Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
KIM'S CONVENIENCE Comes To McCarter Theatre
Due to ticket demand, two additional performances have been added: Tuesday, February 3, and Tuesday, February 10, both at 7:30 PM.
By: Stephi Wild
McCarter Theatre Center will welcome the new year with Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy about a Korean family-run corner store that inspired the hit CBC television series later distributed internationally on Netflix. Running in McCarter’s Berlind Theatre from January 23 through February 15, 2026, the play brings heart and humor to the stage as it explores family, identity, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.
Due to ticket demand, two additional performances have been added: Tuesday, February 3, and Tuesday, February 10, both at 7:30 PM.
The North American tour is produced by Adam Blanshay Productions and Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canada’s leading artist-driven theatre company, in association with American Conservatory Theater. Directed by Weyni Mengesha, Kim’s Convenience centers on Mr. Kim, a hardworking shop owner in a gentrifying Toronto neighborhood. As generational tensions rise between Mr. Kim and his Canadian-born children, the family’s everyday struggles become a poignant and often laugh-out-loud metaphor for a society in transition.
Written by and starring Ins Choi, who calls the play his “love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home,” Kim’s Convenience has been hailed by The Toronto Star as “a timeless, beautiful, and heartfelt ode to the immigrant experience.”
“Having originated the role of Jung (the son) almost fifteen years ago, I’m grateful to now be playing the role of Appa (the dad) in this play,” says Choi. “My kids have been preparing me for this their whole lives.”
Kim’s Convenience debuted at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival. Soulpepper’s premiere production later inspired the internationally successful television series, which ran for five seasons.
The cast of Kim’s Convenience includes Ins Choi as Appa, Esther Chung as Umma, Ryan Jinn as Jung, Brandon McKnight (multiple roles including Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee, and Mike), and Kelly Seo as Janet.
The company also includes James Yi as Appa Alternate, Frank Chun (u/s Jung), Ngabo Nabea (u/s Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee, Mike), and Rosie Simon (u/s Janet, Umma). Yi, who played Jimmy Young on the television series, will perform the role of Appa on Saturday, January 24 at 2:00 PM; Thursday, January 29 at 2:00 PM; all performances from February 3 through February 8; and on Thursday, February 12 at 10:30 AM.
The production team includes scenic designer Joanna Yu; Costume Designer Ming Wong; lighting designer Wen-Ling Liao; video and projection designer Nicole Eun-Ju Bell; sound designer Fan Zhang; fight director Sean Baek; and assistant director Aaron Jan. The stage management team includes Robert Harding (production stage manager) with Angela Mae Bago serving as assistant stage manager. Cath Bates is the Production Manager.
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