The Wicked One, by Lisa Sanaye Dring, is the story of a mother faced with a brutal decision. Based on a true story out of Rosemead, California, a terminal cancer diagnosis forces a first-generation Laotian immigrant to confront her son's schizophrenia. The Wicked One explores the piercing isolation experienced by single mothers, the shame around mental illness that often plagues Asian families, and the heft of having to carry your culture with you in a foreign land.

The Wicked One, formerly known as The 626 Project, was one of two finalists for the 2018 Relentless Award. It was originally developed in residency with The Vagrancy. The play received a reading with The New Groups/No Limits Series, curated by Thomas Bradshaw.