Wai Shu (Goodbye Letter) by Ngọc Hân (Rebecca) Trần

Commissioned by Barbara Fingerote

The Artist has chosen to donate part of their fee to support Obsidian Theatre

Inspired by testimonies and accounts from individual experiences surrounding the ongoing 2019-20 Hong Kong protests

6 Hongkongers on how the protests have transformed their lives and their city.

Hong Kong: the protesters are writing goodbye letters.

War at the dinner table: Hong Kong families divided over protests.

Artist Statement

My name is Ngọc Hân (Rebecca) Trần. I am a Vietnamese-Canadian female Writer. I am grateful to Convergence Theatre for giving me and several other BIPOC artists the opportunity to create work during this challenging time. I also am grateful to the patrons who funded my work....

Convergence Theatre has graciously given me the opportunity to donate to an organization of my choice. With the funds I have received, I am donating to Obsidian Theatre because of their dedication and support to the training and development for Black artists.

My piece is inspired by testimonies and accounts from individual experiences surrounding the ongoing 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. Since April 2019, hundreds of thousands of individuals started to protest against the Extradition Bill. The bill allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to Mainland China under certain circumstances. Many feared that this rule may threaten Hong Kong’s autonomy.

Through my research on the protests, I discovered that some protesters have written goodbye letters or wai shu to their loved ones in case they get arrested or have died.

The piece I have written is from the perspective of a protester who is writing a wai shu to his parents who has disowned him after they found out that he was a protester. The letter shares the complex feelings protesters may have as they juggle the responsibilities and obligations of fighting for their country and taking care of their family.

I hope you enjoy the piece!