An elegant John Lee design (recalling the genius of Ming Cho Lee), expertly lit by Rick Martin, sets the scene for the Asian American Theater Center's lyrical A Language Of Their Own. The quartet of this Kushner/Pinter-influenced play search for ways to express them selves by going to the ends of words, hiding within words or silence. Chay Yew's touching, talky drama about love, loss and linguistics finds its structure in solos and duets. Oftentimes circuitous and repetitious, Language reflects the Yin and Yang of life.
Oscar (Merv Maruyama) is the ideal companion, almost Buddha-like in nature. He's involved in a four-year idyllic romance with Pet-Shop-Boys devotee, Ming (Art Desuyo), a live wire who's relinquished his Asian roots to be a "with it" American. Taciturn Oscar fears physicality; dynamic Ming has been disowned by his traditional family. Their relationship comes to a halt when Oscar discoverss he's HIV+. Speaking in Chinese puzzles of inner monologues and soliloquies, Oscar and Ming chart their ideas until the latter re-couples with Robert (Eric Newton), an uninhibited and tactile man. Meanwhile, Alan Quismorio plays the Filipino "in-your-face," Act-Up type who moves in with Oscar.
A Language Of Their Own turns out to be about coping, cultural icons and brutal honesty; due to nurturing new love, all four partners are able to resonate emotionally. The four actors, sensitive, exuberant, attractive, help make the play funny, literate, moving, and highly entertaining.
