Diandra Reviews It All

It could not be a better time for Kim’s Convenience to do a two-week run at the Pershing Square Signature Center; when immigration and hate crimes towards the Asian-American community has risen. Currently, America feels like it is losing everything to “foreigners”, but it is, actually, losing to itself for its inability to accept every race as America. Thus, Kim’s Convenience becomes a hilariously poignant play on how a country’s story can be written better by those that come to stay rather than those that are here.

Written by Ins Choi and directed by Weyni Mengesha, Kim’s Convenience premiered in 2012, and is one of the biggest, national success esof Canada; even becoming a beloved sitcom on the CBC channel. As part of the Soulpepper festival, premiering in the US some of Canada’s finest theatre, the play is set in a family-run Korean variety store. Paul Sun- Hyung Lee, as Appa, leads the comedic pack by becoming the central figure of the play’s laughs and drama. “What is my story?” is the repeated question/ motivation of Appa as he pushes his younger daughter Janet (played by Rosie Simon) to takeover the variety store. Simon and Lee have sweet chemistry as a daughter trying to make her dad receive her love, while also trying to feel the love he gives back. Every child from immigrant parents will feel for Janet and her brother, Jung (played by Ins Choi), whose parents live according to the culture of a country they left and the deep appreciation and accomplishments they have spurred in their new home. It is for this reason that Kim’s Convenience is a play that supports the previous statement; those that come might speak better to what a county can offer and do over those that are already here. Lee rises as Kim’s Convenience lead, Appa, because he shows the eagerness of his character and humanity to have all their work be remembered and passed on to their family and community. Appa displays a tenderness and stubbornness that makes you want to hug and hit him, which Janet does. Rosie Simon is so bright and intelligent on stage as the loyal daughter that might find love through Alex (played by the multi-talented/ multi-character of Ronnie Rowe Jr). Still, while the play mostly focused on the dynamics between Appa and Janet, Jean Yoon as Umma and Ins Choi as Jung, come forward like breezes of pain and lostness.

While Umma, initially, sparkles as a quick humored, singing mom, mid-play she shows the weight of her own immigrating sorrows; reminding readers that behind every man’s dream is woman who supports emotional reality. She is set up as the “quiet rock” of the family receiving the warmth and grunts of Appa’s misbehavior to the dismay of his prodigal son, Jung. Ins’ Choi makes this brief character deeply relatable in his youthful confusion over where life went wrong and the stress of not knowing how or when to make it right. His final scene with his father left the crowd blubbering in tears, which proved the success of Kim’s Convenience as a full sensory experience. Set designed perfectly by Ken Mackenzie, in this little, variety store, an audience laughed and cried with the fullness of their heart. Hence, Ins Choi deserves all the success of his now sitcom/play because not every writer can give you every, clear emotion to humanity. Moreover, not everybody makes sure you feel such empathy for an immigrant. For More Information On Kim’s Convenience Two Week Run At Pershing Square Signature Center Click Here. The theatre is located on , 480 West 42nd Street, and the play is 90 minutes with no intermission.