CHING CHONG CHINAMAN:
City Pages Top 10 play of 2009
East Bay Express Top 10 play of 2008
“A lively, likable show… The playwright, Lauren Yee, gleefully highlights the assimilated life of the Wongs, who defy the stereotype of the hard-driving Chinese-American family. It’s clever, and her insights are astute.” — Ken Jaworowski, New York Times
“In her new play “Ching Chong Chinaman,” Lauren Yee lifts America’s vaunted melting pot off the patriotic flame and splatters it all over the stove.” — Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times
“A gleefully irreverent, audaciously un-PC comedy about cultural identity.” — Chad Jones, Theatre Dogs
“… the play by 23-year-old San Franciscan and recent Yale grad Yee is whip-smart and very funny, in a snappy production by Desdemona Chiang with a strong cast.” — Sam Hurwitt, East Bay Express
“A wild ride—fast, furious and very funny.” — Ken Bullock, Berkeley Daily Planet
“This play is too smart and funny to miss.” — Kat Chamberlain, nytheatre.com
“The plot gains momentum toward the middle and keeps building to a final, surprisingly unsettling conclusion.” — Summer Banks, CurtainUp
“… Lauren Yee’s charming, amusing, and entirely overcrammed play.” — Dominic P. Papatola, Pioneer Press
“Yee’s script takes on questions of ethnic identity while, with agility, transferring them to the universal gulf between yearning and reality.” — Quinton Skinner, Star Tribune
“Lauren Yee’s Ching Chong Chinaman … is a smart, fast-paced comedy that wrings laughs from the topics of cultural identity and assimilation. Neither predictable nor politically correct, it’s a satirical cartoon that has heart and even occasional poignancy.” — Patrick Lee, TheaterMania
“Yee is a talented young writer, and the characters she’s created here are winning and lovable. … Yee’s voice is absolutely worth a listen; I will look forward to what she comes up with next.” — Martin Denton, nytheatre.com
“The one-liners come fast and furiously in this rollicking sendup as playwright Lauren Yee sets out to mock all major stereotypes. The whole effect is very funny, but below the humor are poignant issues related to identity.” — Nancy Worssam, Seattle Times
“The play departs from mere stereotypes to provide insight on the profound role our ethnicity has in shaping our identity.” — Tiffany Ran, Northwest Asian Weekly
“[A] funny, sharply pointed satire…” — Miryam Gordon, Seattle Gay News
“Suspenseful, hilarious, and provocative… Ching Chong Chinaman is highly recommended for anyone looking for an intellectually stimulating and laughter-filled evening.” — KingYau Li, Seattle Chinese Times
“[A] riotous farce… The sanctity of American, primarily though not exclusively Asian-American, cultural identities is skewered in this first production by the new LA theater group Artists at Play.” — Lyle Zimskind, LAist
“The play packs a laugh-out-loud punch… Lauren Yee’s smart writing has given audiences something very original and a gut busting funny play… Not only is this a must see production, it’s a must see more than once play.” — Scott Eriksson, Asians on Film
“[A] biting contemporary satire.” — Travis Michael Holder, Backstage
“If you are in the mood for a smart and cheeky deconstruction of race in California today, look no further. This audacious satire … skewers clichés and bursts taboos from start to finish. … The San Francisco playwright also has a flair for irreverence that won’t quit.” — Karen D’Souza, San Jose Mercury News
“[O]ne of the livelier American plays to make it north of the border of late. A cheeky look at race in the United States, this wild and whirling satire is … funny and provocative… Yee cleverly takes on North American ethnic-identity confusion from all angles…” (3.5 out of 4 stars) — J. Kelly Nestruck, The Globe and Mail
“Taking a hammer to racism and stereotypes, the play is full of broad, sometimes sharp laughs.” — Jon Kaplan, Toronto NOW Magazine
“Ching Chong Chinaman is an excellent Canadian introduction for Lauren Yee, and there’s a great tap-dance number, too.” — Carly Maga, Torontoist
“Ching Chong Chinaman is a wildly inventive, raucously funny ride. Though rooted in Asian American literary tradition, this play upends its conventions with inspired irreverence, aided by brilliant staging and a powerhouse ensemble. You have not seen anything like this before. The fourth wave of Asian American playwriting has arrived.” — David Henry Hwang
CREVICE:
“[A] very funny world premiere… Yee has an acute ear for contemporary speech and applies a devilishly keen satiric eye to the manners and mores of her generation (and its parents). … You really don’t want it to end so soon.” — Rob Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle
