Dates
January 23, 2017
Venue
Alphawood Foundation Exhibition Hall
2401 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL
At this special event, curator Anthony Hirschel gave patrons a private tour of artwork created during President Reagan’s time in office. Audiences learned about how visual artists responded to the AIDS crisis and, in particular, to President Reagan’s refusal to even utter the word AIDS—not to mention his refusing to fund efforts to counter the disease.
The tour was followed by a reading of a selection from Red Flamboyant by Don Nguyen. Inspired by the true story of a woman in Vietnam who started an AIDS support group, this play blends real life with folklore to reflect on the role of citizens and how they can counter stubborn government officials.
The evening concluded with a group discussion led by Artistic Director Jamil Khoury on creating art that responds to political and social crises. The gallery exhibit and the play reading will serve as examples of such responses.
Red Flamboyant Cast and Creative Team
Ms. Hue
Rose LeTran
Ms. Sau
Cheryl Hamada
Diem
Rammel Chan
Vung / Trung Trac
Melissa Canciller
Nga / Trung Nhi
Shea Lee
Stage Directions
Bryan Bosque
Silk Road Rising Artistic Director
Jamil Khoury
Silk Road Rising Executive Director
Malik Gillani
Director
Helen Young
Stage Manager
Corey Pond