by Leslie Ishii
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| Ishii (center) in rehearsal with actors David Huynh and Julia Cho |
As the director of Artists at Play’s production of 99 Histories by Julia Cho, I went to
work and researched down many-a rabbit holes that opened my imagination to
create the richly detailed world of this play.
An American diagnosis of Schizophrenia as Korean Shamanism, a Korean
Shaman dance, musical child prodigies, long-term caregiving, a household coping
with being left father-less, husband-less, racial tensions and violence against
Korean Americans, the Korean war, missionaries in Korea and Korean American
Christianity, unplanned pregnancy, family secrets, memory, and immigrant mother-daughter
estrangement, are the very real story elements woven into this complex play
about what it has meant to become American.
Helen Zee writes in her book, “Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People”:
Missing from the tons of newsprint
and miles of videotape were…the tales of valiant women and men of Asian
ancestry who struggled and sacrificed to make contributions to their country,
the United States of America, and who wished to be seen as full Americans. I’ve been struck time and again by how little
is really known about us and the America we are part of; how the rich textures
of who we are, why we are here, and what we bring to America remains so absent
from the picture.
But a community as large, diverse,
and dynamic as the Asian American and Pacific Islander peoples cannot stay on
the edge of obscurity, frustrated by images that have rendered us invisible and
voiceless….
And our play, as Helen Zee puts it,
“…reflects conversations and stories that Asian Americans tell one another,
about the challenges we’ve met, the people we’ve encountered, and the lessons
we’ve drawn. It’s about…evolving into an
American people.
Does mainstream America really know the details of becoming
an American if you are of Asian descent or a person of color? Does mainstream America really know what has
made us Asian Americans who we are?
I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of witnessing our
cast and crew open to become vulnerable and empowered during the rehearsals and
running of this play. In our Hope Chest,
for you, our audience, we have left you the telling of this story infused with
all our hearts and souls that you might experience chung, love, healing, and
the possibility of reclaiming yourself to come out the other side more whole
and at peace with who you are in America.
I am so moved and grateful that Artist at Play stands by
their mission to find and bring forth Asian American plays that have been given
initial interest, then gone disappeared or fallen into obscurity. 99
Histories was produced 10 years ago at Mu Performing Arts in Minnesota, but
has never been produced in Los Angeles where this play is set. It is a true homecoming for this play. It is our last week and I am so proud of
these artists, our collaboration, and our histories! Enjoy the show!!
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