Jesa
Closing: April 12, 2026Jesa - 2026 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Joseph Papp Public Theater/Susan Stein Shiva Theater
425 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10023
JESA by Jeena Yi, directed by Mei Ann Teo, is a riotous and heart-wrenching new play that explodes the idea of the “perfect family gathering.” When four estranged Korean American sisters reunite in Orange County to perform their father’s Jesa—a traditional ritual honoring the dead—old wounds erupt, secrets surface, and ghosts (literal and emotional) refuse to stay buried. With razor-sharp dialogue, explosive humor, and unexpected tenderness, JESA asks how we honor our ancestors when we can barely stand each other. Come for the sibling brawls and burning shrimp, stay for the aching truth of what binds us.
Jesa - 2026 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Jesa
'Jesa' Off-Broadway review — a compelling family drama that's both familiar and original
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.
Theater review: Korean-American sisters try to do a rite right in Jesa
7 / 10
Otherwise, Yi’s play is more crowded than a jesa’s offering table. Secrets come to light in the wake of loss: marital strife, unplanned pregnancy, anger management, child abuse. The plot is overstuffed, but director Mei Ann Teo’s committed cast is palpably believable as a family; the actors easily flip between rage and compassion, fighting and forgiving as only sisterhood allows. It’s formulaic but comforting in that way: Some things never change.
Category
by BWW Special Offer - March 26, 2026
JESA now in performances at The Public!
by A.A. Cristi - March 20, 2026
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.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - December 18, 2025
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.
Jesa History
Other Productions of Jesa
| 2026 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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