THREE LIVES, One-Man Show by Alex Xander Luu Will Come to Sierra Madre Playhouse
THREE LIVES traces a Chinese-Vietnamese American family's escape from Saigon, touring nationally for over 20 years
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Three Lives a critically acclaimed one-man show written, directed, and performed by Chinese-Vietnamese American artist Alex Xander Luu, arrives at Sierra Madre Playhouse for four performances May 22-24, 2026 (full schedule below). Luu has been touring the play nationwide for more than 20 years.
In Three Lives, Luu takes the stage alone, yet fills it with generations as he portrays a father, a son, and a grandson, tracing his family's escape from Saigon in 1975 and their search for identity and belonging in America. Raw, funny, and deeply human, this solo performance moves seamlessly between memory and movement, weaving together moments of chaos, humor, and quiet tenderness. Luu's storytelling doesn't just recount history, it addresses the weight of leaving home for a foreign country, the pressure to assimilate, and the unspoken bonds that shape us.
First performed by Luu in 1989 and honed over decades, Three Lives is an exploration of identity, dislocation, family ritual, and the myth of the American Dream, viewed through the lens of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
In a time when conversations around identity, migration, and belonging are in the forefront, this intimate and unforgettable story resonates deeply.
Luu, a UCLA Film/Television graduate, is a Lifetime Teaching Artist with the Los Angeles County Arts Ed Collective and former teaching artist with The Ford and East West Players. He is also the founder/facilitator of My Own Story (MOS), an autobiographical writing/storytelling/performing workshop and can also be seen on the Netflix show "The Brothers Sun."
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Next to Normal Phantasma Arts (7/17-7/25) |
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After the Blast The Broadwater Second Stage (8/05-8/13) |
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Catch Me If You Can The Colony Theatre (9/17-10/18) |
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E=MC² Einstein The Musical Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center (7/03-7/26) |
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Fool for Love Santa Monica Playhouse (7/23-7/26) |
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Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
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Studio Cabaret: Jess & Joe James Armstrong Theatre (10/09-10/10) |
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OTR: A New Play OTR: A New Play (11/23-11/27) |
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Riptide Film Festival James Armstrong Theatre (10/17-10/17) |
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The Totally Awesome Prom: The ’80s Night to Remember Torrance Cultural Arts Center (5/01-5/01) |