Silk Road Theatre Project (Chicago, IL)
A divorced Japanese woman and an African American GI meet in post-World War II Japan and fall in love. After decades of struggle, they have finally found an accepting Los Angeles suburb to call home--but their peaceful world is changing.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Sunday November 2, 2008 / 4:00pm. (view all dates)
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Excellent acting. However, author's blasphemies, repeated 4 times turned me off completely. These were gratuitous and very insulting.
We really enjoyed the production & the theater's intimacy and location. It was a complex relationship, with really good actors. I'm glad I got tickets for the last day because we certainly would've missed out on a good production.
The closeness of the stage added to the enjoyment of the show. Play was well performed.
I thought the performances were very strong. I just had trouble understanding Sumi's actions and reactions all the time. I actually understood her husband's point of view better even though I'm a white woman.
Extraordinary acting and an interesting memorable story.
Gets more and more "real worldish" as it progresses
The acting was supurb and the venue lovely. We will continue to support the theater and we loved using Goldstar-our first time.
The story was compelling, dialogue excellent and again the two actors did a great job.
A strong pair of actors anchors another solid production mounted by Silk Road. At 85 minutes, this play is efficient, concise, and does not overextend its welcome.
Although not a strong plot, the play gives excellent insight into the complexities of bi-cultural marriages - and the family issues they bring to the surface of the relationship. Hamada and Perry gave very credible performances! (Be sure to arrive early enough to read the background notes.)
This intimate-scale production is a great preface to "Change, Caroline" - an absolute must-see!
THE FIRST PART OF THE PLAY WAS BETTER THAN THE SECOND PART, BUT OVERALL A DECENT PLAY
The story dragged in a lot of places. Really not special.
The Silk Road Theatre Project venue is a beautiful, fully-equipped, 99-seat flexible theatre in Pierce Hall, located on the lower level of The Historic Chicago Temple Building, in the heart of Chicago's burgeoning Loop theatre district.
More than a study of clashing cultures, Yohen is the poetic, resonant story of two partners who discover that intimate relationships change with environments--and love, however time-tested, is never constant.
This production marks the Midwest premiere of the show.
Featuring Cheryl Hamada and Ernest Perry Jr.
Philip Kan Gotanda (playwright) has been instrumental in bringing stories of Asians in the United States to mainstream American theater as well as to Europe and Asia. Gotanda wrote the text and directed the production of Maestro Kent Nagano’s Manzanar: An American Story, an original symphonic work with narration. His newest work, After the War, premiered at the American Conservatory Theatre. His play Ballad of Yachiyo was presented at the Gate Theater in London in co-production with the National Theater. Gotanda is also a respected independent filmmaker. His most recent film, "Life Tastes Good," was presented at the Sundance Film Festival and can be seen on the Independent Film Channel. He is a recipient of a Guggenheim as well as other honors and awards.
Steve Scott (director) is the Associate Producer of the Goodman Theatre, where he has overseen more than 150 productions since 1987. His Goodman directing credits include Rabbit Hole, Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock and No One Will Be Immune for the recent David Mamet Festival, Dinner with Friends, Wit, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (co-directed with Michael Maggio) and four seasons of A Christmas Carol. Other recent directing credits include Frozen for the Next Theatre Company; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing for the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Ontario; The Teapot Scandals of 1923 and Falsettos for Porchlight Theatre; Communicating Doors for Buffalo Theatre Ensemble; and more.
Silk Road Theatre Project showcases playwrights of Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean backgrounds, whose works address themes relevant to the peoples of the Silk Road and their Diaspora communities. Through the creation and presentation of outstanding theatre, we aim to promote discourse and dialogue among multi-cultural audiences in Chicago.
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