A new play based on the true story of Qian Xuesen, the brilliant aerospace engineer from China who helped launch America’s space age—until Cold War paranoia forever changed the course of his life...and ours.
Ascent
A world premier by Henry Ong and directed by Diana Wyenn, assistant directed by Shuwen Cao.
Hosted by Skylight Theatre Company through the STAR (Skylight Theatre Artist Residency) Program
This production is produced by Plain Wood Productions and made possible by the generous support from Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Robert Meadow.
Skylight Theatre, 2026
Featuring Trieu Tran, Iris Liu, Russell Edge, and Jorge-Luis Pallo
With Randy Wong-Westbrooke (scenic design),Yuki Izumihara (projections design), Mylette Nora (costume design), Joey Guthman (lighting design), John Zalewski (sound design), Brittany White (prop design), Diana Wyenn (dramaturgy), Shyree Mezick (casting), Azusa Oda (graphic design), Shuwen Cao (assistant director), and Jacob Padilla (production stage manager)
Executive Produced by Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Robert Meadow, with producers Plain Wood Productions and Stella Ong, and associate producers Matthew Black and Shuwen Cao
Qian Xuesen, a promising young engineer from China, travels to America in 1935 on a Boxer Indemnity Scholarship. Advancing quickly through the ranks at MIT and Caltech, he becomes a pioneer of the American space age, co-founding JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and helping the United States of America win World War II. Then, as extreme nationalism swells at the beginning of the Cold War, Xuesen finds himself accused of being a Communist, and what happens next shapes the future of both his new and native homelands.
Developed by Ong and director and dramaturg Diana Wyenn from 2016 until the playwright's passing in 2018, this production marks the long-awaited world premiere of the beloved playwright and LA Theater champion's prescient and timely final play. Inspired by true events and filled with Ong’s signature blend of heart and humor, Ascent reveals how fear, extreme nationalism, and xenophobia affects individual lives, shapes political decisions, and overshadows truth—often with lasting global consequences.
Reviews
"More than just a cultural event; [Ascent is] a powerful and timely investigation into how political paranoia can dramatically reshape history and mirror the social injustices we face right now... Don’t miss this powerful piece of theatre." - Hype Magazine
"The production’s beauty abounds... As Qian Xuesen, Trieu Tran has a couple of monologues (especially in conjunction with Randy Wong-Westbrooke’s scenic design and Yuki Izumihara’s projection design) that are transcendent." - Stage Raw
"An urgently relevant production... filled with incredible performances... I highly recommend for all to watch this play about this incredible man brought to life by such talented artists." - The Nerds of Color