Ascent Reviews
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
"...Ascent is a small gem. It is not ostentatious enough to be affixed to the crown of some monarch, nor sumptuous enough to be a gaudy piece of “bling” dangling about some rapper’s neck, but it has the value to be intimately treasured."
Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended
"...Henry Ong pays long overdue tribute to Qian Xuese, aka the “Father of Chinese Rocketry,” in Ascent, the much-missed playwright’s look back at not just one of the ugliest pages in American history but one with unmistakable parallels to today’s United States, brought to stunning life at the Skylight Theatre by director-dramaturg Diana Wyenn."
LA Theatrix- Somewhat Recommended
"...In telling Xuesen’s story, Ong cleverly allows his characters to break the fourth wall, such as when Xuesen describes life in Boston with his new bride, telling the audience, “Were a movie to be made of my life, this would be the section where there would be a montage.” But one of the drawbacks of Ong’s non-linear narrative structure is that the U.S. government accusing Xuesen of being a Communist near the top of the show gives away what could have been a gut-punch of an ending after learning about his many achievements."
Stage Raw- Recommended
"...From a technical standpoint, the production's beauty abounds: The stark provocative lighting by Joey Guthman enhances the emotional and temporal shifts. John Zalewski's sound creates ominous, mournful moods. The costumes by Mylette Nora are sleek and effective at communicating era and archetype - the two ensemble members (Russell Edge and Jorge-Luis Pallo) shift character often. They mostly show their characters through adept physical and vocal shifts."
Larchmont Buzz- Somewhat Recommended
"...The definition of a trouper is one who performs despite hardships, and Trieu Tran is a trouper in Ascent at Skylight Theatre. His determination that the show go on was on full display last weekend, when he performed despite what sounded like laryngitis. Throughout the play, a serious drama, other actors’ handing him bottles of water became rare comic relief."
Nerds Of Color- Highly Recommended
"...Henry Ong‘s final play Ascent, now having its world premiere at the Skylight Theatre Company, is an urgently relevant production from Plain Wood Productions based on a true story about Chinese aerospace engineer Qian Xuesen. Though the play’s pacing is bogged down by far too many short scenes coupled with laborious scene transitions and the second half of Qian Xuesen‘s fascinatingly complex life in China unfortunately omitted, it has tremendous heart that is filled with incredible performances from their ensemble cast."