|
After the Quake
Based on the work of Haruli Murakami
Adapted and Directed by Frank Galati
At Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre
1650 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL
Call 312-335-1650, tickets $20 - $60
Tuesdays thru Sundays at 7:30 PM
Matinees Saturday at 3 PM
Limited Wednesday matinees at 2 PM
Running time 1 hour, 40 minutes with no intermission
Through February 19, 2006
After the Quake is an engaging look into the power of imagination.
Based on a collection of short stories by famed Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami and adapted by Frank Galati, After the Quake highlights two of Murakami’s stories, “honey pie” and “super-frog saves tokyo.” Murakami was inspired by the 1995 earth quake in his hometown of Kobe. He focuses on the hidden devastation of a people after a natural disaster. The result became an enchanting, poetic and symbolic stage play that depicts the relationship between the real events and those imagined.
After the Quake is underscored with haunting music from Jason McDermott’s cello and Jeff Wichmann’s koto. Director Frank Galati has assembled a first-rate Asian-American cast and he added a narrator to bridge the gap between the storytelling and actual events. This works to seamlessly weave the two stories into a cohesive whole. In these stories the ‘quake’ becomes a metaphor for the change each person faces in their lives and once they experience their personal quake and its inevitable aftershock, their life experiences are never quite the same.
 |
After the Quake is a blend of two Murakami short stories. In ‘honey bee,’ we meet Sala (Kayla Lauren Mei Tucker) a six year old whose insomnia from her experience with an earth quake beckons “the quake man” to frighten her each night. Sayoko (Aiko Nakasone) summons Junpei (Hanson Tse), an old friend from college and a gifted writer to help calm down Sala by tell her stories about the honey bear in as a ‘replacement dream’ for her nightmare. We learn that Junpei, Sayoko and Takatsuki (Andrew Pang) were a trio al through college and while Takatsuki married Sayoko, Junpei loved her from their first meeting years earlier. When takatsuki divorces Sayoko, Junpei becomes the father figure to Sala.
The reality versus dream state is further dramatized by Junpei’s new story, “super-frog saves tokyo.” We meet the frog marvelously played by Keong Sim (who also doubles as the narrator), the frog needs to find a righteous common man to help him fight the worm bent on destroying Tokyo. He arrives at Mr. Katagiri (Andrew Pang at his comic best) apartment to convince the bad loan collector/nerd, Katagiri to help him in his quest.
This fable is a humorous story rich in intricate detailed reality versus dream, good v. evil pointing out Murakami’s notion that true terror come from our own imagination. The message here is conveyed in the telling and how it is told. The wonderful music, those haunting and enchanting cello and koto sounds add rich texture to the imagery. What makes this play work so smoothly is the combination of Japanese mythology and old-time storytelling and the reality based contemporary events. This mixture with empathetic characters conveys the message.
Keong Sim and Andrew Pang do wonderful work and young Kayla Tucker was terrific as Sala. After the Quake is incomparable story theatre with excellent characterizations including the fanatic super-frog. It is a charming Oriental flavored fable that is grounded in current reactions to natural disasters.
The play is best summed up by Junpei who said, “I want to write about people who dream and wait for the night to end, who long for the light so they can hold the one they love.” After seeing this show, you’ll want to read more by Haruki Murakami.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Chicago Stage Talk Radio Show
This show is eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award
October 29, 2005
|
