| THEATER
a play by
Seven Asian Americans (Thai, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese) gather atop a Las Vegas wedding chapel every week for a UFO watch. One particular night brings about profound changes in all their lives when the impossible becomes a reality. This vibrant and moving comedy explores the politics of race, identity, and faith.
"The prize-winning play by Thai-American playwright Prince Gomolvilas is a refreshingly easy look at Asian-American issues of race, gender, and identity, layered with deeper questions of life and death. Three generations of Asian Americans are at crossroads in their lives; it's a clever mix of problems rooted both in Asian identity as well as with the general human condition. Gomolvilas's writing is tight, intelligent, and funny. Its essential strengths are its likeable characters and sharply-written dialogue. Theory stands out as a play worth seeing, for its humor and humanity."
"Prince Gomolvilas is smart enough to avoid wrestling this heavyweight theme [of Asian identity] with portentous seriousness. Instead, he attacks it with sharp jabs of observational humor. Gomolvilas is a brilliant writer of comic monologues. Irony and empathy are effortlessly melded, so that you can laugh at the characters while feeling a growing warmth for them."
"A winner. Tender and pensive. Playwright Prince Gomolvilas obviously has great love for his characters and it shows—each character is multi-layered with fecund emotions and complex personalities. Wonderfully wry material."
"The Theory of Everything is arguably one of the more interesting and entertaining plays to be staged this year. Subtle, thought-provoking, and funny."
"You'll be titillated and touched by Prince Gomolvilas's award-winning script, which packages the larger issues it tackles into bite-sized bits. Gomolvilas explores the Asian-American identity and psyche and its problems, but with plenty of humor. Ultimately, the play is about the human experience more than any one community."
"A play titled The Theory of Everything should think big and mess with a lot of ideas. In its easygoing way, Prince Gomolvilas's comedy is pleased to comply. This Thai-American writer is developing a strong voice."
"What an audacious title Prince Gomolvilas has chosen for his new award-winning comedy. But then, this young Thai-American playwright seems to have done a lot of living during his twentysomething years. Focusing on the lives of seven diverse Asian Americans, Gomolvilas's Theory paints a comical sketch of lost, unfulfilled friends and relatives who find themselves living empty lives in Las Vegas."
"What ensues is a complex interweaving of personal stories that parallel each other on several levels. The play is interspersed with sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant and moving monologues. Gomolvilas infuses his play with a humor that is at times light-hearted, at times darkly sardonic. The play transcends cultural, gender, sexual, and generational boundaries as, eventually, the many struggles evolve into a single quintessential human struggle to find an identity against the overwhelming backdrop of the universe."
"Critic's pick! Three generations of Asian immigrants gather in Las Vegas to watch for UFOs, but America already is alien enough in Prince Gomolvilas's cliche-free look at cultural conflict."
"An uplifting look into the Asian-American identity. Gomolvilas does a stellar job of weaving witty, observational humor into serious subjects. Told through sharp, tight writing, The Theory of Everything zooms in on the transitioning of unsatisfied souls. In the end, each character relies on one another to fill that void, highlighting the notion that people inherently depend on one another."
"Pretty awesome and worth seeing. It's a smart play with a nice theatrical device."
4 Asian-American females
1996 Commissioned by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California
1997 First draft written
1998 First prize in the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild/Julie Harris Playwright Award Competition
1998 First prize in the International Herald Tribune/SRT Playwriting Competition
1998 Staged reading by Ma-Yi Theatre Comapny at Musical Theatre Works in New York City, directed by Loy Arcenas
1999 Workshop production by Ma-Yi Theatre Company at Vineyard's 26th Street Theatre in New York City, directed by Loy Arcenas and featuring Roxanne Baisas, Millie Chow, Ron Domingo, Mia Katigbak, Jennifer Kato, Thomas Christopher Nieto, and James Saito
1999 Staged reading by Beverly Hills Theatre Guild at the Beverly Hills Public Library in Beverly Hills, California, directed by Loy Arcenas and featuring Tokayo Fisher, Amy Hill, Kerri Higuchi, Emily Kuroda, Alec Mapa, Sab Shimono, and Eric Steinberg
2000 World premiere production by Singapore Repertory Theatre and East West Players in Singapore and in Los Angeles, California, directed by Tim Dang and featuring Melody Buitu, Michelle Chong, Brendon Fernandez, Kennedy Kabasaras, Emily Kuroda, Ken Narasaki, and Marilyn Tokuda
2001 PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Drama
2001 Staged Reading by Asian Stories In America (ASIA) Theatre at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., directed by Stan Kang and featuring Anne Decanay, John Guzman, Al Twanmo, Josef Villanasco, Miyuki Williams, and Yan Xi
2001 East Coast premiere production by Asian Stories In America Theatre (ASIA) Theatre at Theatre on the Run in Arlington, Virginia, directed by Stan Kang and featuring Anne Decanay, John Guzman, MiRan Powell, Yasmin Tuazon, Al Twanmo, Josef Villanasco, and Yan Xi
2002 Published by Dramatic Publishing
2003 Midwest premiere production by dueEast Theatre Company at the Wing and Groove Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, directed by Allen Sermonia and featuring Christine Bunuan, Mary Ann de La Cruz, Jennifer Liu, Narciso Lobo, Mike Pureza, Ben Veatch, and Elaine Wong
2003 Select monologues published by Smith and Kraus in Best Men's Stage Monologues
2002 and Best Women's Stage Monologues 2002
2009 Northwest premiere production by SIS Productions at the Richard Hugo House in Seattle, Washington, directed by Manuel R. Cawaling and featuring Jose Abaoag, Stan Asis, Leilani Berinobis, Aya Hashiguchi Clark, Kathy Hsieh, Tiffany Koyano, Miko Premo, and Sam Tsubota
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