“Crevice by Lauren Yee is chock full of humor and enough info to keep you guessing at what’s happening. … [A] wry, expressionistic look at the miasma in which the Millenial generation finds itself.” — John McMullen, The Examiner
“There’s so much hilarity in what’s there to make it a thoroughly enjoyable 70 minutes or so, and not one to let fall through the cracks.” — Sam Hurwitt, The Idiolect
HOOKMAN:
“[B]it by unsettling bit, “Hookman’’ deepens beyond satire into a surprisingly resonant psychodrama. … [An] assured and original voice… Yee has a knack for locating the absurdist humor, the poignancy, and the accidental truth in the interstices, elliptical fragments, uptalking, and outright non sequiturs of teen-speak.” — Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe
“Hookman is a singular experience. Those unafraid of graphic violence will have a wonderfully dark, funny, and sobering good time.” — Gillian Daniels, New England Theatre Geek
in a word:
“Her latest work is deeper, more disturbing, more mature, though her sly humor still peeks through. … It’s all about words – their use and misuse, how they inform and distort. … The writing is first-rate.” — Pat Lautner, San Diego News Network
“A fascinating theatrical journey.” — Jean Lowerison, GLTNewsNow
A MAN, HIS WIFE, AND HIS HAT:
“[A]udaciously kooky… up-and-coming playwright Yee is interested in more than quirkiness. Her play’s surreal plot twists and idiosyncratic tone … serve to advance an unabashedly heartfelt message about the value of love and human relationships. … It’s a vision to which one can only tip the old chapeau.” — Celia Wren, Washington Post
“[A]n absurdist piece of fun. … [T]he Moxie production proves as satisfying and sweetly elusive … as Hetchman’s hat.” — Anne Marie Welsh, San Diego Union-Tribune
“Moxie Theatre amuses and tugs the heartstrings with Lauren Yee’s magical play titled A Man, His Wife, and His Hat.” — Charlene Baldridge, North County Times
“Yee’s approach is quirky, her humor biting, and – best of all – there isn’t a dull moment here.” — Jean Lowerison, San Diego Gay and Lesbian News
“A one act play that is simply ‘awesome’ … Lauren Yee weaves a simple message about love into a surreal (parallel) universe complete with talking walls, levitation, nonsense dialogue and some great performances.” — Andrew Printer, LGBT Weekly
“A Man, his Wife, and his Hat employs an endearing cast and surprisingly cohesive script to produce the feel-good absurdist hit of the year. … Playwright Lauren Yee’s script is brimming with earnest laughs, delivering a steady stream of priceless moments from beginning to end.” — Ren Ebel, UCSD Guardian
“[E]xceptionally entertaining… A Man, His Wife, and His Hat is a fine, original production that will have you laughing and thinking. It will linger in my memory for weeks and months to come.” (5 out of 5 stars) — Kim Moeller, DC Metro Theater Arts
“Notwithstanding fine acting, playwright Lauren Yee’s clever language and piquant observations, and director Shirley Serotsky’s well-conceived staging, it is hard to embrace a play that has indifference at the core. I am going to recommend that you do so anyway, since the payoff is so good.” — Tim Treanor, DC Theatre Scene
“Yee’s story, with direction from Shirley Serotsky, is a whimsical one — with a message of love that’s heartwarming yet not too sugar-coated. … [a] perfect antidote for today’s “Happily Ever After” fairy tales.” — Patrick Pho, We Love DC
“[A] spring offering that … offers up fresh new insights to the world we live in. … So, if you hang in there, it’s worth it. All you need is love at the Hub.” — Brian Bochicchio, MD Theatre Guide
THE TIGER AMONG US:
“Playwright Lauren Yee unspools the history and the travails of this family in hints and shadows, allusions and illusions. She shows a deft hand at painting simple situations filled with complex relationships, and isn’t afraid to use humor — directed either outward at the mainstream culture or inward in self-deprecating glances.” — Dominic P. Papatola, Pioneer Press
“The script for The Tiger Among Us, by San Francisco playwright Lauren Yee bristles with wit and cross-cultural insight. … By turns funny and poignant… [T]he play’s worth your attention, not for the story’s Hmong-ness, but for its brisk wit and careful attention to the interwoven textures of generational relationships and family history.” — Susannah Schouweiler, Knight Arts
“The portrayal of the Hmong family – the only Asians in town – works. … [Yee] evokes, using dreams and hallucinatory flashbacks, the Hmong diaspora.” — John Olive, How Was The Show?
