Julie Fitzpatrick, Moses Villarama, Ron Domingo, Julienne Hanzelka Kim

                             By Eugene Paul

In planning for a panel, a group of actors demonstrate by example that Asian actors play Asians best.

The Ma-Yi Theater Company, in celebrating twenty-five  years of developing and presenting plays by Asian authors, has launched two new productions in repertory on Theater Row at the Clurman. Such success has led to apparent deep examination of the company’s basic raison d’etre and, strangely enough to confusion, rather than continued dedication, if Chairs and a Long Table is any indication.

Playwright Han Ong is either showing an early effort or remaining frozen in time.  His premise – or premises – find expression in a group of Asian actors preparing themselves to participate in a panel discussion regarding the lack of opportunity for Asian actors to perform in their chosen profession when roles depicting Asian characters are given to “white” actors instead of to Asians.  They are being led in their preparations and self-explorations by Crissie (Julie Fitzpatrick) who appears to be most sympathetic to their cause and couldn’t be whiter, presumably a casting decision by both playwright Ong and director Linsay Firman, as irony, a statement of  showbiz fact or—what?  It is hardly in the context of what the company on stage appears to be preparing.

Director Firman launches on a high: first among the actors preparing for the discussion panel is Bill (exciting Moses Villarama), violently angry at the mistreatment he perceives in casting a white as a Chinese emperor when there are perfectly good Asian actors who can play the role.  Does he mean himself?  Does he consider himself Asian?  Certainly he considers himself qualified.  Which produces a kind of lull director Firman allows until Angie (excellent Julienne Hazelka Kim) gets to express the first go round of her woes as an actress, playing non-Asian roles and at the same time bitterly decrying the fact that she is not cast in Asian roles when she considers herself Asian.  More than once, she walks out of the meeting in spite of  facilitator Crissie trying to keep them together.

Angie returns with the passionate denunciation that outside this room, outside these boxes of theatres, outside the  navel-centric world of the actor is a  whole world teeming with drama, in every facet of life, and we Asian actors are not a part of it, nor it of us, or of the theatre!  Pretty damning. Does she mean it?   Do they agree? She says – and Ong says – nothing about understanding that immense, teeming world.  Are they prepared to do battle on their narrow  premise as a battlefield?  Is this what they’re here for?  Or – what?  Crissie nods her assents but – where are they going?

Each of the actors gets to say his piece, even the youngest of them, young taking it all in Brin (lovely Jeeena Yi) the most pragmatic, the one  most Asian, completely in solidarity with  all the others in this cause to be presented, but with this difference: she wants them to get on with it, get a program they can present,  Acting jobs, no matter what kind or color, are really secondary right now.  They as a team come first.

 Landon (very fine Ron Domingo)  also has his damning of the status quo. If, indeed, it is the status quo.  But – is it?  Has playwright Han Ong had his sights only on what he wants to see, not on what has happened, has been happening? Or is the frustrated realism the vision of the director?  We hear an inkling, a mere glimpse when Landon wants more than just this focus on Asian actors, a  greater freedom for all actors.  Men playing women?  Women playing men? Yet, where has he been?

Playwright Ong’s characters’ frustrations are speaking for him as well as themselves, as if today were yesterday.  It’s too easily unraveled as argument.  Far more surprising is his   eruption through Angie that real life is more compelling than anything we can put on the stage.  If he means what he has his characters say, his is a farewell piece, and no, it is not a play, and yes, the world is far more interesting than what he has been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to put before us.

If he’s suggesting that theater, the Fabulous Invalid, is really dying this time, he couldn’t be more mistaken. Never has there been more theater. Theater is more relevant than ever, not only in its variety and openness but also in the impact of its evaluations  regarding what is going on in our imperfect world. Never have more people – and that includes actors – been trying to understand for themselves and for each other the myriad problems that beset us in this present day. From a panorama of perspectives, they – we --  reach out to art.  Art is the shining beacon that is distillation of the life around us, and in the theater, that beacon  shines brightest.                                                        

Chairs and a Long Table. At the Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42^nd Street, in Theatre Row.  Tickets: $36.25 . Telecharge.com. 90 min. Thru Nov 22. In repertory, call for schedule.