The Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2 is changing American Theater
The playwrights of the Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2: Mai Moua Thao, Ehkhudah Zar, Cindy Koy, Sunny Thao, & Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay
Two years after Mellon Foundation playwright-in-residence Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay created the Mu Tang Clan playwright incubator, she brought it back with a focus on local Asian American playwrights who identified as refugees, former refugees, or descendants of refugees. The playwrights joining her for Vol. 2? Cindy Koy, Mai Moua Thao, Sunny Thao, and Ehkhudah Zar.
As Saymoukda stated in the 2023/24 incubator’s application instructions, “According to the Visibility Report from the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, ‘Asian American playwrights, composers, librettists, and lyricists made up just 4.4% of all writers produced’ during the 2018/19 season. Within this 4.4%, refugee-identified playwrights and stories occupy even a smaller percentage. It is necessary to create spaces to help amplify refugee-identifying playwrights and their stories so that Asian American theater AND American theater are richer.”
For 10 weeks, the cohort met in person, along with mentors Liqing Xu and May Lee-Yang—both accomplished playwrights and part of the first national Mu Tang Clan—and kt shorb, who had joined Mu's team as an arts researcher for communities of color with the Social Science Research Council.
As Mu reflects back on 2024, we asked Sunny to give us a glimpse of the playwright incubator that kicked off the year. Sunny is a Hmong American theater artist who has, prior to the Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2, worked with Mu as an Emerging Playwrights’ Circle member (2022/23), an assistant director (Again, 2023), and an assistant stage manager (most recently Man of God, 2022). The play she workshopped during both playwright cohorts, The Odyssey, was one of eight finalists during our 2024 New Eyes Festival’s national call for submissions.
From above left, clockwise: Sunny Thao, Ehkhudah Zar, kt shorb, Liqing Xu, May-Lee Yang, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, Mai Moua Thao, & Cindy Koy
What did you get out of the Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2?
Being in Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2 gave me the opportunity to nurture myself among the community! It was a joy being able to meet in person, build connections, with my peers/mentors, and focus on my writing. When I first joined Emerging Playwright Circle [EPC], I made a declaration to write a play to use for graduate school applications and being in Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2 helped me refine my play from EPC, and now I’m applying to graduate schools with this play! I’m not in school yet, but it definitely feels like a full circle moment is occurring soon! <3
What was special about being in this community?
Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2’s community was such a gem. I appreciate not feeling pressured to educate my peers about my community’s history to justify why my stories, characters, etc. are important.
What was your biggest takeaway from the Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2?
Biggest take away is that this cohort affirmed to me that Southeast Asian (SEA) voices are important and our stories deserved to be a part of the American theater canon.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I hope Mu continues their playwriting cohorts! It’s so important for emerging playwrights to be given a chance to write and explore their artistry with financial support. I also appreciate the free theater tickets [from Mu Tang Clan Vol. 2 partners the Playwrights’ Center, the Guthrie Theater, History Theatre, and Theatre Elision]! I got to see so much theater, and it grew my horizon of theater venues/companies I’ve desired to attend in the past and theater venues/companies I've never knew of before this program.
Help us continue paid playwrights’ cohorts by donating to our December fundraising campaign! We’re hoping to raise $30,000 by the end of 2024.