Lloyd Suh's new play The Heart Sellers begins performances at Boston's Huntington November 21. The production, directed by May Adrales, will run through December 23 at the Calderwood Pavilion.
Starring Jenna Agbayani and Judy Song, The Heart Sellers centers on two women in 1973, Jane and Luna, who run into each other in the grocery store on Thanksgiving and find that they have much in common: each are recent Asian immigrants, struggling with homesick feelings while adjusting to a new country, and loneliness while living with their hardworking absentee husbands. The pair find common ground in their desires and dreams, bonding over turkey and wine as they imagine how their new land could become their new home.
The name of the play is drawn from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, which eliminated restrictive nationality-based immigration quotas and granted thousands of professional workers a new path to citizenship. “The Heart Sellers looks at a pivotal moment in time, when the conditions were created for much of what we’re currently grappling with as a nation around our collective history,” said Suh in an earlier statement. “It’s a play of giving thanks, making new friends, and finding home in a new place.”
Suh is an acclaimed Korean American playwright and the winner of the 2019 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Additional works include American Hwangap, Jesus in India, and The Chinese Lady. The Heart Sellers will be presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS.
Understudies for this production include Kristian Espiritu and Carol Jeong.
The creative team includes scenic and costume design by Junghyun Georgia Lee, lighting design by Kat C. Zhou, sound design and original music by Fabian Obispo, and hair and makeup design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt. The dramaturg is Christine Mok, and the dialect coach is Joy Lanceta Coronel. The production stage manager is Roxana Kahn and the stage manager is Ashley Pitchford.
For more information, visit HuntingtonTheatre.org.