“”Feisty… Yee’s ambitious drama… moves between the physical and the supernatural realms and between cultures… slippery stuff that director Fenster navigates with skill. … Tiger is a smart and sassy play.” — Rohan Preston, Star Tribune
“The Tiger Among Us is an interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking look at the immigrant experience in a typical American family.” — Cherry and Spoon
PROFILES AND ARTICLES:
“O’Neill Conference to Develop New Plays” — Variety (April 16, 2013)
A Man, his Wife, and his Hat playwright interview — Jacqueline Lawton’s blog (April 4, 2013)
“Love Keeps You Grounded.” — Virginia Connection (March 28, 2013)
Ching Chong Chinaman preview article — Toronto NOW Magazine (March 14, 2013)
“Napa Valley Fest del Sole toasts classical, theater” — San Francisco Chronicle (July 11, 2012)
“Moxie tops off season with quirky ‘Hat’ play” — North County Times (April 5, 2012)
“Hold Onto Your Hat” — San Diego Union-Tribune (March 27, 2012)
“Hookman at BCA Calderwood Pavillion” — Dig Boston (March 21, 2012)
” ‘Hookman’ has an unexpected target” — Boston Globe (March 17, 2012)
“The Hookup” — Stuff Boston (December 26, 2011)
“Artists at Play Push Buttons with Ching Chong” — LA Stage Times (November 18, 2011)
“The play Ching Chong Chinaman challenges stereotypes with satire” — Daily Bruin (November 3, 2011)
“Mu Performing Arts publishes anthology of plays” — Minnesota Public Radio (June 16, 2011)
“Berkeley: Impact Theatre Announces 2011-12 Season” — Stark Insider (May 2, 2011)
“Hold On to Your Hats” — UCSD Guardian (April 14, 2011)
“Philadelphia PlayPenn Picks Six Playwrights For Conference” — PlayBill (April 5, 2011)
“2011 Playwrights at Playpenn Conference” — BroadwayWorld.com (April 2, 2011)
“UCSD Playwrights Find Voice in Baldwin New Play Festival in La Jolla, CA” — Playbill (April 14, 2010)
“Ching Chong Chinaman playwright explains controversial title” — Wall Street Journal (April 4, 2010)
“Minority Views” — Backstage (April 1, 2010)
“Photo Flash: Ching Chong Chinaman Opening Night at The West End Theatre” — BroadwayWorld.com (March 25, 2010)
“5 Questions I’ve Never Been Asked: Fay Ann Lee” — The Clyde Fitch Report (March 22, 2010)
“Ching Chong Chinaman” — The International Examiner (March 17, 2010)
“I Interview Playwrights Part 130″ — Adam Szymkowicz’s blog (March 14, 2010)
“Dramatist Guild Fellows” — The Dramatist (November/December 2009)
“For the Love of the Game” — American Theatre Magazine (May 2009)
“The Public Announces Members of 2009 Emerging Writers Group” — BroadwayWorld.com (February 4, 2009)
“Ching Chong for Change”— City on a Hill Press (November 20, 2008)
“Top 13 Up-and-Coming Playwrights” — Theatre Bay Area (March 2008)
“Bringing ‘Ching Chong Chinaman’ to the City” — Yale Daily News (August 31, 2007)
“Taking the Stage: S.F. Young Playwrights Festival” — San Francisco Chronicle (May 26, 2006)
“Keep an Eye on: Lauren Yee” — Theatre Bay Area (April 2006)
MEDIA:
Above: Centerstage My America Project monologue
Aurora Global Age Project interview with Mina Morita (May 2012)
Company One/Hookman promo video (April 2012)
LA Female Playwrights Initiative podcast (November 2011)
ArtZone with Nancy Guppy (April 2, 2010) click to 9:28 for interview
SIS Productions/Ching Chong Chinaman teaser (April 1, 2010)
Pan Asian Rep/Ching Chong Chinaman audience reactions (March 25, 2010)
SIS Productions/Ching Chong Chinaman interview (March 9, 2010)
