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The characters in Refugees represent a compilation of many stories told to me by many people over a five year period. Any resemblance to particular individuals is purely coincidental. For booking
information, please call Jeannine Frank at or call
the Refugees office at Read more about Refugees in Robin Rauzi's article in the Los Angeles Times
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he
germ for this play began over ten years ago when I started teaching English
as a Second Language to refugees and immigrants. As I listened daily to
stories of war, deprivation, humiliation, and institutionalized sexual
oppression, I discovered not only that I knew nothing of, and could never
have dreamed these lives, but that many of us in America are bound together
as refugees of varying degrees and share a sense of rootlessness, and
that America as a nation of refugees forgets after one or two generations
and needs to hear and re-remember. We forget because our families chose
amnesia or silence, and silence creates amnesia. It is this silence that
most disturbs me and that I address with this play. 
ost
heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Anita Khanzadian for her direction,
script development, commitment and friendship; to Jill Remez for getting
me to finish this script; and to my husband Rick Friesen, without whose
love, work and encouragement this project could never have seen the light.
Much appreciation also to Leslie de Beauvais for her continued support
of this project, The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Chris
Gockel, the patron saint of printing, Jennie Ventriss, The Los Angeles
Writers Bloc, Susan Merson, Bob Neches, Julie Davis, Diana and Bernadette
Hale, Sandra Stanley, Interact Play Development Lab, Neal Marlens, Carol
Black, Ella Naroditskaya, Zara Kulakhchyan, Jilla Benyamin, The English
Department and Department of Humanities, California State University,
Northridge, Linda Griffith and Peggy Renner of Glendale Community College,
and the students of Levels 4,5,6, and teachers everywhere.