Experimental Playwriting — Weekly Theater Guide

Lauren Yee’s King of the Yees is part of a genre of mainstream plays that use the once radical techniques of experimental theater for mindless, mindful, mind-bending entertainment. Take your pick. What’s clear though is that you are not going to be challenged or confused or angered. Yee means to please.

In many ways that’s the problem with the play—its narrow, trite use of the experimental for nothing more than sketch comedy and dime store lessons in life. To be fair, it has some charms, but they wear off as the evening progresses. With all that meta-theatrical armor, King of the Yees has the pretensions of a much more serious work. And I would say—in a half-hearted damning critique kind of way—that it uses those pretensions to deflect our attention from how thinly constructed and thought out it is.

‘King of the Yees’ runs through March 2 at the SF Playhouse in San Francisco. For tickets and information click here.

For the Full Review click here.

The PastJohn WilkinsFebruary 8, 2019SF Playhouse, Lauren Yee, Experimental PlaywritingComment

Go to 'Church'

Young Jean Lee’s Church begins in the dark, which is always a great place to start an evening at the theater or a religious service. Darkness creates a sense of equality. It disrupts our sense of the world—all the psychic muck that we bring to every occasion—and, best of all, calms us down. When the soothing voice of Reverend José (a brilliant and assured Lawrence Redecker) pierces the Potrero Playhouse, we’re ready. You might ask, “Ready for what?” And I would say for contemplating your soul, which is more or less what happens during the Reverend’s opening speech. His initial parable ends with the injunction to “open your eyes!” and the effect is so complete that Lee’s clever pun doesn’t feel smart or ironic.

‘Church’ runs through October 6 at the Potrero Playhouse in San Francisco. For tickets and information click here. For the full review click here.

The PastJohn WilkinsSeptember 24, 2018Crowded Fire, Young Jean Lee, 'Church', Experimental PlaywritingComment