There is something very poetic about walking in lightly falling snow to get to the Metro, then Union Station, then Baltimore’s Everyman Theatre to see a new play by Tuyết Thị Phạm: The name “Tuyết” means snow in Vietnamese. I certainly welcomed the chance to escape DC on Friday night after the worst week ever. Somehow, seeing an Asian family come to terms with grief and attempt to heal was exactly what I needed.
In this world-premiere family history play, a Mother (played by Phạm herself) reconnects with her daughter, Mary (Ashley D. Nguyễn), after the death of Mary’s father, the person who had long held the family together. Still grieving, Mary holds a grudge against her mother, feeling that her mother has always been cagey about her past, and that she favors Mary’s older sister, who died as a baby. The Mother is a survivor of a Cambodian Khmer Rouge re-education camp, and relies on her Buddhist beliefs and customs to survive. In flashback scenes, we see the mother in her younger days (also played by Nguyễn) as she lives through the trauma of losing her firstborn daughter and mother in a Khmer-led bomb attack, and abuse from the Commune Director (Tony K. Nam).
Like Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band, Dawn interrogates the trauma left by war and the struggles of second-generation immigrants. It’s a welcome addition to the canon, with its nuanced exploration of religion, spirituality, and understanding. This production, directed by Seonjae Kim, is an intimate epic. Phạm’s reflective, poetic writing, which prioritizes empathy, shines most in moments when characters show how they venerate one another, or how they do not. It breathes and flows quite exquisitely and with deep vulnerability.
Ashley D. Nguyễn’s navigation of two very different roles in the past and present powerfully anchors the show. She naturally has a soft, inviting presence that conveys nuance, yet both roles require a lot of anger. Her physicality and maturity in portraying Young Mother, with stark, stoic strength amid adversity and inhumanity, make for a hauntingly brave performance. At the same time, she can play the 20-something aching for the love that her grief-stricken mother could never give her. For children of immigrants who wish they understood their parents, many of whom don’t talk about their past unless prompted, it’s painfully relatable.
The only problem I had with Mary’s characterization is that we never actually see her mother hurting her or shutting her out until later. All we get is Mary recounting how she’s felt hurt all her life. But the only hurt we see onstage is the one Mary inflicts on her mother. If she didn’t shame herself, she could almost feel like a villain. I also wish we could have gotten a better sense of who Mary is outside of her family trauma: why did she go on a path of a healing career as a nurse if she feels her own family and personal life is unhealed? Those are questions that could be answered as she reconciles with her mother and when she discusses her past with her boyfriend.
In the role of Mother, Phạm has a graceful way of holding herself and those around her with a certain level of respect, and she never stoops to yelling unless it is really necessary. This is a woman who is trying to hold it together amid loneliness and trauma, until she finally lets out the most heartbreaking heave, sobbing. This is a woman who survives by what she knows — prayer, honor, and doing all she can for her children. Her revelations about her past feel like she is shattering a piece of herself as she is trying to be brave.
The representation of “the white boyfriend” in Taylor Witt’s Sam is also a needed outside voice. It’s nice to see a show where the white guy feels awkward and out of place among the powerful Asian women, yet still tries to understand and show up as best as he can. Witt gave this show the balancing energy it needed, with his playful softness and calming support. When one’s primary relationship is broken, it is important to have people who feel like family. It also makes Mary’s later treatment of him show just how angry she has become. Tony Nam gives a terrifying performance as the Commune Director. It’s chilling how he mistreats Young Mother, and disquieting how charming he hints he can be.
The show’s scenic design (Paige Hathaway) creates an atmosphere that focuses on the small-cast story and humanizes it. Projections (Chris Carcione) are especially effective, carrying us from starlit skies in Cambodia to “dawns” and “sunsets” outside the family’s northern Virginia home, defining each universe in an expansive way that didn’t have to be as reliant on set dressing. Realistic lighting, sound, and costuming choices complement this with subtlety. One sweet touch: Mother and Mary both wear white tops and black bottoms in their final scene together.
I’d be remiss not to disclose the personal investment I’ve felt for this production. As it’s the first play by a local DMV Asian playwright to grace the stage this 2025/26 season in the area’s major theaters, I’ve been championing an upcoming AAPI Night on February 15. But truly, Phạm’s words can fill you up and hold you. This work reminds audiences of the importance of gathering in community, reflecting on the past, and learning from one another, even when it is hard and scary. It inspires me to keep going and aim toward understanding.
Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission.
Dawn plays through March 1, 2026,at Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St, Baltimore, MD. Weekday and weekend performance tickets start at $55. Purchase tickets online or by contacting the box office at boxoffice@everymantheatre.org or calling 410.752.2208. Standard box office hours are Monday through Friday 12pm-5pm and closed on Saturday and Sunday. The Box Office will open 2 hours before every performance, including weekends. Everyman offers more than 700 Pay-What-You-Choose seats across the entire run, with seats allocated to every performance.
The playbill is online here.
Dawn
By Tuyết Thị Phạm
Directed by Seonjae Kim
CAST
Mother: Tuyết Thị Phạm
Mary/Young Mother: Ashley D. Nguyễn
Commune Director: Tony K. Nam
Doctor/Sam: Taylor Witt
PRODUCTION TEAM
Scenic Designer: Paige Hathaway
Lighting Designer: Juan Juarez
Costume Designer: David Burdick
Sound Designer: Adam Mendelson
Projection Design: Chris Carcione
Stage Manager: Molly Prunty
SEE ALSO: Everyman Theatre announces soul-stirring new play ‘Dawn’ (news story, January 14, 2026)
