The World of Extreme Happiness
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Cititour.com Review
Combining a history lesson in the horrors of the last half-century in modern China with the courageous (fictional) story of one peasant girl who strives to better herself against all odds, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s “The World of Extreme Happiness” has the potential to be a must-see play. And it might be in a production other than the one now being presented at Manhattan Theatre Club (and first seen at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre).
While the work is definitely flawed -- full of fascinating ideas and ideological lectures, intriguing people and stereotypical characters – the biggest issue is Eric Ting’s surprisingly frantic direction (is someone timing this piece with a stopwatch backstage?), which undercuts many of the piece’s most affecting moments. Yes, these 95 minutes fly by, but they really shouldn’t. (Note to theatergoers; try to get to the theater at least 15 minutes in advance to read the very helpful program notes in the Playbill!)
Fortunately, nothing deters the excellent actress Jennifer Lim (familiar to some Broadway audiences from her stellar turn in “Chinglish”) from painting an indelible portrait of Sunny Li, who survives her parents’ attempt to bury her at birth in a pail of pig slop to make her way through China’s soul-killing factory system and almost achieve a management position through unlikely means. Lim’s fierce determination paired with her innate vulnerability makes her the ideal choice to play the ironically-named Sunny.
She’s well matched by Telly Leung, who brings the right mixture of cockiness and adolescent angst to the part of her younger brother Pete, whom she supports in high school in her native countryside and whose dreams of advancement in the big city are soon crushed. Pete’s real passion, though, is enacting the role of The Monkey King (a beloved character in Chinese fiction and opera), which is something neither Sunny nor the pair’s self-absorbed, pigeon-loving father Li Han (the very fine James Saito) encourages.
Other than Lim, all five members of the supporting cast (including Leung and Saito) play multiple roles, each nicely delineating their on-stage personae. However, the only true standout is the always sublime Frances Jue, who sparkles as motivational speaker Mr. Destiny and sneers deliciously as Sunny’s beleaguered “boss” Old Lau, who has little patience with the complaints of his young staff. Jo Mei is effective as Sunny’s ambitious co-worker Ming-Ming, but barely registers in her other roles, while Sue Jin Song is coolly professional, if little more, as cold-hearted public relations executive Artemis Chang.
However, one thing the play and production does achieve, faults and all, is making me want to learn more about this world far far away from ours, where even a modicum of happiness seems like a pipe dream.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://theworldofextremehappiness.com
Cast
Francis Jue, Telly Leung, Jennifer Lim, Jo Mei, James Saito, Sue Jin Song
Open/Close Dates
Opening 2/3/2015
Closing 3/29/2015
Box Office
212-581-1212
Theatre Info
Manhattan Theatre Club
131 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
Map
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