Poor Yella Rednecks

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Poor Yella Rednecks

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 4m

In this funny, sexy and brash sequel to Vietgone, a young Vietnamese family attempts to put down roots in Arkansas, a place as different from home as it gets.

Image: 2023 Manhattan Theatre Club Production (Jeremy Daniel)

Poor Yella Rednecks

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Also Available

Details

Summary

A young Vietnamese family attempts to put down roots in Arkansas, a place as different from home as it gets. A mom and dad balance big hopes and low-wage jobs, as old flings threaten to pull them apart. It all makes for a bumpy road to the American dream. From the world of Nguyen’s Vietgone, with its comic book and action movie influences, comes a play that melds a deeply personal story with the playwright’s trademark, killer humor.

History
Poor Yella Rednecks made its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California on 30 March 2019. The play premiered in San Francisco at ACT on March 30, 2023, and off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club on October 10, 2023. Directed by May Adrales, the off-Broadway production featured Jon Hoche, Ben Levin, Samantha Quan, Jon Norman Schneider, Maureen Sebastian and Paco Tolson.
Cast Attributes
TONG
HUONG / SAN / COP
QUANG / CHRIS
NHAN / BOYFRIEND / COWBOY / 2ND GROCER
PLAYWRIGHT / LITTLE MAN
IMMIGRATION OFFICER / STAN LEE / BOBBY / TOMMY / GROCERY BOY
  • Time Period 1980s
  • Setting El Dorado, Arkansas. 1980.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Play with Music, Puppetry, Stage Combat
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes
    • Violence

Media

“Unflaggingly inventive, it’s a merry mashup of hip-hop, pop culture, cursing and kung fu [with] plenty of heart.” – Time Out New York

“A rollicking, comic book-inspired… expletive-filled fusion of hip-hop and martial arts with the soapy twists and turns of addictive serialtelevision… a crowd-tickling comedy that squashes preconceptions in order to place hearts in a vise grip… Though rooted in upheaval and tragic loss, Nguyen’s family history is presented with a delicate balance of over-the-top humor and unforced sincerity.” – The New York Times

“Funny, profound and heartbreaking... has the exuberance and abundance of a big family-reunion bash.” – New York Magazine

““Invigorating, with an emotional wallop… Once again dollops of vintage and contemporary pop culture are crucial ingredients in a playwriting brew that has the characters rap their feelings when words seem inadequate to the task.” – Los Angeles Times

“Hilariously audacious.” – Broadway World

“Nerve-tingling, guffaw-inducing romance.” – San Francisco Chronicle

Videos

  • Poor Yella Rednecks – MTC Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Poor Yella Rednecks – MTC Trailer

  • Qui Nguyen and May Adrales on Poor Yella Rednecks youtube thumbnail

    Qui Nguyen and May Adrales on Poor Yella Rednecks

Photos

  • Poor Yella Rednecks

    Image: 2023 Manhattan Theatre Club Production (Jeremy Daniel)

  • Poor Yella Rednecks

    Image: 2023 Manhattan Theatre Club Production (Jeremy Daniel)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Qui Nguyen

Qui Nguyen is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company of NYC.

His plays include Vietgone (2016 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, 2016 LADCC Tim Schmitt Award, 2016 Edward M. Kennedy Prize finalist); War ...

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