Olney Theatre Center: Kim's Convenience

 The play that gave birth to the Netflix's/CBC series of the same name.  It is a snippet from the story of a Korean family's immigration to Toronto in pursuit of the Canadian Dream.  The play opens with the patriarch receiving a very generous offer to purchase the store that he founded decades ago.  His wife is devoted to a dying church, his daughter is still single and driving him crazy, his son is estranged and has just become a father of his own son, unbeknownst to the patriarch.  Great fodder for comedy, right?  Well, yes!  Yes it is.  The plot is simple, the goal is to right the things that have gone wrong, and humor and poignancy Ins Choi accomplishes all just over 90 minutes.  What more could you ask for when in the mood for a light summer diversion?  

The set was an elaborate recreation of the inside of a convenience story in Toronto complete with lots of culturally appropriate references like the Canadian Lottery and the selection of the crisps on the rack.  In one scene clearly Canadian currency is exchanged during a purchase.  And while its not like the play was set in Nepal or Uruguay and needed to appropriate items from those places, it was still a delight to see the attention to details.

The cast is made of five actors: Father, Mother, Daughter, Son and 1 ensemble player who took on four roles.  As an ensemble, they made a nice balance.  From what I know from previous exposure to some, Tuyét Thį Phąm was the most outstanding of the company in the role of the Umma (the Mother).  She brings a quiet presence to any part that can transform a moment by the most subtle or unexpected turn.  As the scene between herself and her son close, he reached down to grab his backpack and in pulling up onto his shoulder, a plate with half-a-dozen soda cans toppled.  She immediately stooped and re-established order.  At first, I thought what a brilliant metaphor for the role of her character in the family.  Then I thought about the expression of the actor playing the son's face.  It was an unintentional gaff.  And without skipping a beat, she made something remarkable out of it.  

Playing until the 27th of July, recommended for my local peeps--although I learned from the young woman sitting next to me that the rest of the run is sold out.  In fact, tonight was sold out and she got in with a stand-by ticket.  

Mr. Kim (Stan Kang) and his daughter, Janet (Justine "Icy" Moral) as he tries to convince her to take over the store so he can retire.

Officer Alex (Jonathan del Palmer) flirting with Janet.

Mrs. Kim (Tuyét Thį Phąm) reasoning with her son, Jung (Zion Jang) over his past relationship with his father.

Mr. Kim employing his Korean martial arts skills to facilitate a conversation between his daughter and Officer Alex.

The "arm twisting" bears fruit!