December 6, Fr. Ray Ðevlin, "Cha" Biographer, passes away. The biography, "Cha" served as the principal
resource for this play. He was played by Denis Marks, who was also
one of the writers of the script.
October 16 Final performance to Sell-out crowd. The final performance was a success. In the audience was
Lộc Vũ, the founder of the IRCC (Immigrant Resettlement Cultural
Center) and the founder of the Boat People Museum, which is located
in Kelley Park. Another noted guest was the Hon. Federal Judge
Phan Quang Quê, the son of Dr. Phan Quang Ðán, the director of South
Viêt Nam's Refugee program during the war who was portrayed by
Dr. Chris Vũ Thế Hưng and by Tony Lê on the October 15th
performance.
October 6 Performance run begins
August 22 Rehearsals commenced.
July 30-31 Auditions were held
at the Gallagher Learning Center. In response to our blast,
Facebook entry, BayAreaTheatreBums blast, and a Radio announcement
on Vietnamese language radio, there was a fair response which
included one or two who were schooled in traditional Viet style.
There were some standout performances.
July 24 A Board Meeting
for Production was held at Gallagher Learning Center.
This meeting was to get production going and the logistics set up.
G. C. Davis, the Vice-President was not present to due to a prior
commitment. The dates were affirmed, the ticket prices
decided and audition dates set.
July 17 The Board of Directors
and several extra actors got together in the lobby of a local auto
body shop for a final cold-read. Some issues with Fr. Joe's
character were brought to the attention by QVTC Secretary Sarah
Devlin. Sarah, being Fr. Joe's grand-niece, offered her
first-hand observations of Fr. Joe's personality. Other issues
that came up were ones of dramatic tension, and humor at appropriate
places. Casting issues also came up. There are
some tweaks and corrections to be made.
On June 30, G.C. Davis and Marie
Ballentine met with Songkhla Children's Center alumni Vanessa Thu-Vân Cao. Vanessa Thu-Vân Cao, an orphan who lived at the
Unaccompanied Children's Center in the Songkhla camp, provided some
insights and affirmed some material in the script. Based on
these edits the final draft will be completed.
On June 25, G.C.
Davis, Marie Ballentine, Denis Marks and Eleanor Marks met to finish
the edits on Act 1. Additional edits included the Bình Tuy
Hamlet officer Capt. Vương Thánh placing his children on the boats
to escape to Vũng Tau, and included some new lines for Fr. Bach.
On June 7, Vice-President G.
C. Davis submitted his 3rd draft for consideration. He has
added material that helps create some more dramatic tension and also
a scene based on a photo of Fr. Joe holding a child's funeral.
It also includes a nightmare sequence. He has also managed to
get some Latin into the script to help audiences understand that the
pastor of Tràm Chim, Fr. James Bach, did not speak English and that
he and Fr. Joe spoke to each other in Latin. G.C. placed the
Latin in such a way as that the context of the scene makes the
meanings clear.
On May, 31, Interim President
Marie Ballentine, Vice-President G. C. Davis, Dramaturge
Denis Marks and Treasurer Cathal Gallagher go together
to read the second draft. Issues of historical integrity and
artistic license were brought up. Marie's point was that since
Fr. Ray was still alive, we should endeavor to ensure historical
accuracy and still be practical and artistically sound.
Staging issues also came up, mostly transitions between scenes.
The 3rd draft is now in progress.
The script is in the final legs of its
completion. At this point, there are a few scenes that need to
be adjusted for practical staging and chronological integrity.
The script is scheduled to be completed by late April or early May.
There are lines that need to be translated into the Vietnamese
language. Some translation has already been done by
Maria Hang Nguyễn, but more is
needed. If interested in assisting Hang in the translation,
Click Here.QVTC will connect you to Hang.
This is strictly voluntary.
On February 26, a small group of
refugees from the Songkhla Refugee camp, plus some parishioners of
Our Lady of Peace Parish, plus four members of the Quo Vadis Theatre
Company Board of Directors gathered at the gravesite of Fr. Joe in
Santa Clara. There was memories of Joe discussed, and much
discussion about the script. Fr. Ray Devlin, the author of the
book, "Cha," also attended the gathering which
included a rosary prayed in Vietnamese and English. It is
hoped that the refugees that attended would contact the others to
help contribute to the writing of the second act.
