The Moon was a Telephone into which I was Screaming

BACKGROUND The Moon was a Telephone into which I was Screaming’ is a play co-written by the researcher and Jeremy Nguyen. The reunification of loved ones separated by the Vietnam War, has been explored in a section of one play, ‘Banh Chung’ (2013) by Chi Vu, which portrays two allegorical characters: Time and the Lover, using sparse dialogue. However, there had been little focus on the experiences of the children of separated couples. A gap existed in the field for plays that focus on experiences of such children who largely grew up in Australia, using dialogue-driven dramatic scenes, sections of reflective monologue and a realist approach to characterisation and scene detail. The research asks: how can a dialogue-driven theatrical play explore experiences of the children of couples separated by the Vietnam War? CONTRIBUTION ‘The Moon was a Telephone…’ tells the story of a young man who must cope with the return of his biological father. The creative process involved family history research, collaborative writing and an iterative process of creation, from early drafts through to rehearsal of the public presentation. The play is distinct in the field by exploring the impacts of the Vietnam War upon the generation who spent their childhoods growing up in Australia. It does this by shifting perspectives from character to character, parents to children. Dialogue-driven dramatic scenes are interspersed with sections of monologue, voiced by one of the children SIGNIFICANCE The contribution is significant to the broader field as it examines impacts on younger “Australianised” generations of family, who have experienced separation and reunification with older members of once-lost family. The play was invited for public presentation in Melbourne Theatre Company’s ‘Cybec Electric’ 2017 Program as part of the Asia Topa Festival. Internationally regarded writer and director Mark Zhuang Yi, from China, directed the presentation of the work.