King of the Yees
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Through June 12
RECOMMENDED
In Sierra Madre Playhouse’s production of Lauren Yee’s King of the Yees, the playwright Lauren Yee (Harmony Zhang) is struggling to complete her play King of the Yees, a two-hander about herself and her father, Larry Yee. It’s a Russian doll of play-within-a-play about a play, with the Herculean task of capturing the essence of America’s dying Chinatowns (or are they dying?) through the lens of the obsolescent (or is it?) Yee Family Association.
As Larry Yee (Dennis Dun) tells his daughter, there is a big difference between “telling the story for them” and “telling the story for them.” When her father goes missing after he’s implicated in a shocking political intrigue, Lauren ditches her rehearsal and goes on a mystical quest through Chinatown to find her father – and truly connect with the people her play is about.
Although establishing the play-within-a-play device is a little pedantic, King of the Yees is at its most engaging when it immerses the audience into the world of Chinatown. While Lauren’s magical journey through the neighborhood is less than literal, it captures the particular energy of the city, of haggling with a brusque liquor saleswoman or being swept up into a joyful lion dance. King of the Yees is also at its funniest when it’s self-referential: the two actors (Christopher Chen and Miley Yamamoto) starring in the play-within-the-play help each other practice over-wrought Chinese accents and joke about how impossible it is to book work as an Asian actor in Los Angeles.
The chorus (Chen, Tom Dang, and Yamamoto) complete lightning-fast costume changes to seamlessly transform into the myriad of unique characters Lauren encounters on her journey – each is distinct and funnier than the last. But ultimately, this is Larry Yee’s story. As Larry, Dun is charming and funny and unfailingly optimistic as he fights to keep his family’s legacy alive.
Lauren Yee – author of The Great Leap and Cambodian Rock Band, among many others – has a knack for blending slice-of-life dialogue with magical elements to create her signature sense of humor and point of view. Director Tim Dang sheds light on each vivid color in Yee’s imagery and allows the world of San Francisco’s Chinatown to unfold – or at least, Chinatown through the eyes of Larry Yee.
Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; thru June 12. Running time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission. 626-355-4318 or https://sierramadreplayhouse.org
