A Hmong family who fled Communist bullets and wild tigers through the jungle of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand. A Sudanese man who was thrown into prison in Ethiopia for helping the Lost Boys and left gasping for air through a crack under the door. A Mexican woman who taught herself English by looking up the profane words that were hurled at her during her first job while working in a meat packing plant. A Dutch boy who put the flag of the Netherlands through the paper shredder and declared, “ I am an American.” These are some of the characters brought to life in Vang , a drama about recent immigrant farmers. Vang (meaning ‘garden’ or ‘farm’ in Hmong) captures the immigrant’s journeys to the U.S. and how they have made farming a sustainable way of life in America. Vang is performed by actors Erin Mills and Rip Russell, is written by recent Iowa Poet Laureate Mary Swander, and features photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Dennis Chamberlin. “It isn’t possible to witness this play and not be changed by the gut-wrenching experiences of these recent refugees and immigrants, by their ability to survive in the face of the horrific.” Dr. Judith A Conlin, Executive Director, Iowa International Center. A free will offering to support IowaWINs will be accepted. All audience members must wear masks.