Soon, the first president of the U.S to be charged as a felon will have been sworn in as # 47. Much to half of the countries chagrin he promises massive immigration reforms in the form of sending all immigrants back to their native countries. Over the years legal and illegal immigration have been at the center of this controversy.
In 1965, President Johnson passed the Hart-Caller bill reforming U.S. immigration policy by lifting strict quotas on immigrants from Asia and Africa and the beat goes on.
In a play on words, playwright Lloyd Suh' 1973 play and the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, under the deft direction of Kat Yen, are presenting “The Heart Sellers”, a story of friendship and bonding between two woman; one from The Philippines and the other from Korea.
When the play opens, on Thanksgiving 1973, we find the two, virtual strangers, at Luna’s (Marielle Young) apartment. Not knowing one another, although they had seen each other at the grocery store, Luna, from the Philippines invited Jane from Korea (Jin Park) home and off they went. We learn that both husbands are in med school and they are both alone on this American Holiday.
At the start it was a little confusing for this reviewer to follow the gist of Suh’s story, at least as confusing as was the look on Jane’s face until Luna started rambling about her life and her her husband when shortly after, shy and reticent Jane chimes in and before we know it, the two are as comfortable as old friends, maybe even sisters thanks to director Kat Yen.
Marielle Young and Jin Park |
Over the course of 90 minutes, several cups of wine, and a frozen turkey, both women share their dreams, their loneliness, their home sickness, immigration, sexism, ( at the time Richard Nixon was on his way out) their thoughts of going to Disneyland, of learning to drive, of adjusting to their life in America and what they left behind in their home countries.
Marielle Young and Jin Park |
And while the shared dreams and wishes go from animated to serious to whimsical, Suh manages lots of humor in the conversation even down to the fact that they both shop at Kmart and have the exact same jackets.
Many years ago, my husband and I went to visit family in Israel. My husband did not speak Hebrew, our family there did not speak English. They communicated by drawing pictures in the sand and some kind of language in the palms of their hands.
Marielle Young |
It doesn’t take much if one really wants it to work. For Jane and Luna we get the impression that they will always be friends. For my husband and our Israeli family, theirs was a lasting bond. As far as the turkey was concerned, that’s another story.
Marty Burnett did his magic again designing a compact living space for Luna. Matt Novotny designed the lights, Grace Wong, the period costumes and Danieta Hart Uptownworks, the sound design.
“The Heart Sellers,” originally commissioned by Milwaukee Repertory Theater, was first performed in 2023. Kudo’s to NCR for starting off 2025 with some food for thought and up to date and worthy thoughts as this new era of immigration reform barnstorms the nation.
See you at the theatre.
Enjoy.
When: Opens Jan. 11 and runs through Feb. 2. 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. and Sundays
Photo: Aaron Rumley
Where: North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach
Tickets: $52-$74
Phone: 858-481-1055
Online: northcoastrep.org