Voices of BTM XXIV: Michelle M. Aguillon
Tell us a little about your play.
Michael and Michelle meet at an event at the old Presidio Military Base located at Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In one instant, they were strangers; in the next instant, they bonded as if they were lifelong friends. The Presidio event commemorated a tragedy that occurred during the fall of Saigon in April 1975 that would change both of their lives.
What made you want to tell this story?
The event I mention is autobiographical; Mike and I became friends and continue to stay in touch. I also thought about our parents, my mom and dad, his mother in Vietnam, and his dad who adopted him here in the States. I thought about how much they sacrificed for us to have good lives in America. These things inspired me to write the play. Mike will be watching the livestream from Hawaii, where he resides. And we are both very excited!
What interests you about the ten-minute format?
I’ve been directing this format for more than 20 years, and I love figuring out the arc, the pace—since it’s usually a “Kodak moment,” part of a larger story. I find the limitations challenging and I love being resourceful as I can to help tell the story. With these things in mind, they helped me write for the BTM for the first time.
What’s next for you as a playwright (or producer, actor, student, teacher, etc.)?
Besides having my play be a part of the BTM, I am also directing A Song of Morning by Hortense Gerardo for the Asian American Playwright Collective (AAPC) and producing In Thunderbird Veritas by Cliff Odle on behalf of The Umbrella Stage Company for the BTM. I am currently directing Passion by Stephen Sondheim (Theater Uncorked). In the coming months I am directing Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata (Hope Summer Repertory Theater), The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (Vokes Players), and Middleton Heights by Hortense Gerardo (The Umbrella Stage Company). Something of pride: there are five of us from the AAPC in this year’s BTM! And we are all writing for our 5th Annual AAPC Playfest taking place again at the Starlight Theater in Cambridge this summer!
Join us for Boston Theater Marathon XXIV, Sunday, May 1 from 12-10 p.m.! Learn more and purchase tickets