BWW Reviews: Theatre Espirit Asia Presents a Haunting Homage to Motherhood with 99 HISTORIES at Vintage Theatre

Colorado's only Asian American Theatre Company, Theatre Esprit Asia (TEA) is proud to present 99 HISTORIES by Julia Cho playing at Vintage Theatre now until November 16th. 99 HISTORIES is a powerful story about the bond between mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts across three generations. 29-year-old Korean American violin prodigy Eunice comes home pregnant and unmarried, and tries to mend her estranged relationship with her very Korean mother. Haunted by memories of a violent past, Eunice must confront her ghosts before she can move forward. This is a riveting and poignant drama of memory, legacy and home - what is remembered is made up, the only homelands that exist are the imaginary.

While the men were good in their supporting roles, it was the women who truly ruled this show. Tria Xiong let her star shine with a heartfelt and passionate outpouring into the role of Eunice. Her down to earth attitude was relatable and she guided the plot with ease and the audience absolutely loved her range and struggle. Sheila Ivy Traister gave such a wonderful and heartfelt performance as Eunice's mother, Sah-Jin. The most impressive aspect was her dedication and concentration to her accent that was spot on from beginning to end. Speaking as a Korean, speaking English as a second language, Sheila took her time with every single line that she had and the accent and dialect was simply remarkable and kept me engaged throughout. Matthew Block was excellent in his dual roles, but I personally preferred his soldier role that was so tender compared to the ex-boyfriend that was a little stiff and forced. Dale Li was full of energy and charm as Paul. I loved his characters transformation from possible suitor for Eunice to friend and support base. SunHee Seo was impressive in her professional debut as the Girl and Young Sah-Jin. She made the audience take notice as the tortured musical ingenue and I look forward to seeing her in future shows. Kim Yan had a smaller role in this production as Young Woman, but her tender innocence that she brought to her character made it memorable.

I appreciaTed Christopher Waller's minimal set that laid the foundation for the numerous scenes but did not distract from the superb acting. He also made sensible choices with his lighting and sound design as well. Kudos to director Terry Dodd for picking an outstanding cast and really taking the time to nurture those relationships that made the mother/daughter bond completely believable and thus kept the audience engaged. His fluid and seamless transitions as Eunice glided from scene to scene was also a nice touch.

With this amazing script supported by stunning acting, this show will fascinate and haunt you. Theatre Esprit Asia presents 99 HISTORIES, engaging audiences now until November 16th. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 303-856-7830 or online at www.theatre-esprit-asia.org. All performances are held at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010.

Sheila Ivy Traister and Tria Xiong

Tria Xiong, Sheila Ivy Traister, and Dale Li

Tria Xiong and Sheila Ivy Traister

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