Review: THE HEART SELLERS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

The Heart Sellers by 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist Lloyd Suh (Far Country) is especially cogent to the nightmarish MAGA immigrant politics of today. Set in 1973, the Hart-Celler Act paved the way for thousands to become US citizens, in this case two wives of medical residents. Today, the sweet protagonists of Suh’s play, one Filipino, the other South Korean, might be deported. Jennifer Chang, who directed the world premiere in Milwaukee, reunites with actors Nicole Javier (Luna) and Narea Kang (Jane) in this meaningful and heartwarming comedy.

The plot structure is simple: two Asian women meet at a grocery store and decide to spend Thanksgiving dinner together. From this comic starting point (both women understand little of American holidays), Suh touches on some serious themes: immigrant assimilation, loss of cultural identity, language barrios and male superiority. It’s all done with wonderful touches of endearing comedy. Luna is overly anxious, talkative, and full of questions for the shy and quiet Jane. Left alone by th3e hardworking husbands, the women are alienated, missing their families back home, and unsure of their expectations.

Javier and Kang are adorable and don’t hit an inauthentic note throughout. They share new bonds over Cheez Whiz on Ritz, Julia Childs, Soul Train, and Shopping at K-Mart. As they drink more and more wine, something polite Asian women did not do, the women bond over escapist dreams of being a painter or singer, going to a nightclub and even seeing a porno film.

There’s a riff on machoism, pointing fun at the disgraced Richard Nixon and men in power in general. They speak of the subservient female role of supporting their men, when they themselves don’t feel safe. Luna relates a heart wrenching vision of immigrants forced to give up their hearts at customs – metaphorically selling their hearts and souls (hence the play’s title). Jane says, ‘the whole world is break’, a prophetic pronouncement for today indeed. But they have each other and their plans for tomorrow and the days after. Smart, charming, beautifully acted and well-written.