KNYUM is playwright and actor Vichet Chum's performance piece about a character named Guy, an actor who works the graveyard shift at the Hotel East Houston in NYC. Between the hours of 11pm and 7am, the hotel lobby becomes the stage for Guy's dreams and nightmares, where he encounters his parents' stories of sacrifice as survivors of genocide in Cambodia.
KNYUM is largely drawn from Chum's own experiences, and if you're in New York City, you can catch it as part of the All For One Theater Festival, which runs for five weeks. Here's more information:
KNYUMFor more information about KNYUM and other performances and workshops, check the AFO Fest website.
written and performed by Vichet Chum
directed by Kyle Schaefer and Emily Ritger
In KNYUM Guy works graveyard shifts at the Hotel East Houston in New York City, to supplement his meager artistic life. Between the hours of 11pm and 7am, the hotel lobby transforms into a theater for Guy's dreams and nightmares. In this space, he encounters his parents, Ma and Ba and their stories of sacrifice as survivors of the genocide in Cambodia. Meanwhile, he attempts to learn Khmer to document his parents' stories and more immediately, prepare for his very first trip to Cambodia. The hours drudge on as Guy tries to find relative answers to the questions that plague him the most: Where are you from? Where are you going? With the great pressure of his parent's histories weighing on his guilt, Guy searches for a bit of pardon to, at the very least, finish his shift.
The annual five week All For One Theater Festival is filled with solo performances, panels, and workshops at Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St. New York, NY, 10014).
The dates for KNYUM are Sunday, October 27th at 7pm, Saturday, November 2nd at 1pm, Sunday, November 3rd at 4pm, and Friday November 8th at 7 pm.