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Jackson Hurd-Messom

Ama gives an opening prayer for the family devotion ceremony.

This year’s fall play, Family Devotions depicts the haunting absurdist story of a Chinese-American family reunited. After years of estrangement, devoutly Christian sisters, Ama and Popo, reconnect with their communist brother, Di-Gou, in a charged family gathering. In a perfect storm of three generations worth of conflict and an afternoon of family prayer, chaos ensues. David Henry Hwang’s Family Devotions explores the issues of familial conflict, religious hypocrisy, immigration, assimilation, and the struggle between America and China. In an honest critique of the clash between Western and Eastern culture, Hwang brings this Chinese American family to life. Both challenging and hilarious, Hwang’s words strike a chord with audiences of all backgrounds.

Led by Jess Choe ‘22 as Ama and Maggie Zhou ‘25 as Popo, the cast embraced their diverse and quirky roles. Whether it was the grandchildren Jenny and Chester (played by Tianyi Shen ‘23 and Jana Choe ‘23, respectively) complaining about the family rituals, the sons-in-law Wilbur and Robert (Alex Gibbs ‘22 and Adrian Chen ‘25) failing to satisfy their mothers-in-law, or the daughters Hannah and Joanne (Nyati Misra ‘23 and Selina Liu ‘22) bickering with their children and husbands, the audience found much to laugh at. When brother Digou (Ericson Kuo ‘22) arrives, so too does a more serious outlook at family identity and what it means to be Chinese for each of the family members.

The first play produced by the Governor’s featuring an Asian-American family and starring a majority Asian cast, Family Devotions challenged an audience of both Asians and non-Asians to ponder about the issues of heritage, race, and identity. 

To view the production’s website click HERE.

INTERVIEWS WITH CAST MEMBERS By Cindy Zhang ’22

Cindy Zhang spoke with the cast members to have a closer look into the play from an insider’s view.

Why did you choose to work on this fall play? Was it more about the theater experience or about this particular play?

Jessica Choe ’22: We choose this play because a lot of the time we don’t talk about Asian experiences in a theatrical setting and mostly only deal with plays about the white experience. Being able to star as Ama allowed me to explore my identity as an Asian American woman and be confident with it.

Alex Gibbs ’22: I chose this due to the theatre experience. I love working with my friends and Dr. Palmer. They make me push my skills as an actor.  

Tianyi Shen ’23: I like this play because it talks about what family means for different generations and what being independent means. 

Emma Dawson ’22: I enjoyed directing the play alongside Dr. Palmer because it is very satirical. It is a different way of looking at a story that people think they know. We are telling the story in a creative, funny and dark way. 

Tell me about your character. What do you like or dislike most about your character?

Alex: I am a second-generation Japanese man. I like my character because he’s an oblivious person.  

Jana: My character is undergoing experiences I can emphasize with. Some tiny details mentioned in his life are similar to what I’ve experienced as an Asian American.  

Tianyi: My character is a 17-year-old Asian American girl; first-generation Chinese. I relate to her because she is my age. We both experience many similar conflicts; coming from traditional Asian culture and dealing with popular culture in America.  

What is the importance of sharing a play about the Asian American experience?

Jana: Asian Americans are very under-represented in productions. This play is unique because there aren’t a lot of plays centered around the Asian American experience.  

What are the challenges you are facing getting ready for opening night?

Jana: Some challenges I face are getting into character and stepping into my character’s shoes.  

Emma: The role as co-director tests my patience and makes me appreciate the work directors do because it seems easy. Being a director is challenging but it is enjoyable because it is making me use a different set of skills I normally don’t use because I am more used to acting. 

What are the fun parts about rehearsals?

Jana: The fun part is the interactions and bonding with cast members.  

Emma: What’s enjoyable about directing is getting to work with really talented actors and being involved in another aspect of the stage experience.  

Tianyi: The group of students involved in the play is fun to be around and the environment feels like a safe space.