The Sống Collective created the Việt Writers Lab for Việt and Việt-American playwrights in an effort to inject new perspectives into the American Theatre canon and further expand our community connections. The lab began during the pandemic shut downs as a fully digital program, then moved into a hybrid model, and now is an all in person lab starting in 2026.

The lab is structured to encourage exploration and investigation. What does it mean to be Việt in America? What is a “Việtnamese” play? We focus on a holistic process of community, education, and creation to give the writers a well rounded experience.

Community is built through story sharing circles which evoke memories, personal histories, and shared cultural experiences that inspire dialogue and connection. This process was inspired by the Free Southern Theater’s methodology and example.

Education is gained through panel discussions with professionals in the field. Discussions have featured playwrights, dramaturges, new play directors, literary managers, and more to provide our writers with an understanding of how to navigate the industry.

Creation is fostered through the structure of a writing group, meeting monthly for page sharing sessions to get feedback and where experimentation is encouraged. Page sharings lead into a rehearsal process with actors, a dramaturg, and a director which culminate in a presentation shared with an audience.

By 2027, the Việt Writers Lab will have supported 12 playwrights across North America. Our writers include: Brandy Hoang Collier, Tom Dang, Katie Đỗ, Tuânminh Albert Đỗ, Trang Le, Brigid Leahy, Jessica Lưu, Diana Ly, Nam Nguyen, Nghĩa xuân ái Nguyên, Quentin Nguyen-duy, and Kat Phan.