“The Heart Sellers” Reviewed by Amy Menzel ( Milwaukee)

[rating=4]Something special is coming to Wisconsin and theater-goers should take note. World Premiere Wisconsin is an inaugural statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals. Between March 1 and June 30, nearly 50 theater companies will stage new productions. (More information can be found at worldpremierewisconsin.com.)

The Rep kicks things off with “The Heart Sellers”, a new play by Lloyd Suh. Suh’s work has been widely produced nationally and internationally. Many may remember Suh’s The Chinese Lady as produced by The Rep in 2019. It’s safe to assume that those who remember are excited that Suh’s work is back on The Rep’s stage.

The Heart Sellers takes place in the early 1970s and is the story of two women, Luna and Jane, who recently immigrated to the United States with their husbands. While their spouses work Thanksgiving shifts as first-year medical residents, the two women connect, commiserate, and find comfort in a budding friendship. Part of what makes this production so intimate is that, aside from a chance encounter at a grocery store and Luna’s invitation to Jane to come over to the apartment, the audience has missed nothing of the women’s relationship. Indeed, the first few moments are as awkward as you might imagine if anyone walked into a stranger’s apartment, even if the host was welcoming and eager.

Luna is definitely welcoming and eager and we come to realize that, in a quieter way, Jane is equally eager to connect. It’s less of a desire and more of a need to feel seen and understood. Of course, this deeper connection doesn’t happen instantaneously. Luna and Jane initially stumble a bit to find their footing with one another. There’s some small talk and they quickly agree to try and cook a (frozen) turkey (it is Thanksgiving after all). It isn’t long before some wine is poured and the conversation begins to flow with a little more ease (and, eventually, the stumbling is mostly physical).

There is such a keen sense of timing and pacing in this production. Nicole Javier (Luna) and Narea Kang (Jane) have great chemistry and play off one another incredibly well. Then there are times when each is charged with commanding the stage alone (while the other is in the bathroom – because of the wine), and command they do. In these private moments, we see their curiosity and come to further understand their characters. Truly, every moment in this play is purposeful and powerful.

The dialogue is some of the most real I’ve seen in scripted theater, which I have to believe is writing, delivery, and direction in equal measure. This whole production seems to be a meticulous and beautiful collaboration from script to scenic design (Tanya Orellana), and costumes (Anthony Tran) to lighting (Noele Stollmack). Leading the way is director Jennifer Chang. At her website, changinator.com, she writes that she is “passionate about exploring the fault lines of opinions and creating bridges for conversation” and is “deeply curious about Who or What is an American?” Suh’s The Heart Sellers allows Chang to further pursue this passion and explore these questions.

The Heart Sellers, a poetic play on the Hart-Cellar Act of 1965, is staged in The Milwaukee Rep’s Stiemke Studio, a perfect setting that further adds to the intimacy of this production. This theater is located on the ground floor of the Associated Bank River Center Rotunda at 108 E Wells St, Milwaukee.

Parking passes for patrons of The Rep can be purchased for $10 at https://www.iparkit.com/event/milwaukeerepertorytheater. Folks willing to head downtown a little early, maybe do some searching, and walk a short distance (me!) might find free street parking after 6 p.m.

My favorite stop for a pre- or post-show cocktail and/or bite is the lobby of the Saint Kate hotel, adjacent to The Rep. Folks traveling to Milwaukee to see a show might even decide to spend the night.

The Heart Sellers is a great reason to make a trip to downtown Milwaukee. Milwaukee Rep is located at 108 East Wells Street in the Theater District of Milwaukee.

★★★★

“The Heart Sellers” runs through March 19.

Saturdays – 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tuesdays – Thursdays – 7:30 p.m. (Tuesday, 2/14 – 6:30 p.m.; matinee W, 3/8 – 1:30 p.m.)
Fridays – 8 p.m.

Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at milwaukeerep.com.http://milwaukeerep.com

Special performances include:
Audio Described Performance – Thursday, February 23, 7:30 p.m.
ASL Performance – Thursday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
Talkbacks are Thursday evenings after the 7:30 p.m. performances on February 16, 23, March 2.

The show runs 1 hour and 35 minutes without intermission.

The Rep also has an active social media presence. Theater-goers are encouraged to follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.