Yellow Face is not going to delight every member of the audience. I loved it; my companion, not so much. It is, at heart, a political piece, dealing with identity, loyalty, and how we see ourselves and others. The bright center revolves around the teamwork of two excellent actors, performing a dance of friendship, enmity, and confusion.
Daniel Dae Kim is the playwright David Henry Hwang, famous for the smash hit M. Buttterfly, which took the original classic opera Madame Butterfly, and turned it on it's head, not to praise it, but to expose how ridiculous it was from an Asian point of view. David Henry Hwang also wrote this show. Confused yet? Kim is such a terrific performer, this concept almost makes sense. What amazes me was the vocal power at Kim's command. During the two hours the play lasts, his voice is strong and commanding. And yes, this is the same actor we know from "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-O," among others, none of which allowed him to show his wide range as an actor.
The other half of this duo is Ryan Eggold as Marcus, a down-on-his luck actor who will do anything to get a part (what else is new?). David needs an Asian actor to star in his next production, so sure, Marcus will be Asian. Eggold is recognized by members of the audience for his many TV series, and it must be pointed out, this man is a total dream. Look out Pitt and Clooney, he's on track for major stardom. He and Kim are a perfect duet of opposites; as David, Kim produces a high-wire act of nerves, confusion, and faux confidence. Marcus is desperate, somewhat dim, and fully available to sell his soul for a crack at the brass ring. By turns, we are annoyed, sympathetic, and somewhat baffled by both of them. No surprise, Marcus turns out to be not quite the real thing, and David — wait, is he composing his next play right before our eyes?
The supporting cast is uniformly strong and appealing. There's no one who doesn't pull his or her weight, and as to my companion’s complaint that this is stereotype overload? Well, you'll just have to make up your own mind. But don't miss this opportunity to experience fine Asian actors working full speed ahead, and an acting duo that's first class.
