Taking it One Day at a Time
A review of Theater Mu and Katie Ka Vang’s “Again”
By M Yeager
On April 6, I and several other TRIO SSS students went to see and support our fellow student and friend, Melody Her ‘24 (Economics and Political Science) in Theater Mu’s “Again” at the Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis. The musical follows three Hmong-American women as they grapple and cope with being cancer survivors. One of the characters, Mai See (Dexieng Yang) is based off of the creator, Katie Ka Vang, and her own experience as a cancer survivor. Throughout the 100-minute runtime, the musical also explores themes of Hmong culture and togetherness.
Theater Mu is a pan-Asian theater company based here in the Twin Cities that has uplifted Asian-American voices and stories through performance and theater for 30 years. Theater Mu is the only pan-Asian theater company in Minnesota and is one of the largest and most prominent Asian-American theater companies in the United States. It also prides itself on allowing Asian-American actors, producers and playwrights to share their stories in addition to providing a space for Asian-Americans of all backgrounds to connect, feel a sense of belonging and feel seen.
Many of the St. Kate’s community members who I interviewed about their thoughts on “Again” stated that they have seen previous productions done by Theater Mu. Jinath Tasnim, community engaged learning coordinator for the Office of Community Work and Learning, said that she had seen many productions, such as “Hot Asian Doctor Husband” and “Cambodian Rock Band.” Rin Kilde ‘23 (Public Policy) and myself have seen “Man of God” and a monologue showcase at St. Kate's.
A scene depicting the Elephant Foot and the Snail, both important motifs in Hmong culture. Credit: Rich Ryan
The production of “Again,” as with the other Theater Mu productions I have seen, exceeded my expectations. During the post-show talk back with the creator and actors, an audience member applauded the inclusion of minor details and symptoms that are evident for someone with a chronic illness, such as digestive issues and anger. Other important aspects, such as the inclusion of Hmong spirituality, were also noted. “I was so appreciative to see the Hmong spirituality embedded into the play,” Tasnim said. “It emphasized how this is truly a Hmong story and not just a cancer story with Hmong actors.”
The attention to detail and the numerous intricacies that go into the heavier issues that Theater Mu’s productions cover have been one of my favorite parts of seeing these performances. In “Again,” two of the main characters, Mai See and Quest (Her), struggle with relapsing after being in remission, and this challenges some of the societal ideas of what it looks like to have cancer or be in remission. “[“Again”] exemplifies the fact that it isn’t one story that follows the same way beat-for-beat after every person’s diagnosis," Kilde said. “Rather, it is a complicated and unique story for each person, determined by themselves, their friends and family and their culture.”
A scene between Shia and Mai See. Credit: Rich Ryan
Another aspect that the audience appreciated was the portrayal of Shia (Pagnia Xiong) as Mai See’s older sister and the cultural expectation that elder daughters be almost like a second mother. “As an eldest immigrant daughter and older sister of just one sister myself, the family dynamics really hit home,” Tasnim said. During some of the scenes between Shia and Mai See, I was reminded of the dynamics between myself as an eldest daughter and my two younger sisters.
Quest and Mai See during a musical number. Credit: Rich Ryan
There are many important things that one can take from this production, but no one could put it better than Her herself:
I hope people walk away from the musical and are reminded that it’s okay to not be okay. Katie’s writing shows the story of three incredibly resilient and strong women who are struggling with issues that can be difficult to relate to from an audience’s point of view, especially if we have no direct connection with cancer. However, it’s very much shown that no matter what you’re going through, humans are not meant to go through it alone. We take it one day at a time and control what we can. In the meantime, building relationships makes it all worthwhile, and that’s very important.
Go see Theater Mu and Melody Her in their production of “Again” until April 16 at the Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis! Tickets are “pay as you are,” which means you are free to pay as little as $10 or as much as $60. There are also several special performances, which include an American Sign Language interpretation performance, audio description performances, captioned performances, Thursday actor talkbacks and an Asian-American Pacific Islander Affinity Night.
To check out the schedule and buy tickets, please visit their website.
