Overdue for one of those sudden unexpected bursts of laughter? Interested in meeting singularly engaging and original people? Open to a little amusing titillation? Be grateful that there’s a brand-new theater company in town who’s delivering all of those delights and more in their very first public performance.
Creating change and expanding visibility don’t come easily. And usually when you want to shake things up, you don’t do it by sticking to convention. Zac Efron, the inaugural theatrical performance by Token Theatre Chicago shows how well you can succeed when the talented and committed come together to fulfill a much-needed mission.
Founded by David Rhee and Erik Kaiko to “change the narrative and shatter false constructs about Asian Americans”, Token enlists the power of the arts to expand our collective view of what it is to be Asian American or Pacific Islander in a landscape where skin color triggers narrow suppositions. Co-written by Rhee and the company’s Managing Director, Wai Yim, who also stars in the project, Zac Efron jettisons the hackneyed stereotypes plaguing those who share their heritage. By denying complexity, we deny humanity. Determined to showcase stories that reveal the richness and variety of Americans whose lineage lies in the East, Token aims to unveil, celebrate and ultimately restore that humanity. In this production their efforts are not only supremely successful, they bristle with non-stop kinetic energy and exceptional talent on all fronts.
Much of it radiates from Wai (Wai Yim) who turns his small New York apartment into a captivating center of the universe simply because he’s in it. His friend, David (Hansel Tan), has stopped over just before he’s to go out on a date. The date and how the two men view it drives the action of this very funny, beautifully conceived love story. Wai, endowed with preternatural wisdom, a rapier quick tongue and the charismatic aura of RuPaul, humors his friend who he considers overly anxious and slightly naïve. In Wai’s view of things, David has the tendency to look for love from either the wrong people or for the wrong reason. It seems he tends to pursue ideals that are relics from another age or simply superficial. David’s date, Jack, looks like former Disney star and current Hollywood sex symbol Zac Efron. He’s not at all confident in his ability to land and keep this prize. Half-heartedly and somewhat mockingly, Wai advises him to tell the Tarot cards what he wants and the cards will help him get it.
Although much more pragmatic, Wai’s pursuits are still very colorful and in keeping with his outlook on the world and life. He’s shooting for social media fame and fortune through his Youtube channel “Horniscope” where people tune in to basically see Wai being Wai; gloriously over the top on the “so gay” spectrum and hilarious.
Both friends, migrating to New York from flyover country, keep their families in the dark about their lives in the city. Superbly directed by Alan Muraoka, best known for his Emmy winning work on Sesame Street, the play uses projection to show both Wai and David in facetime conversation with their mothers. David’s mom, Mrs. Rhee (Cheryl Hamada), presses him without any attempt at subtlety for grandchildren. Equally heavy handed, Wai’s mother, Mrs. Yim (Wai Ching Ho) guilt trips her son for more hands-on support at home. Generating frustration and anger because they both know he’s doing much more than he’s being credited for, her pleas still land like well thrown bricks. Revealing the universality and timelessness of “mom-think”, those cell phone calls stand tall among the many highlights of Zac Efron because they’re saturated with so love, humor and poignancy. Hamada and Wai Ching Ho couldn’t be more radiant in their roles. Because their sons are in their 40s, neither mother feels time is working in her favor.
Age and time are in the back of David and Wai’s minds, too. Knowing David as well as one intuitive friend can know another, Wai’s long sensed David’s dissatisfaction with his teaching job. Through dogged persistence, he convinces David to join him on his Youtube channel as the show’s eye candy. It’s naturally Wai’s idea to ramp up that eye appeal by having David appear bare chested in harness and booty shorts. A hit, their chemistry and schtick cause subscribership to soar. And because of that chemistry, it’s their subscribers who push them to look to each other for romance. They both scoff. But one of them promises, if they reach one million subscribers, they’ll kiss on camera.
Unlike crossing the Rubicon, the kiss doesn’t quite signal a point of no return. It seemed to cause more of a change in outlook for the audience than the characters. Their Youtube channels success even caught the attention of David’s fantasy date, the Zac Efron lookalike. That he’d consider re-connecting with him enrages Wai since he knows the man simply wants to capitalize on David’s social media splash. Issues of race arise. Why must David go outside his heritage to feel fulfilled? Surprisingly, we also see how he doesn’t fully accept Wai, either. He’s never introduced Wai to his parents and slashes him verbally by calling him “weird”; a coded way of saying he’s too gay.
As frequently happens, it takes calamity to galvanize focus and cause people to realize what’s important. A legitimate and real threat in the gay community, the one that transpires here mirrors an unfortunate and often tragic reality. But it forces everyone in Zac Efron to come to grips with who they love and what they’ll do to sustain irreplaceable bonds.
Tightly written and structured to allow the audience to gain meaningful understanding of all of the play’s characters, humanity pours from this maiden Token Theatre Chicago project. As vibrant and varied as Chicago’s theater landscape certainly is, this production and this company prove there are many more stories are out there that add immensely to its depth, beauty and impact. It also gives greater visibility to wonderful talent that’s far too often missing from the stage. Through Zac Efron, Token shows you what that is and leaves you thirsting for more.
Zac Efron
Through July 21st, 2024
Presented by Token Theatre Chicago
Venue: The Red Orchid Theatre
1531 N. Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610
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