Hi Vichet! How’s it going?
Fantastic. So excited to jump in.
Are you ready for your 5 questions?
Hit me.
Awesome. Let’s jump in.
Jumping...
Question 1: I’d like to start with the title of the play. What does Liebling mean, in general, but also specifically to this play?
Liebling is a term of endearment in German. I believe it directly translates to sweetie or darling. So much of this play is about navigating multiple worlds and languages. It's about the dogged persistence to try to understand, therefore to try to love another human. I wanted a title that captures both the complex rigor and the simple affection it takes to love someone.
I wanted a title that captures both the complex rigor and the simple affection it takes to love someone.
Question 2: One of the many things that I love about your writing is the way you find humor in moments where characters are navigating challenging moments in their lives. Do you try to always keep some level of humor in your writing?
Writing humor feels so intuitive to me, because I think life is often absurd. And so we must laugh. It balances us. It reminds us that there is buoyancy, energy in every situation. It gives us permission to release whatever we are holding. Whether it's tears or laughter, I often think that my overall intention is to just give people a bit of catharsis en route to healing.
I think life is often absurd. And so we must laugh.
Question 3: Now, of course there is a ghost in "Liebling." A hilarious ghost who carries many truths. Was she always a part of Liebling’s story?
Yes. From the start. And foremost, I knew that she would always be an amalgam of multiple cultures. Every culture has theories about the afterlife and often they share similar mythos... but rarely do ghost depictions embrace converging those identities. I wanted to be bold in illustrating a ghost that is truly caught in a vast, diverse spiritual landscape and dares to defy corporeal identity. Most importantly, she's a freaking riot.
Question 4: Bay Area audiences may be familiar with your work from the production of your beautiful play "Bald Sisters" which ran at the San Jose Stage Company last September. I had the honor of directing that production and was incredibly moved to see how that play moved audiences – especially those in the Southeast Asian and Cambodian communities. What does it mean to you to be able to uplift and celebrate narratives from your community and your ancestors?
Well, it's all my work. From the start, I knew I'd always wanted to write as many Cambodian characters as possible. Maybe then, people could be witness to the diversity of our experiences. Not just the sad stuff. But the silly, the absurd, the profound, the deep, and the complex. As a playwright, when I get to be in the audience with a Cambodian person who feels something, anything about what I have to offer, I feel at the center of my purpose.
From the start, I knew I'd always wanted to write as many Cambodian characters as possible.
Question 5: What do you hope audiences get from watching "Liebling"?
I hope they laugh. 🙂 I hope they look at their loved ones with a renewed curiosity. I hope they feel activated to dig into their histories. I hope they understand that there is so much more about our experiences that are common than uncommon. I hope they treat the uncommon with enormous compassion and empathy and most importantly, humility. I hope they find more ways to love.
That’s 5 questions. Thank you so much for taking the time. I’m so looking forward to sharing your beautiful words in the New Works Festival.
THANK YOU. I'm terribly grateful.
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