Emily Kuroda in The Joy Luck Club Play

Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Emily Kuroda (Mrs. Kim on Gilmore Girls) is currently one of the stars in the East West Players stage adaptation of The Joy Luck Club. The stage adaptation, written by Susan Kim, is based on the book of the same title by Amy Tan, which was made into a movie in 1993. The story of The Joy Luck Club focuses on four Chinese American immigrant families who come together to play Mahjong. The book tells the stories of the lives of the four mothers and their four daughters who, despite many differences, find a common bridge in their shared experiences.

Emily Kuroda stars as one of the mothers, An-Mei Hsu. An-Mei was raised by her grandparents after her mother became a concubine after the death of An-Mei’s father, an act which was considered dishonorable. It comes to pass that An-Mei goes to live with her mother and her new husband only to learn that her mother was raped by him, leaving her no choice but to marry him and become his Fourth Wife. An-Mei’s brother was claimed by Second Wife, and An-Mei’s mother later commits suicide.

After this, An-Mei gets power in the household. She later immigrates to America, marries and has her own children. One of the children drowns accidentally and An-Mei loses her faith in God. Her daughter, Rose, is emotionally abused in her marriage. Given how strong An-Mei grew to be from her own childhood experiences, An-Mei struggles to get Rose to assert herself.

Asia Pacific Arts notes, of Emily Kuroda’s performance:

“Kuroda’s emotional scene where she recalls her lost child is particularly poignant”

Variety.com says the same things of Kuroda during this scene, which they describe as a “highlight” of the play:

“A highlight is the wrenching enactment of the drowning of Rose’s little brother at the beach, wherein Kuroda’s An-Mei ragingly invokes all the traditional powers of her ancestry, imploring that her son be returned”

Just like with Gilmore Girls, “the heart and soul of the story revolves around conflicted mother-daughter relationships.”

Other cast members from the ensemble are Jennifer Chang, Celeste Den, Edward Gunawan, Karen Huie, Elaine Kao, Cici Lau, Katherine Lee, Ben Lin, Deborah Png and David Stanbra.

The Joy Luck Club will continue playing at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center in LA until December 21st.