We’re in luck
Fri
Jan
29
Betrayal. Infidelity. Depression. Death. These are themes that audiences never seem to get sick of. It’s also the stuff that keeps people coming back to Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, a good 20 years after its appearance on the New York Times’ bestseller list. Numerous theaters have staged the theatrical adaptation, bringing a new dimension to the strong bonds that permeate this tale of four second-generation Chinese-American women in San Francisco and the turbulent relationships they have with their immigrant mothers.
Diamond Head Theatre showcases Susan Kim’s adaptation beginning this weekend, with Reiko Ho directing.
And yes, just like Wayne Wang’s 1993 film version, the play is still controversial among Asian-Americans today. Some feel it depicts Asian-American men in a negative light while others believe it perpetuates stereotypes of Chinese-Americans. Nevertheless, Tan’s work helped put Asian-American women on the literary map.
