Review: A Radiant June Angela Dominates YOHEN
By: Gil Kaan Nov. 02, 2017
YOHEN/by Philip Kan Gotanda/directed by Ben Guillory/David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts/thru November 19, 2017
The Robey Theatre Company has teamed up with East West Players to present an intriguing production of YOHEN directed by Ben Guillory. How generous an actor Danny Glover to cede the East West stage to June Angela's dominating performance of Sumi, the traditional, meek Japanese housewife finally coming into her own after 37 years of marriage to James (Glover's character). Angela's Sumi (running the gambit of emotions from very proper Japanese to flirty date to full-blown, frustrated wife yearning for more, demanding for more of anything) takes full advantage to tower over Glover's committed portrayal of an aged, fumbling, despondent James, many times at lost with his own words. The East West stage is Angela's for the full 90 minutes of Philip Kan Gotanda's YOHEN. Glover eventually does get his opportunity to grab his spotlight in his final explosive speech to Sumi. YOHEN's one scene of levity has James teaching Sumi how to toss peanuts into her mouth, which Angela does hysterically, purposely off-target. Brava June Angela!
That's not to say that either characters' raison d'etre are free from any confusion. And any relationship between Sumi and James, long-time married or otherwise, seems to be un-exhibited, even though verbally explained.
Opening night sound glitches should now have already been remedied by sound designer Corinne Carrillo.
Kudos to scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo on his combination front porch/properly kept living room/kitchenette set, nicely detailed with prop master Glenn Michael Baker's touches of family photos and integral vases (hand-made, or otherwise). (The term 'yohen' refers to the unpredictable firing of Japanese pottery in the kiln.) Michael Ricks' lighting features backlighting of the rear wall of open shelving to maximum effect. The distractions of overly long scene changes are smartly diverted by the moody intra-scene music that lulled much more than excited. Play opens with a lovely instrumental of "On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)."
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