The Bridge Initiative presents Jane Vogel Mantiri’s SEE JANE RUN: AN INDO STORY on October 27

Solo Memoir Play Brings Documentary Film Subject to Scottsdale Jane Vogel Mantiri’s SEE JANE RUN: AN INDO STORY chronicles trauma and triumph

Jane Vogel Mantiri is the subject of an upcoming documentary film See Jane Run: An Indo Story by local filmmakers Bruce Nelson and Brenda Foley, and the live theatrical version comes to ASU Kerr this month, co-presented by The Bridge Initiative. Mantiri’s immigrant refugee story confronts grief, inspires hope, and emanates joy. From her humble beginnings as a child refugee from Indonesia, Mantiri's journey is a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. A single performance will be offered Monday, October 27th, 2025 at 7:30pm at ASU Kerr in Scottsdale, to be followed by a talkback.

See Jane Run: An Indo Story is a one-woman play written, performed, and co-directed by Mantiri, with co-director Andrés Alcalá also contributing projection design. The Scottsdale production is part of a national tour that included the Fertile Ground Festival (Portland OR, April 2025) and the Pacific Northwest Multicultural Festival (August 2025). Mantiri will also perform in Anaheim in October, Portland Center Stage in November, and Milwaukee in May 2026. After more than 30 years as a child trauma psychologist, Mantiri pivoted to her lifelong love of acting and her professional credits include plays The Children’s Hour, Steel Magnolias, and Speech and Debate, as well as Fred’s Mom on TV’s Portlandia. Alcalá returns to the Valley where his credits include Childsplay, Arizona Theatre Company, and Phoenix Theatre. 

Jane Vogel Mantiri

 ‘Indo’ refers to a dying culture of mixed-race people whose ancestors are both Indonesian and White, the result of centuries of European colonization of the islands known as the Dutch East Indies. During the Indonesian Revolution following World War II, people “had to pick a side,” says Indonesian historian Ady Setyawan, and anyone with European heritage was categorized as Dutch. Indo refugee immigrants fled and suppressed their identity because it was a source of danger and shame. For Mantiri, this play is an exhale after decades of silence. She shares,“My parents wanted me to become an American. It is what immigrants did to protect their children. I became an American, erasing my past and denying myself and my loved ones the truth about my life and my culture.”

Foley and Mantiri met at Statera Arts women’s theatre conference in 2016 where they were both on a panel discussing innovative approaches to the industry. As their professional relationship and friendship developed, Foley learned Mantiri’s personal story and recognized its power and uniqueness, and potential as a documentary film subject. While Asian American stories are rare onscreen, specifically Indonesian content is all but nonexistent in the United States. Foley enlisted local award-winning documentarian Bruce Nelson of NEB Productions to bring Mantiri’s story to the screen, and they assembled a crew to film in Portland, OR and Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya, Indonesia in 2023-24. The film is in post-production and actively fundraising for completion and distribution (seejanerun-film.com).

Content transparency: There is reference to violence, abuse, and loss in the play. Audiences are encouraged to prioritize their wellbeing when choosing to attend. 

See Jane Run: An Indo Story will be presented Monday, October 27th, 2025 at 7:30pm at ASU Kerr, 6110 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85253. $35-43 general admission tickets available online at https://asukerr.com/; $18-25 students/seniors/artists/educator rate only available in person or by calling the box office (480-596-2660). 

This program is made possible, fully or in part, by a grant from Scottsdale Arts with funding provided by the City of Scottsdale. The Bridge Initiative’s season is supported in part by a CCG grant for general operations from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts. More info at bridgeinit.org.