Feburary 5,The first act is basically complete as
of this date. There is still some details that need to be
researched before it is finalized. As of this time, the first
act covers his decision to go to Viêt Nam to the refugee wedding at
the Freedom City in Marine Camp Pendleton.
January 18, Brainstorming session for
'Cha Joe' came up with new issues to be resolved to make the story
work. Several scenes were divided as they were too long.
The incorporation of "French Scenes," short scenes within full
scenes that keep the continuity of the story, was discussed and
accepted. G. C. felt that incorporating these type of scenes
made for better story flow. Denis will be working on a way to
introduce Fr. Ray Devlin, Joe's brother and author of the book, "Cha" early in the show.
On January 9, Vice-President G. C.
Davis, Interim President Marie Ballentine, Dramaturge Denis Marks
and Past President Gary Laidlaw met to brainstorm the rewrite to the
script. They focused on Act 1, which entailed Joe's sojourn in
Viet Nam from 1970 to 1975. It was decided to borrow from
Greek drama and have Viêts chorus of relating the current
conditions, historic references, etc., and place them were there is
need for it. Scene One will incorporate such a chorus.
On
December 18, 2010 the Board of Directors
read the first draft of the script. The dramaturge, Denis
Marks, stated that the story had potential to be regular production
piece instead of a fundraiser presentation. It was stated that
encompassing his career from his work in Tràm Chim to his final exit
from the Song Khla refugee camp in Thailand covered too much
material. The Board felt it should focus on his adventures in
Viet Nam from November 1970 to the departure from Saigon on the last
Air America helicopter that departed from the CIA safe hotel on
April 29, 1975. This departure was captured for posterity in
the famous photograph taken by late Dutch press photographer Hubert
Van Es.
Our "Cha Joe" project
relates the career, life, times, and personal reflections of
Fr. James Joseph "Joe" Devlin and in some of those he
worked with and encountered. Fr. Devlin spent his the remainder of his
"tour of duty" at Our Lady of Peace Parish, until his
passing on Ash Wednesday, 1998. The QVTC Board of Directors had
been discussing presenting this as a future fund raiser since our
10th Anniversary celebration "On Tour With Quo
Vadis" in 2007.
QVTC Vice-President G. C. Davis had been taking up
most of the work on the script. Says G. C.," While writing these
scenes, Gary and I have discovered that the scenes by their
very nature will
definitely convey Joe's character and spirit. These
scenes that we have written bring a depth of meaning and feeling
and provide plenty of spiritual bang for the buck despite their
brevity. It is amazing what one can pack into the space two
or three pages. I was
only acquainted with Fr. Joe at Our Lady of Peace Parish through the
confessional and Communion. It wasn't until he passed away
that I realized what a mark he left on the Viêtnamese refugees,
because I found out about his passing from a Viêtnamese Catholic
newspaper."
Script Development Team:
QVTC DramaturgeDenis Marks, Director of QVTC's
2007 production of "Malcolm and Teresa."
"It's terrific to have Denis on the development team!
We do need some artistic vision to pull this off, and I don't have
the breadth of vision and the background that he does. His
vision truly works with the aim of the project, to present Fr. Joe
Devlin's story and tell of the impact he made. Since the project
won't be a straight drama, Denis will be able to incorporate
elements that express this aim in a poignant and meaningful way."
Marie Ballentine, current interim President of QVTC. "Marie's
varied theatrical experience is critical in developing this
script, as she brings the practical eye toward staging. She
will be able to see what is workable, and what is not, and how to
make adjustments necessary to make the scene work."
Maria Hang Nguyễn,
a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Việt
Arts. Translations of lines
"Hang's role is to keep us honest in making sure that the Việt
culture is accurately portrayed and the language use is
true-to-life."
QVTC Past President Gary Laidlaw, the visionary who
conceived the project..
We'd like to thank Former SJSU Professor Larry Englemann for
his sharing of photographs and documents from Fr. Joe's foot
locker with us. These images will convey the reality of Joe's life
and work in Việt Nam and among the Boat People in the
refugee camps in Thailand.
