Sue Jean Kim and Tim Kang(photo credit: Joan Marcus)
Our essential love of food, its sensual and medicinal
qualities, our essential connection to death and dying, its sensorial and spiritual
qualities play an important part in “Aubergine” with its titled homage to egg
plant. The gifted Julia Cho’s play may be overwritten and overindulgent and with
more climaxes and codas than a Beethoven symphony, but it is a haunting
exploration of how a son copes with the process of dying as it applies to his estranged
father. Not necessarily depressing but decidedly sad and remorseful in tone, “Aubergine”
follows the course of care and its residual emotional toll on Ray (Tim Kang) a suddenly
disengaged but accomplished chef.
Ray has taken upon himself to tend for his comatose father
(Stephen Park) during his final days. A helping emotional hand comes from Ray’s
devoted girlfriend Cornelia (Sue Jean Kim) whose support also includes acting
as interpreter/translator between Ray and the father’s long-estranged brother
(Joseph Steven Yang) who has arrived from Korea upon hearing the news.
Another character named Diane (Jessica Love, who also
doubles as a hospital worker) gives a long opening speech on the rapture
experienced by epicureans eating exceptionally prepared food, adds an allegorical
aspect to the core plot. Food is integral in the care as Ray is coerced into
fixing a medicinal soup that requires a particular kind of turtle as a key
ingredient. Humor is injected into the play quite naturally as the relationships
between the characters grow sharper and deeper, especially as the despondent Ray
is made to see a more valued portrait of his father as told in a story by the Uncle.
Kang is excellent as the son whose animosity towards his
father slowly grows toward compassion and empathy. Kim offers sparks of savvy
and sophistication as the very supportive Cornelia. Yang doesn’t speak English
(but we get his words translated by projected super titles) but is, nevertheless,
impressive. Perhaps most impressive, however, is Michael Potts who offers wise and
practical advice as Lucien, the visiting nurse. Monologues dot the play, even a
rather poignant one given by the dying father in a flashback. Derek McLane’s handsome
revolving setting includes different locations. It accommodates a play that actually
accommodates more of life than of death. A little more turtle soup, anyone?
“Aubergine” (through October 2)
Playwrights Horizons
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