Lieutenant colonel in the Oregon Air National Guard. Member of Oregon’s House of Representatives. Optometrist and small business owner. Now…playwright?

Rep. Thủy Trần (D–Northeast Portland) wears nearly as many hats as Barbie. This past weekend added another title to her growing résumé as her biography-turned-play Belonging: A Memoir debuted for one sole night at the Winningstad Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 2. Premiering to a packed house, with distinguished guests like Mayor Keith Wilson sitting front row, the play tells an abridged version of Trần’s life in barely 40 minutes. Despite its short run time, Belonging: A Memoir still garnered tears, sniffles and a well-deserved standing ovation.

Clad in an áo dài—a traditional, floor-length silk dress reserved for special occasions—printed

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