Hard work pays off!

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)!

GETTing READY! Lao Pii Mai San Diego '09

Refugee Nation and Legacies of War troupes setting up in Celebration Hall of the Jacobs Multicultural Center, San Diego. Everything went soooo "smooth"...OK, just kidding. I'd be up for an "Oscar" if you believed me. Besides the lights, schedule, time, vehicle complications, communication...it all went Great! All the events of the Lao New Year festival took place at Market Creek Plaza and the Jacobs Multicultural Center. Amidst the wild and perilous journey from Los Angeles(gigantic pot holes, jay-walkers, the smog-Force, elderly drivers) to San Diego, shimmering rays of sunshine(April, Pida, Paul, Antoine, SomSack, and many others), shined the pavement for our safety.

Notwithstanding the many obstacles and difficulties, every person's Dedication, Hard Work and Will Power pulled together and got the show going...to the very last minute - Lights, Camera, Action! Wait, no Lights!!!

Maybe if these guys knew what to do with the equipment?!?

Dedication!(Leilani)

Hard Work!(Marie-Reine)
Will Power!(Pida and April)

Meeting OGs a.k.a. the REAL Ajans

Last weekend, the weekend before the Lao New Year, we drove down to San Diego to spread the word about our show. First stop was the San Diego Police Department Multicultural Center also known as "the storefront." There Ajan Somsack kept a captivated audience of this year's Lao Beauty Pageant contestants and supporters while he was going over the preparations for the Lao New Year Festival. We arrived just in time for Ova to tell the 40 or so people assembled about the show that was coming to San Diego for the Festival as well. The place was a buzz with all the activity, Fashion Show practice was in the next room along with the break dancers rehearsing. We then drove to April's house, our coordinator, and she drove us to all the Lao businesses in San Diego. Seven o'clock rolls around and then we get a call. Ajan Somsack asks "Where are you guys?" We reply "We're on our way, you said 7:30" Then he says "You need to get here soon!" So we make our last stop and head over to Ajan Bounmy's house. There we were, Ova, Leilani, and our patient friend Bangbay who joined us for the ride. The house was FULL of Ajans, husbands and wives. And after dinner we were requested to perform an excerpt of our show. We were nervous. So busy with production we haven't had much time to rehearse. And here we were before a room full of elders and not just any elders, these were the first wave founding members of the Laotian Community in San Diego, educators, doctors, people who really know all there is to know about Laos. So in the living room with about 20 Ajans and family looking on, we performed the first 5 min of our scene Ajan/Ajan. After the performance, there was silence, a pause, and then, clapping. Then Ajan Bounmy raises his hand, "Can I ask a question?" So, Ova in his best Lao-glish proceeded to answer the many questions from the Ajans. "Why do we do this? How did we get started? Why haven't we seen anything like this before." A theater piece about our people? About Laotians? And so, we stayed until at least 11pm when despite the offers of glasses of wine, we said our goodbyes got promises that they would come see the show and bring everyone they know, and hit the road back to Los Angeles for our two hour drive. Getting home at 1:30AM! Now that's what we call OUTREACH!

Proof positive that we ventured into the depth of Lao San Diego.

1. Ova and Mr. Somsack at a dinner party with San Diego AJANS!
2. Muang Luang Imports off of Market St.
3. Lunch at Sang Dao restaurant.
4. A visit to one of the Lao temples.
5. Mekong Village where food and fun happens.

Young Refugee Nation fans

Footsteps of the circle of Lao.


Attending a Lao gathering where food and fun in San Diego Ova Saopeng meets young fans. Lao-American kids meet Ova Saopeng, "Hollywood Actor" he's the pirate guy!

Meet Ashley, Kelly, Lucas and Vanessa. They can't wait to see the performance soon to come during Lao New Year.

Preparing for Knoxville!

We've been home only a month. We came back to madness! TeAda opened it's 08-09 season with a it's first three week run. Which of course meant Leilani was super Artistic Director Producer and Ova got roped into pinch hitting as Board Operator for the show. When in world are we going to find time to rehearse for our show next week! Life is crazy, but somehow we keep going. Tomorrow we start packing up the props and costumes and hopefully find the time to run through our scenes. We close Wong's show on Sunday, and get on the airplane to Knoxville on Monday! Sounded easy when we planned it. But....hey, it's an exciting life. We are looking forward to finally taking Refugee Nation to Tennessee where we hope Laotians will come out to see us!