Mr. Yunioshi
Reviewed by V Cate
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Thru February 5
Blake Edwards’s charming Breakfast at Tiffany’s debuted in 1961 to commercial and critical acclaim, though it had a different feel from the 1958 novella of the same name. Author Truman Capote lamented that the film was so far removed from his vision (and that they cast Audrey Hepburn over Marilyn Monroe). The differences are notable; for one, the film is light and romantic, where the book is bleak. Then there’s the bewilderingly racist embellishment of an Asian character played for cheap laughs at the expense of humanity.
J. Elijah Cho’s solo show is not really about Breakfast at Tiffany’s at all, but the egregious casting choice of Mickey Rooney as the Japanese photographer, Mr. Yunioshi. Performed in yellowface and prosthetics, Rooney bumbled his way through a role that mined the harmful stereotypes of WWII-era cartoons for inspiration.
Apologists cite that the film is a product of its time, but even in the ‘60s many found the casting choice and performance jarring. “Mickey Rooney gives his customary all to the part of a Japanese photographer, but the role is a caricature and will be offensive to many,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote in 1961.
Cho — writer, director, and star of Mr. Yunioshi — steps into the role of Rooney, offering a rebuttal to the now-deceased actor’s infamous portrayal. Cho’s turn as the Hollywood legend doesn’t necessarily evoke Rooney’s manner, but it is a solidly theatrical middle-finger, delivered with a character as dimensionless as the play’s namesake.
The show is a tight 60 minutes (originally crafted for Fringe Festivals, where going even a minute over is unacceptable), and interrogates important notions of racial depictions and opportunities in entertainment. It is a pity that the show concludes with an almost apologetic breaking of the fourth wall and cutesy, out-of-character dance number. Had Cho woven himself cohesively into the play from the get-go, the product would have been more layered. Still, there is a kindness in Cho’s work, even when risk or nuance are sacrificed.
Even though the solo-show pulls some punches, it ultimately forces the audience to sit with our discomfort and clarify our own intersection of values and privilege. While Breakfast at Tiffany’s might be more than 60 years old, Asian representation is still often limited to stereotypes, and Caucasian actors are still cast in an alarming number of roles that should go to others. In the purest sense, Mr. Yunioshi accomplishes what it set out to do: it obliges us all (from a point of privilege, those in the entertainment industry, etc.) to truly consider how we can do better.
Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre CA 91024; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm & Sun., 2 pm; thru Feb. 5. https://sierramadreplayhouse.org or (626) 355-4318; Running time: 1 hour, no intermission.
