There’s no question that Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth.
Well, that’s what Luna believes, anyway, as she describes taking in Southern California’s glorious crown jewel in 1973, the year she arrived in the United States.
But some of the most pleasurable amenities offered here are not accessible when you are an immigrant for whom the $4.50 admission price proves to be much too steep, leaving you to stare longingly at what’s on the other side of the forbidden fence. “We can almost see everything,” exclaims Luna with a tortured smile, that one word “almost” being the dagger that punctures the soul.
This anecdote is a beautiful, crushing metaphor for the immigrant experience, is it not? Being new to this country means learning that you now reside in a nation where largesse and excess reign supreme. But in this case wishing upon a star costs money Luna doesn’t have, leading to a more subdued evening in her apartment with Lancer’s wine, a frozen turkey and a new friend.
“The Heart Sellers” by Lloyd Suh, running at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as a series of rolling regional premieres, is a narrative loaded with heart, from a terrific playwright who carries a premiere talent for telling stories that explore the complications of the Asian immigrant experience and the historic marginalization they have faced. The title plays off the actual legislation, the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which dismissed the racist nature of the country’s quota system that favored Northern and Western European nations.
It’s Thanksgiving in 1973 and Luna (Nicole Javier) finds Jane (Narea Kang) in a grocery store, exchanging looks that only come with the commonality of sharing something of a heritage. Both carry Asian blood, Luna’s origins from the Philippines and Jane from Korea. Both of their doctor husbands are working weekend shifts at the hospital, and the perpetually giddy Luna seems thrilled to have any kind of company.
The loneliness in both women is palpable, and the good fortune of sharing space in this odd, specifically American holiday is embraced by both, despite Jane being much more reticent to engage with Luna, who has charming giggles for days.
There is much to laugh at in this dance, the odd couple vibes hitting on all cylinders. The hilarity of the script isn’t just built from belly laughs, of which there are plenty, but also crafted with coping with the fear that comes from one’s identity. Director Jennifer Chang understands clearly and cleanly which moments need specific tones and moods.
The conflicts that come from a new duality bathe in honesty. How can Luna transpose into an American if her accent screams Filipino? How will Luna ever prove to her future children that they belong inside two cultures? Will they even understand what it means to be Filipino?
Javier is a terrific actor, and does some of her best work inside this particular conundrum, pure catnip for any audience member who possesses a shred of empathy. She’s also fleet of foot, bounding throughout the stage with endless glee that is informed by both hope and heartache.
Kang’s every bit on par as she parries with Javier, imbuing her Jane with both mystery and inquiry, immediately loyal and joyous as the apartment and her own spirit begin to warm.
For a play that does not surpass the very modern theater runtime of 90 consecutive minutes, bonds are organically. The wine flows as strains of Karen Carpenter’s rendition of “Superstar” provide necessary texture, offering up a backdrop within a terrifically dramaturged scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, right down to the thin yellow chairs and wallpaper that every Gen Xer had in their own home.
When Luna acknowledges the price of admission to the United States is one’s heart, it is dialogue that exemplifies the strength of Suh’s interrogation into an immigrant’s psyche. It’s one of the sharpest and most impactful monologues offered. Paying for acceptance into a new world that is in no hurry to welcome the newest, brownest immigrant comes with risk. That payment where a heart is the currency costs a lot more than the price of a desired Disneyland ticket.
Yet for these two souls looking for companionship and some unfrozen turkey on this strange holiday, they both become aware of how much that they share, making it a very satisfying small world after all.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (‘22-‘23); @davidjchavez.bsky.social
‘THE HEART SELLERS’
By Lloyd Suh, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Through: May 11
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, no intermission
Tickets: $44-$99; www.theatreworks.org
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