Amy Tan's novel, "The Joy Luck Club," has seen several iterations besides the film. Four years after the novel hit bookshelves, the Shanghai People's Art Theater in collaboration with The Long Wharf Theater, performed a production in a Mandarin translation. The year was 1993. The production moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong. In 1999 the Pan Asian Repertory Theater produced it. A revival in New York took place last December.
The Joy Luck Club is a charming piece set in San Francisco. We are privileged to look into the lives of four mothers who came from different provinces of China as well as their relationships with their American-born daughters. In 18 scenes, we discover the mothers' pasts, loves and conflicts with their daughters.
Director Peter James Cirino opens the production with the mothers, daughters and others entering from the auditorium and the stage, mouthing a quick line or less. The pace seldom diminishes, and the movement always makes sense.
Mark Anderson's simple set design is complemented by videographer Jay Josue's video projections. These further establish the context of many of the scenes. The director takes full advantage of the visuals with the changing of simple set pieces. In fact, the set changes are seamless, even while action is occurring in the foreground.
The second scene, "Piano Lesson," is autobiographical. Amy Tan's mother had expectations of her becoming a concern pianist or doctor. That didn't happen!
The play is an ensemble piece in which a majority of the 18-member cast have multiple roles. Some of the versatile performers play rather extreme age ranges convincingly. As with any cast this large, the quality of talent varies.
The Joy Luck Club combines action with monologues. Each scene is themed. The "Moon Festival" is colorful, with a crowd-pleasing dragon. "A Letter" impacts one of the daughters with revelations that require her to travel to China. Another, "Fortune Cookie," is a comedic, romantic romp. It is an insightful look into a culture many of us know nothing about. I sat in the last row, much too near the cooling fans, which made it difficult to hear some of the dialogue. When you go, get in early and sit in the first or second row.
