Outside People

The basic premise of Zayd Dohrn's "Outside People," presented by Vineyard Theatre and Naked Angels, is a familiar one: A lonely American male in an exotic setting (in this case Beijing) falls for a foreign beauty but can't fully commit to the relationship because he doesn't trust that she loves him for himself and not for his ability to get her out of an untenable environment. Dohrn does throw a few curveballs. Rather than the standard-issue square-jawed American hero, the protagonist, Malcolm, is a nerdy amateur documentary filmmaker whose social ineptness around women is compounded by his embarrassment over having genital herpes. But the love interest, Xiao Mei, turns out to be a sort of paid escort—not exactly a prostitute, but a compensated "companion"—and the story ultimately devolves into a melodramatic updated variation on that old chestnut "The World of Suzie Wong."

On the plus side, Dohrn gives his characters depth and makes several pointed observations about the rapid Westernization of China and the difficulties of living as an expatriate. "Culture shock will f--k you up," bluntly observes one character, and Dohrn subtly illustrates the point on many levels. Malcolm's best friend, Da Wei—or Dave, as he is known to his American friends—has a suppressed attraction for Xiao Mei, but because he rejects his humble origins, he dates only non-Asians. His current flame is the flashy Samanya, the daughter of an African diplomat, who has lived in Beijing since childhood and has her own issues about fitting into Chinese society. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Dave, a high-powered capitalist who finds work for huge numbers of migratory workers from the provinces, is Xiao Mei's employer.

Evan Cabnet's sharp direction cannot be faulted; the show clocks in at a rapid 90 minutes, and the four-person cast strongly gets across the conflicted emotions of these people, who all feel outside of society to various degrees. Even when the dialogue is entirely in Chinese, the meaning and intentions are clear. Matt Dellapina handily avoids turning Malcolm into a Woody Allenish stereotype, giving this jittery fellow a hidden strength beneath his unsureness. Li Jun Li endows Xiao Mei with an ingratiating charm. When the characters first tentatively connect in Malcolm's hotel room, the scene has a tender sweetness. Nelson Lee captures Dave's reckless arrogance as well as his insecurities. As Samanya, Sonequa Martin-Green moves with the confidence of a supermodel but also conveys her character's unsettled attitude toward being perceived as a foreigner despite her long residence in China.

The physical production is sleek and attractive, with Takeshi Kata's neon-highlighted set, Jessica Wegener Shay's trendy costumes, and Jill B.C. Du Boff's pop-flavored soundscape portraying a city on the verge of massive changes.

"Outside People" has some intriguing elements, but in the end it's basically a soap opera. It's too bad David Henry Hwang's "Chinglish," which covers similar themes with more wit and imagination, opened so recently. Dohrn's work suffers by comparison.

Presented by Vineyard Theatre and Naked Angels at Vineyard Theatre, 108 E. 15th St., NYC. Jan. 10–Feb. 4. Tue., 7 p.m.; Wed.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 3 p.m. (212) 353-0303 or www.vineyardtheatre.org. Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein.