Today we’d like to introduce you to Đạt Peter Tôn.
Hi Đạt Peter, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a first-generation Vietnamese-American—born and raised in Houston, TX. I didn’t always know that I would be doing theatre and film as a career, but it was always a part of me in some way. When I was a kid, I made little “films” with my Lego and my family’s camcorder. It wasn’t until high school that I really fell in love with theatre, and eventually, I majored in theatre with an emphasis on directing. In college, I was also able to dabble in film and actually got my first short film to be viewed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Playing in the world of theatre and film allowed me to figure out how to merge my two passions together as I started to do video, projection, and sound design for multiple theaters around Houston.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Of course, like anything, it was never really a smooth road. Being one of the few Vietnamese theatre artists in town presented some struggles both personally and professionally. My family never saw my career as a viable option, so it has always been an uphill battle trying to prove my worth. As I got older, I realize that my happiness shouldn’t be dependent on what they think is best for me, and I should do what brings me joy. Not having their validation was tough for a long time, but I don’t need it anymore. I know I’m good at what I do, and being creative is a huge part of who I am. Professionally, it has been hard through the years to find a community of local theatre artists who look like me and share my own experiences. Sometimes I feel like it is because of our culture and not being able to see our profession as legitimate. But recently, I was able to connect with a group of Asian creatives and that has been so fulfilling.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a theatre/film creative. I mainly focus on directing, but I have designed video, projections, and sound for many theaters since graduating from college in 2015. I love working with new work in theatre, which is also one of the many things I love about film. It’s new. It’s never been done before, so the possibilities of telling the story are endless. It’s super exciting to gather a group of talented artists and put our heads together to be in service of a story.
Recently, I directed a show that I co-created and co-wrote with my ridiculously talented colleague and friend, Mai Lê, called Song of Me. It just had its world premiere, produced at Stages Theatre. Song of Me follows Luci and Philip, first-generation Vietnamese American siblings who are unpacking their generational trauma with humor, dealing with their past, and making egg rolls the night before Philip’s wedding. I am so proud of the work that Mai and I have done. The process of creating this play started three years ago because we wanted so badly to see characters who look like us onstage. To our knowledge, there is not a play in the American canon that tells a story of our generation of Vietnamese Americans through our own specific lens. We went into this process with these goals: tell a story where our people can finally see themselves and bring people from our community who have never been to the theater to the theater. At the end of this process, I can confidently say that we reached those goals. Mai and I have received so many messages from the AAPI community telling us how much they resonated and feel seen with our play. One reaction I’ll never forget is from a young, queer Vietnamese teen who said that it was like he was watching his life onstage and how much he identified with the conflict and resolution that happened in the show. We never had something like this play when we were younger, and I’m so grateful that this can be the beginning of many.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
That marginalized people are seen and heard—that we hold space for our stories to be told. We can prove to ourselves and the future generations that we belong, and our experiences are valid. Theatre can allow us to see ourselves—to understand each other and ourselves. If we don’t humanize the people who make this work, how do create change through art?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @currentlymouserat
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Image Credits
Stages and Melissa Taylor
