The Playwright, Qui Nguyen, introduces the play to the audience, explaining that all characters are fictitious, despite the main characters’ resemblance to his parents. The Playwright then introduces Quang and Tong, and while both were born and raised in Vietnam, they speak in the play using American lingo and slang. The Playwright also introduces the notion that any American characters in the play will speak in nonsensical phrases of American lingo. Finally, the Playwright tells the audience that this is a play about two people falling in love and that the play will jump between time during and after the Vietnam War.

In 1975, Quang and his best friend, Nhan, begin a road trip on a motorcycle from Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, to Camp Pendleton, California. While Nhan hangs on, Quang drives, rhyming as he speeds down the highway, “Blow ‘Em Up” playing in the background. His rhymes are about returning to Vietnam to fight the Viet Cong. Nhan begs him to stop, pleading that he focus solely on the road. Quang, excited for the trip, tells Nhan to calm down and asks if he wants to return to the refugee camp.