbean. Saopeng established the performing group,TeAda  productions Inc., as a new avenue for the public to learn and understand the culture and traditions that link back to the Laotian community and his homeland.

TeAda Productions is a company dedicated to providing innovative theatrical experiences that educate audiences about multi-cultural issues. Saopeng also wrote and created "Welcome to LSL, Lao as A Second Language.”

The Lao story has been rarely told or heard, often due to language barriers and a lack of expressive opportunities.

"We've wanted to bring Refugee Nation to the Twin Cities for a long time, and 2010 seems like a perfect year to finally make it happen," says Sunny Chanthanouvong. "We hope to get everyone involved this October."