WHAT’S IN THE NEWS
BY Gerrye Wong August 27, 2022
A NEW PLAY PREMIERES IN MOUNTAIN VIEW
The premiere of a thought-provoking play, WHITE SKY, FALLING DRAGON, came to Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and it was a wonderful production put out by a neophyte company, admits writer and director Steve “Spike” Wong. A Watsonville, Ca native, Steve wrote about his father’s part in World War II as a bombardier/navigator on B-17 and B-24 bombers in the US Army Air Force. and his struggles adjusting to civilian life thereafter.
Central plot of the play is the father’s return home, filled with tragic memories of military life during the war where he faced death and killing, both of which he couldn’t seem to forget although he admits he should feel grateful and lucky to return home. Steve himself plays the role of Pop, the father who seems to feel his role in life is just to keep working, no matter how difficult a time he faced coming to America as an immigrant “Paper Son”. In the Question and answer time following the opening night performance, Steve admitted he wrote the play in three months, but covid came along interrupting the completion process of getting it on stage.
The show’s set interestingly has a simulated bomber cockpit where the audience experiences with Winston Wang, who plays Ernie, the horrors of being on a bombing mission, where he ultimately drops the bomb mistakenly on a village, and that fact haunts him even when he returned to the safe confines of home.
A love interest comes into play with Yin Yin Low’s portrait of May, the long suffering high school girlfriend who had patiently waited for Ernie’s return, and tries to help him get over the guilt and memories of being engulfed in as brutal war day after day. Low’s portrayal was poignant yet sympathetic in the problems her boyfriend returned home with.
Steve Wong in an actual Bomber like the one his father fought WWII in
But it was Cynthia Dear’s portrayal of the mother in the play that should get all the accolades for acting like the typical Chinese mother who tries to help her son by preparing his favorite foods which she says should make him feel happy to enjoy these home pleasures. Her no- nonsense mannerisms must have reminded everyone in the audience of a mother or auntie who faced adversities in life with the same accepting positive manner. Her comments of ai ya and we are “long time Californ” brought back a lot of memories for me of my own elder women in the family, and how they coped and accepted the life they led, always feeling they should feel lucky to be here raising families.
openng night audience
Steve Wong’s play brings out so many not always recognized feelings that Chinese individuals must have coped with during the time of and aftermath of the War. His play showed mothers worries, father’s pain when losing a son, the girlfriend’s eager hopes for easy reunions, and the best friend’s quest to try to help his friend feel like a returning war hero. Steve told the audience that covid and distance cobbled together rehearsals via zoom with very limited rehearsals involving the characters himself. What an enormous accomplishment every audience member felt when he said tonight was one of the few times the cast actually worked with each other.
A shame that it is only being shown August 28, September 2,3,4. So for a fine stage play production, with a run much too short, get your reservations now. Like Wong said, he is grateful that his long awaited play to finally come together, for he, a retired school teacher, wanted to get his family story told …and it was done very well, Spike! Well written, well told, and well performed by all actors! Congratulations! Get your tickets now, everyone!
SPIRIT OF ’45 AT HISTORY SAN JOSE
History San Jose park came alive when Spirit of 45 was celebrated there, drawing throngs of people wishing to remember and commemorate World War II. The Andrew Sisters music was blaring throughout the park as onlookers came to look at Army installations of the 1940s, and dress up like the ladies of the 1940s with high heels, hats, gloves and rolled up bangs.
The CHINESE AMERICAN HISTORICAL MUSEUM showed banners of Chinese Americans servicemen and women who served in the many wars America faced since the Civil War. This CHCP showcased the GRANT AVENUE FOLLIES ladies of San Francisco Chinatown who danced to music reminiscent of World War II days. Guest Speaker of the day Professor Russell Low spoke about his book, based on true story of a company of soldiers who faced battle together during World War II, among them his own father.
Many people took this opportunity to visit the Chinese American Historical Museum itself, to learn about the history of Chinese Americans who toiled in Santa Clara Valley since the 1880s. Many were in awe of the historic gold altar, circa 1888, which was sent from China as ordered by the citizens of the last Chinatown, to be installed in their Ng Shing Gung building. With the altar, the building was used sometimes for worship, other times as a school or community center, and many times as a hostel for travelers who could not find housing anywhere else. Tours of this building can be arranged through the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, who help manage the building which they gifted to the City of San Jose in 1991. www.chcp.org
To the interest of many of the families who visited, Spike Wong showed a video on the second floor of his father who served in World War II as a bombardier in the Army Air Force. Sing Kee , a World War I hero native of San Jose has an exhibit on the second floor, showing some of his medals and a parade held to honor him when he returned home. This was quite a feat for a Chinese veteran to be so honored, as in the 1920s, there was still discrimination against the Chinese in San Jose by City leaders.
