Two immigrant women, both recently arrived
from Asian countries, happen to meet in a grocery store and decide to spend
their first American Thanksgiving together.
So begins Lloyd Suh’s “The Heart Sellers,”
presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
It’s 1973 in a mid-sized U.S. city. Luna
(Nicole Javier), who’s Filipino, welcomes Jane (Narea Kang), who’s South
Korean, into her studio apartment. Both women are married to medical residents
who can’t be with them.
At first Jane, whose English is limited,
is leery, while Luna seems to talk nonstop.
As they wait for the frozen turkey to
roast, they drink cheap wine, which fuels their conversation and interactions.
Along the way, they reveal more of themselves and their backgrounds, gradually
forging a friendship.
The play’s title comes from the
Hart-Celler Act, aka the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
Signed by President Lyndon Johnson, it
gave priority to highly skilled immigrants, those who had family living in the
U.S. and refugees. Before that, only Western and Northern Europeans had
priority.
Although the play is set during Richard
Nixon’s administration, it has resonance with today’s immigration policies and
issues.
Thus the personal and political undertones
make for intriguing theater.
However, the women’s accents are so
difficult to understand that some of the meaning is lost despite fine acting by
both women and adept direction by Jennifer Chang.
Also benefitting the production are the
set by Arnel Sancianco, costumes by Lisa Misako Claybaugh, lighting by Wen-Ling
Liao and sound by Ed Lee.
This Northern California premiere is a
co-production with Capital Stage in Sacramento and Aurora Theatre Company in
Berkeley.
Running about 90 minutes with no
intermission, it will continue through April 27 at the Mountain View Center for
the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.
For tickets and information, call (877)
662-8978 or visit www.theatreworks.org.
