The play was performed in Vietnamese by a troupe of actors who traveled from village to village after a bombing. It told a story of good and evil in America during World War II and emphasized the need for eventual reconciliation.
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And so I was seated next to the director and my translator. It's all in Vietnamese. And for people listening who might not know anything about the play, All My Sons, it takes place during the Second World War.
The lead man, the father, he owns a factory that makes parts for American bombers. And he knows that the factory is making faulty parts and he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to lose his government contract.
But one of his sons knows that he's lying and accused him of being greedy and his other son is a pilot in a bomber and ends up crashing and dying, possibly because there were faulty parts in his plane. At any rate, it's about good and evil in America.
And after the play is over, I said, I asked the director, okay, you're under bombs, you're at war, why are you performing an English play, I mean, an American play, All My Sons? He said, this is a troop of, through the translator, this is a troop of actors who travel from village to village after a bombing has taken place and performed this play.
The play shows that there are bad Americans and there are good Americans. One day this war will end and our countries have to be friends. We don't want our people to hate you.