Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the artful THE FAR COUNTRY, Lloyd Suh continues to excavate the painful history of Chinese immigration

• By drediman
• December 7, 2022
• No Comments

Earlier this week, Atlantic Theater Company’s production of The Far Country by Lloyd Suh opened at the Linda Gross Theater. Mr. Suh’s new play follows on the heels of the success of the playwright’s The Chinese Lady, which enjoyed critical acclaim and two separate New York engagements (the most recent being a run at the Public Theater earlier this year). The Far Country continues Suh’s excavation of the early days of Chinese immigration in this country, namely around a detention center named Angel Island, where many Chinese immigrants were held prior to being deported or granted entry to the country.

With The Far Country, Mr. Suh has established himself as perhaps the premiere dramatist when it comes to chronicling the nascent Chinese American experience, particularly the painful process of immigration. Set in both America (specifically San Francisco) and China, in addition to the aforementioned Angel Island, the play depicts the huge obstacles faced by these early immigrants – including racism, both blatant and casual – and the sacrifices they had to make for future generations. Suh is acutely aware of the calculated negotiation and severe intent required for such a life altering decision, which the playwright lays out in a string of efficiently plotted, artfully conveyed scenes. The play’s last scene calls to mind the final scene of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya; in it, a young Chinese American bride (Shannon Tyo, who so memorably played the title role in Suh’s The Chinese Lady) movingly implores her older, mentally fading compatriot to step back and look at the larger picture.

The Atlantic Theater Company production has been directed with elegance and deceptive simplicity by Eric Ting. Only gradually does Clint Ramos’s seemingly sparse set design reveal its secrets, resulting in some rather striking stage pictures that organically reveal themselves – dreamlike – at key moments in the play (no spoilers here). The performances are all excellent. In addition to the typically wonderful Ms. Tyo, the cast notably includes Jinn S. Kim and Amy Kim Waschke, both of whom bring dimension to their portrayals. Particularly effective is Eric Yang, whose emotionally naked performance as a young man who comes of age as a Chinese American is an illuminating highlight.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE FAR COUNTRY
Off-Broadway, Play
Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater
2 hours (including an intermission)
Through January 1