6 / 10
Jeena Yi makes her Off Broadway debut as a playwright with Jesa. Opening Friday at the Public Theater, Jesa is an enjoyable dramedy about four Korean American sisters, adults in the prime of their lives, who get together one night to honor their deceased parents with a traditional Korean ceremony known by that name.
7 / 10
Although the play, like the ritual at its center, is rooted in one culture, it’s deeply relatable. Many cultures have similar mourning rituals, be it an anniversary memorial mass, sitting shiva, tomb sweeping days, or altar building. Jesa explores how parents linger after death — as thoughts, recipes, traditions, traumas, and spirits. Anyone with families they love and fight with will find resonance in this equally funny and emotional play.
JESA now in performances at The Public!
Read reviews for JESA at The Public Theater, the world premiere play by Jeena Yi. The production follows four sisters navigating family tensions during a traditional ritual. Critics are weighing in on the new play directed by Mei Ann Teo.
Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater will present the world premiere of JESA, written by Jeena Yi in her playwriting debut. Directed by Mei Ann Teo, performances are set to begin at The Public Theater.
