Vietgone

by Qui Nguyen

Theoretical Scenography Project

UCLA MFA Design Thesis

Venue: Vivian Beaumont Theatre

1/4” Scale Model

When Saigon falls in 1975, Quang and Tong, two young survivors meet in a refugee camp in the middle of America. Living in a strange new land with cowboys, hippies, bikers, and more, proves to be an intoxicating adventure that leads Quang and Tong to question their futures, both together and in their new country. Part historical and part memoir, this play is an action packed comedy that flips stereotypes, remixes history, and offers a humanistic view of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. This play is a reflection of American culture and a story of how two soul mates found each other amidst crisis.

In my design, Quang and Tong go on their journey through navigating shifting landscapes and creating something new from the resources that are there and givem. I want to create a feeling that these characters are in temporary spaces that are changing with their journeys. I use billboards in my design as a vehicle for projections to show and reveal the journey they go through. The corrugated metal textures in the design symbolize a sense of non-permanency. I chose the Vivian Beaumont Theatre as my venue to convey the characters’ feelings of being small and isolated in a huge world as they navigate their stories throughout the play.