Word: played
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...There's a personality factor too. In the previous show, David Horn proceeded to play a flute line that he plays frequently, and Shawn proceeded to attack him with his "alien simulator"--his pitch shifter--and that's something you can't get across unless you're there...
...charming details of this play strengthen Bibi and Karen's (June Mee Kim '00) authentic performances. The minimal set includes a banner that drapes above the audience and includes us in the conflict between the jail-barred motif of the Chinese half of the banner and the American stars and stripes that is at the heart of this play. From the very beginning, color is central to the understanding of the contrasts between China and the consumerist American society with which Bibi identifies herself. Bibi comes onto the stage dressed in rainbow colors; in contrast, the only colors that...
...Other carefully thought out details of this production include the sound-effects and the slide projections. The vivid slides more than make up for the paucity of the physical set. These images remind the audience that this is not just a play about two individuals out of time and place, but that they refer to historical events that actually occurred. The penultimate scene of the Tiananmen Square Massacre becomes real for the audience as they see Karen and her friends suffering from physical and mental pain in front of the backdrop of projected photos of the real actors and victims...
...originality of this play lies in the fact that Bibi too has problems, despite the freedoms of America. This play does not idealize American society--the only quibble one might have with the play is that it never mentions any positive aspects of Chinese culture, perhaps because it is written from a Chinese-American viewpoint. Bibi's problems include a lack of direction and dissatisfaction with her career in journalism--her dilemma stems from an overabundance of choices. While Bibi's problem lies in too many men from which to choose, Karen can only choose one. Bibi complains of quickly...
...dramatic moments of this play do not tend toward melodrama; they reveal the talents of Hur and Kim. The loss of Karen's mother, the collapse and death of Bibi's father, and of course the Massacre itself are such powerful moments that very real emotion travels between Bibi and Karen and reverberates through the audience. Bibi and Karen seem to be connected through their experiences. Throughout their friendship, they learn that they have much in common, and although the premise is that they are never reunited after their first encounter, they often speak directly and even touch across...