With “Bound,” Opera Maine celebrates Maine’s Asian-American community and culture

In 2012, Diane Tran, a 17-year-old honors student in Houston, Texas, was arrested for truancy. She had been working to help feed her family, but she missed too many school days because of sleeping in after a late shift or going to work instead of school. As a mandatory attendance state, Texas took her to court and won. For missing school, she was fined $100 and sentenced to 24 hours in jail with adult offenders. The case sparked national outrage and soon became the inspiration for “[Bound](https://www.operamaine.org/bound/),” a one-act opera by acclaimed composer Huang Ruo and librettist Bao-Long Chu that imagines how a young, second-generation Vietnamese-American balances the weight of family expectations, cultural identity, and personal dreams within a harsh legal system.  A production still from “Bound” at the Anchorage Opera this past February, which was directed by Opera Maine’s Richard Gammon. He will once again collaborate with musician Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ during the June production at Portland Stage. When Opera Maine produces “Bound” later this month, it will also become a showcase of local, national, and international Asian-American artists and culture. Besides two performances of the opera at Portland Stage, the company, in partnership with the Maine Asian American Community Center, will host a free evening with Vietnamese musician [Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ](https://www.vananhvo.com/).  Taking place the night before “Bound” opens, the event will be moderated by Joshua Hsu, founder of Portland’s [Forge Theater Labs](https://www.forgetheaterlabs.com/) and a steering committee member of the [Maine Asian American Community Center](https://meaacc.org/) (MEAACC, pronounced “MAC”). For Hsu, the collaboration represents exactly the kind of connection the newly launched organization hopes to foster. As MEAACC works toward building a physical center in southern Maine, the organization envisions a hub for anyone to access language services, citizenship support, legal resources, arts programming, and community gatherings. But Hsu said the center’s mission extends beyond services. “The Asian community has deep ties to Maine,” he said, mentioning the history that goes back to the 1850s, when the [first documented Chinese resident arrived on Mount Desert Island](https://www.cafammaine.org/resources/history/). Americans of all backgrounds can understand living on the edge of poverty and how hard it is to ask for help. But as the child of immigrants, Hsu said he relates to the story in “Bound” in a special way.  Baritone Jeff Mattsey in “Bound” at the Anchorage Opera this past February. At Opera Maine, the dual role of Diane’s boss and the judge in her case will be played by Brandon Whitish and Micah Schroeder. “There’s this tension in my family between my dreams to be an artist, my familial duty and their expectation,” he said. “My mom was an accountant for many years at the United Nations, and my father was a systems engineer at a hospital.” Hsu’s mother was born in China, grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States before the Vietnam War. Through connections she and her sister had built in America, they later helped family members escape during the fall of Saigon. That history shaped how Hsu understands the central conflict in “Bound.” “So, although the work ethic can be very American, it comes with a sense of survival in the Asian community,” he said. “Like, ‘keep your head down, keep on working, push forward, don’t draw attention to yourself, people will recognize you for your good work.’ We’re trying to integrate, but we recognize that we’re outsiders.” Directing “Bound” is Richard Gammon, who also serves as director of Opera Maine’s Studio Artist Program. Returning to conduct is Lance Inouye, who led [last summer’s production of “Paul’s Case.”](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/06/20/runaway-teens-and-dangerous-dreams-opera-maine-kicks-off-the-season-with-a-haunting-willa-cather-story/) The cast features Xinran Du as Diane Tran, Esther Jo as her mother, and baritones Brandon Whitish and Micah Schroeder alternating a dual role as Diane’s employer and the judge in her case. As Studio Artists, they are part of Opera Maine’s emerging professional training program, which brings early-career singers from around the world to Maine each summer. One of this production’s most distinctive elements is its use of traditional Vietnamese instruments. Gammon first worked with Võ earlier this year while directing “Bound” for Anchorage Opera. Her instruments, the đàn bầu, a monochord, and đàn tranh, a 16-string zither, bring emotional colors that range from haunting and melancholy to warm and familiar.  A production still from “Bound” at the Anchorage Opera this past February, which was directed by Opera Maine’s Richard Gammon. Even with Inouye’s international experience, this combination of instruments and styles will be new to him. “The music is very complex,” he explained. “There are these long lines, where it feels dissonant then settles into a harmonic landing. There’s a lot of leaping in the voice, because it works dramatically with the text.” Audiences will have a chance to hear directly from Võ during the free June 25 event. Hsu expects the evening to include conversation about her artistic journey, using traditional practices to innovate, and demonstrations of the instruments she will perform in “Bound.” While Maine’s Asian-American diaspora includes dozens of languages, cultures, and histories, Hsu said there is also a common understanding that visibility matters. “Our shared value is this idea that visibility leads to representation and representation leads to acceptance,” he said. For audiences, the themes of responsibility, sacrifice and belonging in “Bound” reach far beyond a single culture, and for Maine’s Asian-American community, it is also an opportunity to see their stories and artistic traditions represented on stage. **Opera Maine’s “Bound” – Know before you go** Friday, June 26 and Sunday, June 28 at Portland Stage * Performed in English with supertitles (open captioning) * Free for ages 21 and under, for active military, and first responders * Pre-performance talk by dramaturg Calien Lewis; post-performance conversation with composer Huang Ruo, director Richard Gammon, members of the cast, Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, and members of Maine’s Vietnamese community. * More details and tickets at [operamaine.org](https://www.operamaine.org/bound/) _Opera Maine makes opera welcoming, accessible and creatively adventurous for audiences and students across the state. Help “_[_raise the curtain_](https://www.operamaine.org/curtain-up-spring-2026-fundraiser/)_” on the season with a donation to this special arts organization._ [](https://www.operamaine.org/) Copy the Story Link Tagged: [Opera Maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/opera-maine/), [sponsored](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/sponsored/)