KIM'S CONVENIENCE San Diego Premiere Cast Unveiled At The Old Globe
Ins Choi's play, directed by Weyni Mengesha, plays the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage
The Old Globe has announced the full cast and creative team for the San Diego premiere of Soulpepper Theatre Company & Adam Blanshay Productions, in association with American Conservatory Theater, Kim's Convenience by Ins Choi (Netflix's "Kim's Convenience," Bad Parent at Cultch Historic Theatre).
Directed by Weyni Mengesha ('da Kink in my Hair, Kim's Convenience), the heart and humor take center stage in this award-winning comedy that inspired the hit Netflix series. Kim's Convenience will play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage at The Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego's Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way).
Korean-born Mr. Kim runs a Toronto convenience store while raising his Canadian children with traditional values. As the neighborhood gentrifies and generational tensions rise, one family's everyday struggles become a metaphor for a changing society. Kim's Convenience is a laugh-out-loud story of love, identity and resilience that the Toronto Star calls "a timeless, beautiful, and heartfelt ode to the immigrant experience."
"The Globe's record-breaking 2026 season continues with the funny, warm, and entirely delightful Kim's Convenience," said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "Ins Choi's international hit show, which inspired the Netflix TV comedy of the same name, takes place in a simple Mom-and-Pop corner store where surprisingly big ideas play out. Its themes range from the immigrant experience in North America to the complicated dynamics that resonate across the generations of a single family. It's a smart, upbeat, feel-good story that will appeal to a huge audience that we're thrilled to welcome to the Globe."
The cast of Kim's Convenience includes Ins Choi (Kim's Convenience, Subway Stations of the Cross) as Appa; Kelly Seo (Kim's Convenience, The Melville Boys) as Janet; Esther Chung (Kim's Convenience, Bigfoot!) as Umma; Ryan Jinn (Kim's Convenience, An Assertive Girl) as Jung; and Brandon McKnight (Kim's Convenience, Judas Noir) as Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee, Mike.
James Yi (Netflix's "Kim's Convenience," Disney's "Gabby Duran & The Unsittables") joins as Appa Alternate; Rosie Simon (Kim's Convenience, Cowboy Versus Samurai) as Understudy for Janet, Umma; Frank Chung (The New Canadian Curling Club, A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Understudy Jung; and Ngabo Nabea (I and You, Three Sisters) as Understudy Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee, Mike.
Also joining playwright Choi and director Mengesha as part of the creative team are Joanna Yu (Set Designer), Ming Wong (Costume Designer), Wen-Ling Liao (Lighting Designer), Nicole Eun-Ju Bell (Video & Projection Designer), and Fan Zhang (Sound Designer & Original Music).
Touring Production Company includes David S. Franklin (Production Stage Manager) and Angela Mae Bago (Assistant Stage Manager).
Additional stage management for Kim's Convenience includes Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager) of The Old Globe.
Kim's Convenience will play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage at The Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego's Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way).
Performances run May 15 - June 14, 2026, with the official press opening Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), and in person at the Globe's Box Office in Balboa Park. Regular ticket prices start at $35.
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