Off-Broadway Review: Aubergine

 

 Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang, Stephen Park and Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Aubergine

By Julia Cho

Directed by Kate Whoriskey

Playwrights Horizons

Through Oct. 2

By Lauren Yarger
What's it All About?

It's a limited engagement of the New York premiere of a play by Julia Cho, winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

Food and its ability to form bonds between people plays a central role in the play which opens the new season at Playwrights Horizons. In scenes that run like vignettes,  we see chef Ray (Tim Kang of “The Mentalist”),  trying to take care of his dying father (Stephen Park), who never approved of his career choice. We also see the rebirth of his relationship with former girlfriend, Cornelia (Sue Jean Kim), who appreciates Ray's unique ability to anticipate just what someone craves in the way of food. Their first date (which we see in flashback) was a wild success when he somehow knew that instead of the many amazing, fancy dishes he might have been able to prepare, the thing she most wanted to taste were berries that brought her sweet memories of when she was a little girl. She helps Ray through the rough times with his father, as does hospice nurse Lucien (Michael Potts), who is full of patience and wisdom. He has seen lots of death, both by working with his patients and in losing his family in Africa. When Ray's uncle (Joseph Steven Yang) arrives from Korea to say goodbye to his estranged brother, it is with a recipe for a special turtle soup that once brought pleasure and he hopes his nephew will be able to recreate the dish -- and the memory of better times to entice his brother to stay a little longer on the planet.

What Are the Highlights?

The lyrical language mixes a story that captures our imaginations as well as a wide range of human emotion. Kate Whoriskey's precise direction keeps all of the ingredients well blended and doesn't end up splattering the message when the timeline beaters shift. The performances are solid across the board. Kang is endearing as the son torn between unresolved feelings about his father and love and duty. We understand his pain as well as his self loathing over wishing he didn't have to deal with any of this. Kim is a nice mix of funny and caring. Yang communicates amusingly through charade-like gestures for a character unable to speak English (subtitles are projected on the back wall of Derek McLane's minimal set which transforms from a hospital to the family dining room to Korea to a restaurant). There's no language barrier, however, when it comes to the love he has for his nephew.

What Are the Lowlights?

The structure of the play sometimes gets in the way of the story. Characters suddenly break from the action to address the audience in soliloquies. They are well written, but often stop the action. Another character ,played by Jessica Love, opens the play with a story of what a pastrami sandwich means to her. Again, the thoughts are well written and we all can relate to that one special food that takes us to a special moment in our life, but we don't have any idea who she is or why she is telling us this. Even though she ends up tying nicely in to Ray's story at the end, her inclusion is still too disjointed and has us wondering more about who she is than in being amazed at Ray's almost supernatural ability to cook the sandwich for her,

More Information:  

Aubergine (which means eggplant, by the way, and this vegetable factors into Lucien's food memories), had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. It cooks up at Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd St., NYC through Sunday, Oct. 12. www.playwrightshorizons.org

Additional credits:

Costume Design by Jennifer Moeller, Lighting Design by Peter Kaczorowski, Sound Design by M.L. Dogg.  

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- Language
-- God's name is taken in vain
-- A moving rendition of "Nearer My God to Thee" is included and brought a number of "amens" from the audience.