Jesa Off-Broadway Tickets, News, 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 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Jesa
‘Jesa’ is a sisterly masterpiece that honors and transcends tradition (Off Broadway review)
10 / 10
In her stunning playwriting debut, Korean American actress Jeena Yi has managed to create a masterpiece. Jesa, a Ma-Yi Theater Company production now playing at the Public Theater, is an instant classic that blends elements of domestic drama (subset: fractious family reunion), ghost story, and anthropological study of the Korean tradition known as jesa. This annual gathering allows families to commemorate their dead ancestors through a combination of food, ritual bowing, and the generous pouring and consumption of the boozy, rice-based spirit soju.
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.
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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