You may think all artists have to do is show up and like magic, there's a show. But there is a LOT of preparation weeks prior. And for this show there were a lot of challenges. But in the end it all paid off as one of our most successful events to date where over 1000 people mostly Laotians attended our shows and programs. A quick recap of the last week:
Wednesday, April 1 - Ova and Leilani drive down to San Diego to lead a workshop with SDAYO - San Diego Asian youth Organization at the San Diego Police Department Multicultural storefront. Officer Somsack Thongchanh introduces us and we get started.
Thursday, April 2 - First day in the space, we have been told that we are the first theater company to be in the space. SURPRISE - they have no lights! So we had to rent light and load them in ourselves.
Luckily Litdet had a truck to haul it all in. But then, turns out the electrical in the "state of the art" facility can't handle the lights. So when the electricity goes out on the outlets, we wait for the electrician toshow up and help. Ova and Litdet start working on some new performance ideas...
Hey, where did Ova go?
Oh, Ova's under the stage looking for
alternative outlets for the lights. This takes "find your light" to a whole new level for this actor!
Marie-Reine ignores it all... "must find people to come to the show, must tell people about the show, must get people to the show..." she types away getting the word out to the press and theater community about tomorrow night's performances.
Friday, April 3 - Opening Night!
More tech rehearsal. Lights to hang, Ed our sound guy comes in. We're ready for Dress Rehearsal, and pow. lights go out again! Ed to teh resuce with the proper connectors that the "state of the art facility" does not have and the "light kit" does not provide. Whew! Crisis averted, 1 hour before the doors open! Yikes, put on the costumes, get backstage.... And....WOW! People start arriving. 300 chairs have been set up. but now they are full! Roque and the Jacob's center staff scrmble to pull out more chairs! 400? 500? people? All Laotians of all ages! It's are larges audience ever and the most Laotians to see the show at once. LEgacies of War makes their presentation and people view the exhibit. Then our show goes up (the half hour family friendly version). Laughter and applause in places there never had been before. When the Elder (Ova) tell the Youth (Leilani) in Lao that she should speak Lao ther eis thundersous applause and it takes a good minute for themt os top before Leilani can say her next line. The show ends with Ova chanting "I'm Lao and I'm proud" to audience debuting our new "LAO'd & Proud" shirts and the audience joins in! Success! And a whole bunch fo new fans...
Couldn't have done it without this crew! Sakuna, Somsack and Channapha and Islanda (not in pic)!
Sunday, day 2 of the Lao New Year Festival Nicole is one of the lucky people to have bought our first LAO'd & Proud t-shirts! We sold out on Friday night even before the festival began! 
