Colonialism is Terrible But Phở is Delicious at Chance Theater

WORLD PREMIERE!

This biting comedy spans centuries, continents, and cultures in its three-part vignette structure. Beginning in 1880s Hanoi, the capital city of French Indochina, where a Vietnamese cook finds herself in the kitchen of aristocratic French settlers. Then in 1999, a century later, in Vietnam, where American diners get their first taste of the local cuisine. Then finally, in present-day, gentrifying Brooklyn, where the simmering argument around culture, ownership, and authenticity comes to a roaring boil.

“a biting and scrumptious three-part treat of a play… a layered comedy melange with ingenious insights, excellent acting, and fine direction.”Berkeleyside

“A funny, thought-provoking and well-crafted play… Like any well-crafted dish, the play offers a whole lot to savor.”
Mercury News

“Director Nguyễn and his collaborators make a brisk evening out of the sort of story that is, thankfully, getting more portrayals of late.”
48 Hills

“Four appealing, nimble actors appear in the cleverly structured, three-section play, which spans decades and geography… Director Oánh Nguyễn (writer Chinn has fun with the white folks’ bad pronunciation of “Nguyen” in the opening scene) beautifully orchestrates the versatile actors through the various eras and places…”
MSN Local News

“Chinn’s text simply rockets along, with important questions and intriguing conflicts pulling us in at every step of the way. (Oánh Nguyễn’s direction is seamless–the work he’s done is hidden, but somehow readily apparent.) Chinn’s characters are well developed and distinct, showing us how both how insidious and delightful is appropriation when it comes to something as delicious as phở.”
Talkin’ Broadway