THE HANGOVER REPORT – Despite its noble intentions, Yilong Liu’s GOOD ENEMY struggles to come alive in theatrical form

Francis Jue, Ryan Spahn, and Geena Quintos in Audible Theater’s production of “Good Enemy” by Yilong Liu at the Minetta Lane Theatre (photo by Joan Marcus).

Last weekend, I had the chance to take in the Off-Broadway production of Good Enemy by Yilong Liu. The now-shuttered play was a presentation of Audible Theater, which has taken up residence at Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village (the production played its final performance of its limited run last Sunday). Alternating between present day United States and 1980s China, the play tells the story of how one Hao was shaped by the Cultural Revolution and his harrowing escape from its clutches.

Despite its noble intentions to tell an important story, Liu’s play unfortunately fails to come alive in theatrical form. The playwright’s dialogue leaves very little to the imagination, staunchly telegraphing the story without allowing audiences to read between the lines (a Pinter play this is not). As such, the Good Enemy registers, ironically, very much like an audio book (the bread and butter of Amazon-owned Audible, of which the namesake theater company is an offshoot) accompanied by what are effectively onstage “illustrations”. Also ironically, the play’s best scene is the Google Translate aided exchange between between present day Hao – who speaks minimal English – and his daughter’s American boyfriend.

Accomplished director Chay Yew has elegantly staged the play on Junghyun Georgia Lee’s simple but stylish set. As with KPOP on Broadway, it’s once again a pleasure to see a mostly Asian cast on the boards of a New York stage telling an Asian story, even if the material they’re given doesn’t give them the chance to truly shine. Leading the pack as present day Hao is veteran stage actor Francis Joe, who gives a performance that attempts to bring much needed depth and nuance to the role. Also noteworthy is Ron Domingo’s conflicted performance as a government official caught between a rock and a hard place.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

GOOD ENEMY
Off-Broadway, Play
Audible Theater at Minetta Lane Theatre
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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