Đạt Peter Tôn
is a queer Vietnamese multidisciplinary artist, focusing on theatre direction, video design, and filmmaking.
In theatre, he loves exploring elements of video and film to support storytelling and using other unconventional elements such as dance and even smell to evoke a sensory experience to further immerse audiences in my shows. His current focus is to tell stories and create visibility for folks that historically have not been given space on the American stage. Song of Me, a play that he co-wrote with Mai Lê and directed, tells a story about Vietnamese siblings processing and breaking down generational trauma. We created this play because we wanted to see ourselves onstage.
As a director, one of my primary goals is to facilitate a team that is diverse on stage and behind the scenes. It’s important to have a safe and collaborative environment where everyone is seen and heard from day one. Together, we can make a brave space. We make our best work when we can bring our humanity to the table.
Since 2015, he has been the graphics and video producer for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, which honors outstanding new English-language plays by women+. Since 1978, the Prize has encouraged women+ playwrights and drawn attention to notable new works. For more information please visit: blackburnprize.org
In film, he loves horror, thriller, and generally weird and unconventional stuff. His short film, “Trial Three Seven” is a horror comedy that won third place best film in the Houston 48 Hour Film Project, among other awards.