 |
| Mara Palma and Desiree Mee Jung in The Bonesetter's Daughter (Anthony Floyd) |
The Bonesetter’s Daughter
Book-It Repertory Theatre
Through July 3, 2022
If you are a “reader,” and you love how novelists artfully
draw you into the world of the book, you might already revere Amy Tan. Tan’s
writing is compelling, descriptive, and sketches the personalities she writes
about in vivid terms. She is not likely everyone “cup of tea” in terms of being
an “easy” read. While her first book became a blockbuster and a movie (The
Joy Luck Club), a later book, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, is a more patient
read, one that takes time to allow to unfold.
The Bonesetter’s Daughter has at least one
story-within-a-story. It’s a fairly long book, and Desdemona Chiang and
Book-It Repertory Theatre have decided to adapt it into a play using about a
third of the entire book. Chiang’s choices, as adapter, seem well-decided and
the experience of seeing this book come to life is delightful and intense. The
production, at over two and a half hours, immerses you into China a century
ago.
Ruth (Sunam Ellis) is a modern
Chinese-American woman who has a busy life and a mother who is descending into
Alzheimer’s. Ruth and her mother, like many relationships in Tan books, have a
difficult relationship. Part of that is because the mother, Lu Ling (Desiree
Mee Jung) was quite harsh with Ruth, strict and even abusive, as she
demanded that Ruth “channel” the spirit of her mother’s “nursemaid” Precious
Auntie (Khanh Doan). Precious Auntie was so maimed and disfigured around
her mouth that she cannot speak, but Lu Ling understood her.
Ruth tries to support her mother, but there are emotional
barriers. Then she finds a manuscript that her mother had offered her many
times, but she never got around to translating it or reading it. Now, as her
mother forgets, Ruth realizes that she must find out what the book says.
Book-It Repertory Theatre
Through July 3, 2022
