THE DEER ONES to Let Audiences Decide the Ending at Philly Fringe Festival
Michelle Nguyen writes, performs, and produces the semi-autobiographical show under her new company Moonsquid Nights.
The world premiere of The Deer Ones, written, performed, and produced by first-time show creator Michelle Nguyen, will take place at the Asian Arts Initiative with a three-show run on September 13, 19, and 26, 2026, as part of the Cannonball Hub of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
In this semi-autobiographical interactive dramedy, the audience is invited to play as the imaginary friends of a young girl named Robin during her childhood adventures in the woods. What starts off as "all fun and games" soon escalates into a series of moral dilemmas and life-changing decisions that explore questions of care, guilt, loss, and how the ghosts of the past shape the adults of the future.
Audience members don't just watch The Deer Ones, they make decisions that shape who the main character becomes. With highly interactive moments and alternate endings, every performance changes with the audience.
'We all have moments in our life where we look back and think, 'What if I had made a different choice?'' Michelle said when asked, why share this deeply personal story now. 'I wanted to give that choice to the audience, especially now when it feels like so many things are outside of our control and that our decisions don't matter. I wanted to create a space for people to re-engage and feel like their choices are important and have real impact. And I can't wait to see what people decide!'
The Deer Ones marks Michelle's debut as a playwright and performer under her new company Moonsquid Nights. She is partnering with co-producer and director, Clark Levi, a long-time theatre creator and producer with notable productions in the Orlando performing arts community, and voice actor, Cat Nguyen, an award-winning children's book author.
Tickets are on sale now: phillyfringe.org/events/the-deer-ones/.
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