Eyes of the Heart

Eyes of the Heart by Catherine Filloux

(0)
Productions (3)
Drama
|
80 - 90 minutes
4 W, 2 M, 
Set: Locales suggested in different areas of the stage by objects such as an altar and a window.

When Thida arrives from Cambodia to join her brother and niece in the U.S., she refuses to speak and is completely blind, although her family's doctor cannot find any physical reason for her loss of sight. Thida suffers from a psychosomatic blindness developed by hundreds of Cambodian women after witnessing the atrocities collectively known as the "killing fields" in the chaos of Cambodia during the 1970s. As the family comes to understand her pain and her courage, Thida teaches her sophisticated American doctor the ways of the human heart. With humor, poetry, and gorgeous theatricality, East and West intersect in this story of survival and hope.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $85
Standard Edition $13.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $150

*The per performance fee begins at $85. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.


Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

Play Details

When Thida arrives from Cambodia to join her brother and niece in the U.S., she refuses to speak and is completely blind, although her family's doctor cannot find any physical reason for her loss of sight. Thida suffers from a psychosomatic blindness developed by hundreds of Cambodian women after witnessing the atrocities collectively known as the "killing fields" in the chaos of Cambodia during the 1970s. As the family comes to understand her pain and her courage, Thida teaches her sophisticated American doctor the ways of the human heart. With humor, poetry, and gorgeous theatricality, East and West intersect in this story of survival and hope.

  • Drama
  • |
  • 80 - 90 minutes
  • 4 W, 2 M, 
  • Set: Locales suggested in different areas of the stage by objects such as an altar and a window.

Published Reviews

"A beautifully done one-act drama about the place where horror and grief meet."

Anita Gates, The New York Times

"Though the subject matter deals with one of the more gruesome episodes of human history, Filloux doesn't dwell on the grisly details. Eyes of the Heart is an informative and an at once heartbreaking and heartwarming evening."

Jenny Sandman, CurtainUp

Production History

SEP 24, 2008 - SEP 24, 2008
Assumption College
Worcester, MA United States
Assumption College Worcester, MA United States
APR 27, 2006 - APR 29, 2006
GENseng: Geneseo's Asian American Performance Ensemble
Geneseo, NY United States
GENseng: Geneseo's Asian American Performance Ensemble Geneseo, NY United States
OCT 01, 2004 - OCT 31, 2004
National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) at INTAR
New York, NY United States
National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) at INTAR New York, NY United States
No upcoming productions.
OCT 01, 2004 - OCT 31, 2004
National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) at INTAR
New York, NY United States
National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) at INTAR New York, NY United States

Awards (2)

Roger L. Stevens award from The Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays

Eric Kocher Playwrights Award from the O'Neill Theater Center

Archival Video License

Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License to add to your order for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

This allows you to record one of your live performances for your internal archives only. This cannot be streamed.

For more information, please reach out to [email protected]