I am always fascinated by the remarkably wide range of plays discovered by Artistic Director Seth Rozin for the InterAct stage. This time, it is one of three plays in “The Philly Cycle” that Rozin commissioned with Philadelphia themes. Written by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, a Lao American poet, essayist, and playwright, it takes place inside a South Philadelphia hair salon and features Lao, Vietnamese, and Cambodian characters. It is about a changing neighborhood that is gentrifying and trying to push out Seng, who has operated her hair salon there for almost 40 years.
Seng (Lydia Gaston) fled her native Laos and came to America with her husband after the war in Vietnam and the Communist takeover in that part of the world. They raised their little girl, Vimala (Bi Jean Ngo), then bought a building where the salon was on the first floor. Eventually, her daughter, then her grandson, Prince (Daniel Ubin Burgess), worked at the salon. She also has a best friend, Anh (Joanna Leo). They are so close, they call each other sister. And both lost their husbands to Sudden Uneplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) that killed southeastern Asian men suddenly in their sleep in the early 1980’s. Seng has a little altar where she talks to her dead husband and often asks for his advice.
“Seng’s Hair Salon” is about a small corner of life as seen through these southeast Asians who have lived in the U.S. for decades. Prince is a business major who sees the practicality of everything, including the possible sale of the building to the would-be developers. Vimala regrets her decision of not going to art school when she was young and had a child. She also has a very best friend that weighs in regarding their building and the neighborhood. Anh is having a house built in Vietnam and hopes to return to her native land. She also hopes Seng will sell the salon and join her. At first, I was confused because everyone uses familial names- sister, cousin, aunt, and father- when talking about or talking to each other, but it is just a custom of this close-knit group. We love their banter, especially that of Anh, which is full of comedic talk about her dress, her fragrances, and most anything.
The very salon has been a sort of community center where people of the neighborhood talk while being groomed. Seng doesn’t want to let go of the life she created with her husband in Philadelphia despite the pressure she is faced with. I don’t want to give anything away, but I loved watching the progression in the second act as things try to get resolved. The story and the dreams of each character emerge in this finely crafted play by Vongsay. She gives us insight into people in our community that we know little about. And Director Chongren Fan has put it together so seamlessly that we feel as though we are there with them.
“Seng’s Hair Salon” by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay at InterAct Theatre Company at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St., Philadelphia, PA 19102, 215-568-8079 interacttheatre.org Thru May 10, 2026
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 