American HwangapMay-Yi Theater Company and the Play Company at the Wild Project
Reviewed by
Ronni Reich
May 18, 2009
Lloyd Suh's American Hwangap offers a sensitive, thought-provoking glimpse into family relationships and coming-of-age angst. The play is sharp, insightful, and neatly plotted. Suh skillfully breaks up the drama with witty and poetic reflections just beyond the scope of normal speech, and director Trip Cullman gets finely calibrated performances from the cast. David (Hoon Lee), the oldest child, is a steely toned, exaggeratedly masculine investment banker. Throughout the play, his family pleads with him to join the celebration, but Suh avoids the obvious endings, with David neither revealing himself to be just like his father nor joining the smiling family portrait. Daughter Esther (Michi Barall) is twice divorced and studying for her fifth degree; like her father, she's still trying to find her way. Ralph (Peter Kim), 29, has reverted to childhood, living in his mother's basement, writing science-fiction poetry, and climbing trees. He flits from slobbering puppy-dog eagerness to misdirected rage. Min Suk's wife, Mary (Mia Katigbak), has reinvented herself as head of the household, but her will sometimes appears disconcertingly flexible. For all the turmoil Min Suk (James Saito) creates for his family, more compelling is the turmoil within him. He is at once a baby new to the world, a young man consumed by love, and a broken old man reflecting on the end of his life. Presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company and the Play Company at the Wild Project, 395 E. Third St., NYC. May 17–June 7. Tue.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m. (212) 352-3101 or www.theatermania.com |
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