For nearly 20 years, Toraichi Kono worked for Charlie Chaplin during the period when the silent film star rose to prominence and notoriety. Originally hired as a driver, Kono became one of Chaplin’s most trusted confidantes: acting as his a social secretary, assisting with film production, and even playing a valet in three of Chaplin’s pictures. Serving as a role model for other Japanese immigrants, Kono’s starry life was eventually upended by tragedy on the home front and a fishy arrest by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI for suspected espionage. Los Angeles based Asian American playwright Philip W. Chung has now melded the world of Hollywood with the immigrant experience in his captivating new work, My Man Kono, highlighting this man’s fascinating story.
Kono is presented as a rich and well-rounded character. We see his early days in Japan as a charming film flam man wooing and winning over the woman of his dreams against his parents wishes. We celebrate his rise in a flashy and influential California circle while regretting his time away from loved ones. Dinh James Doan has replaced Brian Lee Huynh in this pivotal role for the remainder of the play’s run. He was still not completely at ease with the broad demands during Saturday’s performance, but there were only a few scenes in which he didn’t fully connect with the fine ensemble bolstering him. Conlan Ledwith pulls off the physicality, charm, and smugness of Chaplin on screen and off also portraying the judge who holds Kono’s future in his hands. Robert Meksin imbues lawyer Wayne Collins with the right amounts of warmth and gravity and Cody Leroy Wilson gives the buffoonish Alva Blake much needed grounding. Emma Kikue is clearly having fun playing all of Chaplin’s wives including Paulette Goddard who drove a wedge between Chaplin and Kono. Kiyou Takami does what she can with the underwritten part of Kono’s suffering wife Isami, countering her husband’s thirst for fame and fortune with one driven by honor and family. James Patrick Nelson plays a variety of almost clownish enforcement heavies, while Jae Woo rounds out the cast playing suspected spy Itaru Tachibana among others.
Director Jeff Liu has worked closely with set designer Sheryl Liu to make the most of the intentionally shallow configuration of the black box space. Grey blocks with strategic cutouts are combined with Cinthia Chen’s projections to serve as everything from Chaplin’s elegant homes to a drab courtroom and represent geographically areas from across the US and Japan. Sometimes the actors literally pop-up from the top or poke out through a window to grab attention. Lighting designer Asami Morita supports this spirited concept.
Presented by Pan Asian Repertory as part of their 48th season, My Man Kono is a wildly engaging and informative piece of theater. Sending American citizens — many of whom had offspring in our military — to internment camps because of their heritage is one of the most disgraceful chapters in our history. Shameful questioning of what it means to be an American patriot reverberate in the present. To see this period through the eyes of someone who was close to a Hollywood legend is an ingenious way to draw in a wider audience. This World Premiere continues through March 9 at the A.R.T./NY Mezzanine Theatre on the second floor of 502 west 53rd Street. Reserved seats are available at https://www.panasianrep.org/my-man-kono and are $35 for students, $60 for seniors and $70 for adults.
The Unforgettable Line 
The Brothers Paranormal
Being unmoored feels as haunting as any creature to the characters in The Brothers Paranormal, opening tonight at Theatre Row. Max left behind a fulfilling life in California and moved to the midwest to look after his mentally ill mother Tasanee and alcoholic brother Visarut. Attempting to restore his financial stability, Max has partnered with Visarut in a ghost-hunting venture. Delia and Felix have come to the same town after being forced out of their home in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. They are all brought together when Delia hires the brothers to rid her apartment of a malicious spirit only she can see. Though Max is a non-believer, he is a pragmatic businessman and more than happy to take Delia’s money for an easy night’s work. Felix goes along with the plan hoping to prove his wife’s visions are real and not the onset of madness.
Vin Kridakorn and Dawn L. Troupe. Photo credit/ John Quincy Lee
The timing of this world premiere production by Pan Asian Repertory is auspicious. Modern audiences have been primed to experience the blend of comedy, social commentary, and horror that are entwined throughout Prince Gomolvilas’s script. The lifespan of a typical play makes it unlikely that the playwright was inspired by Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking Get Out, but the sensibility is similar if not as artfully executed. There are chills, chuckles, and deep reflections on displacement, along with family-oriented conversation. The second act begins to drag with too much exposition and the ending is a disappointing “specter ex machina.” But the overall journey is an entertaining and surprising one.
Talented director Jeff Liu does his best to navigate the many moods and styles, which are in near-constant transition. The gasp-inducing horror elements are achieved with well-crafted lighting design by Victor En Yu Tan and perfectly-timed sound by Ian Wehrle, along with a magical assist from special effects expert Steve Cuiffo. It is the logic behind the hauntings that is flawed. It is explained to us that ghosts follow their own rules, but horror purists will be particularly frustrated by the inconsistencies of the other-worldly occupants. Gomolvilas fares much better in the comedy realm where his zingers are delivered with flair, most especially by Emily Kuroda as the sly and insightful Tasanne.
Sheryl Liu’s sparse set allows us to focus most of our attention on the characters. Gomolvilas has chosen to explore the intersection of African American and Thai American cultures, particularly as they relate to superstition and the afterlife. Common ground is found and differences acknowledged and respected. There are also interesting distinctions made between the viewpoints of Max who was born in America and the rest of his family who immigrated from Thailand. It is especially in the heartfelt moments that Gomolvilas’s writing skills shine. The chemistry between Dawn L. Troupe’s warm Delia and Brain D. Coats as her charming husband feels genuine. More astonishing is the connection formed between her and Vin Kridakorn’s seat-of-his-pants Max. The relationship that develops between client and hoaxer is fresh and ultimately brings about extraordinary feelings of hope. Natsuko Hirano and Roy Vongtama round out this strong cast.
As the month in which we recognize both Asian Pacific American Heritage and Mental Health Awareness, May is the perfect time to bring the unusual and twisty The Brothers Paranormal to our consciousness. The play is currently at The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 19, 2019. Runtime is 2 hours plus an intermission. Content is intense and may be inappropriate for children under 8. Ticket prices range from $62.50 – $102.25. For more information and to purchase, visit https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/The-Brothers-Paranormal/Overview.