Hannah Mariah as Danielle, Dustin Vuong Nguyen as Sam, and Casey Long as Chris in the rolling world premiere of “Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious. Photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio
Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious, now playing at the Chance Theater, is a successful comedy that deftly navigates familiar themes. The title, while a mouthful, telegraphs the overall theme: Big, bad colonialism made small and ironic through the beloved Vietnamese dish and through the likable characters (both Vietnamese and western) who consume it and cook it.
That is the overall theme, but the sub-themes are numerous and given a light touch. For example, cultural appropriation, assimilation vs. tradition, gentrification, class, language barriers and racism. Fortunately, these subjects are addressed playfully. There is no preaching, exposition or repetition. The playwright, director and cast respect the audience’s intelligence. They respect the audience’s time, as well. The play consists of three vignettes and lasts a lean 90 minutes. Not a line is wasted. You will walk out feeling satisfied and wanting a 2nd installment
Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious plays through April 30 at The Chance Theater in Anaheim. Tickets are $20 – 39.
Laura Parker is not new to surviving through struggle. She has been battling a rare, progressive disease called Sarcoidosis for the past 17 years. Nor is she unfamiliar to the ravages of pandemics. She was at the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, volunteering alone in the largest AIDS orphanage in Khayelitsha, South Africa.
But the COVID pandemic has been especially difficult for her. Being immunocompromised, Laura went into extreme isolation starting March 1, 2020, after her doctors told her that she would likely not survive COVID. She did not have human contact for 14 months. Laura could only peer out of her second floor window to thank the neighbors for groceries. After 2 years, groceries are still being delivered and wiped down.
Virus by Laura Parker
This extreme isolation and stress took a psychological and physical toll. Laura says, “At times, I simply miss the feeling of a hug.” Not having human contact along with the dreaded daily news feed gave me PTSD, panic, and insomnia. I’ve seen how my isolation has caused my dog Henri Matisse to have severe separation anxiety.”
Through all of this, Laura’s perseverance to survive has pulled her through the dark days, as she has done for decades. As an Abstract Expressionist, she went back to her art to find refuge. She released her fear, loneliness, grief and sense of loss onto the canvas.
Out of this, Laura created the 10 piece COVID-19 Series as the virus took over, and shows how our world changed with it.
Social Distancing by Laura Parker
Laura’s humanitarianism is now expressed in her art. Many of her pieces have a social conscience; trauma, violence, injustice, discrimination, etc. You can feel the overwhelming emotion and energy coming through her paintings. They are raw, honest and vulnerable.
“As an Abstract Expressionist,” she says, “what I create is purely intuitive and subconscious. It comes from being deeply moved by something and the inability to change it. Typically, they are feelings of sadness, anger, or grief by what I see in the news. By expressing and releasing those feelings onto the canvas, I’m not carrying them with me.”
Lungs by Laura Parker
After persevering through the psychological toll of extreme isolation for over 2 years, Laura has decided to emerge through her art at the Annual Balboa Artwalk, Sunday, May 15. Although she still carries the risk of getting severely ill from being in contact with others, she decided that connecting with community is worth pursuing. Laura says, “I have a strong desire to share my art, my story and teach others creative self-expression and healing through art.” With COVID restrictions being lifted, she acknowledges that “the gulf between me and the rest of society is widening.” As she ponders how she will live in a post-pandemic world, she chooses to do more than just survive. Laura chooses to live.
Local sculptor Steven Lustig creates beautiful, fluid, figurative work. It fascinates the viewer because it balances conflicting realms so effortlessly: Timeless yet futuristic, human yet surreal, mass that moves so gracefully through space. Truly, you can’t stop looking at it. Fortunately for us, we will see a lot more of it! Steven and his wife Tina continue to execute on their long-term vision. That vision addresses the realities of the art business, embraces technology and keeps young artists engaged in the classic art form.
Here are some great Orange County music events I found through luck, determination and knowing somebody. These are free unless otherwise noted.
Friday, Feb. 28:
Ron Kobayashi Trio at Bayside. Ron is there every Friday and he is fantastic. What you might not know is he has high quality jazz singers dropping in. But you won’t find that posted.
The Darden Sisters at Les Amis in Fullerton. The Dardens are a fetching blend Americana, bluegrass, vocal harmonies and some covers.
Natalie Mendoza at Downtown Disney. She is an awesome jazz and retro singer. Downtown Disney never posts their entertainment schedule and they seem fine with that.
Jazz singer Lola Kristine at The Drake in Laguna Beach. Both Lola and The Drake are great at maintaining their calendars. I recommend both!
Jazz singer Elizabeth Lamers at The Cellar. Elizabeth Lamers specializes in the Great American Songbook. Backing her are a rotating list of extraordinary musicians. Truly, she makes for a great date night
The net of it all: To summarize the engaging and most surprising cultural events The OC has to offer so you (and I) won’t miss them.
The OC is not a cultural wasteland. I find out the hard way when I hear about fantastic events after they happen. Yes, there are some local events calendars out there, but they aren’t complete, they aren’t easy to find AND it is tedious to track all of them. This blog will do some of the work for you. All you have to do is show up (and pay – but you will find that some of these events are bargains)
