Kim’s Convenience Store, written by Ins Choi and directed by Esther Jun, is a comedy drama follows the hilarious and heart-warming tale of a Korean family-run convenience store where Appa grapples with his changing neighbourhood and the growing schism between his first-generation immigrant values and those of his second-generation children.
Ins Choi, whose own experiences inspired the play, says the play is ‘a love letter to my Appa and Umma and to all first-generation immigrants who end up calling a foreign land, home.’
From history lessons about Korean culture and heritage to the family tension between first generation and second generation immigrants to the importance a convenience store provides to a community; we see how the play provides insight into the ‘lives of immigrants - their journeys, their sacrifices and their victories’, as stated by Esther Jun in the Welcome section of the play’s pamphlet.
In terms of the knowledge one obtains from the play, Appa, played by Ins Choi, provides several moments of insightful knowledge to the audience through the conversation he has with Rich, played by Miles Mitchell, about the difference between Jinsang and Insam and how that reflects a person’s capability to generalise and overlook the differences between countries’, of the same region, cultures, in this case Japan and Korea - e.g. difference between the drinks, Jinsang and Insam. Choi writes a scene of addressing the known stereotype of how some may assume that all Asians look the same and that is nicely encapsulated through the line, ‘Look the same, but not the same thing’. This moment of Appa correcting misinformation was humorous and comical with which provided an ease into understanding the stereotypes we may personally have but not feel uncomfortable with that process.
In terms of Korean culture and heritage, the play implements information about it through Appa’s quiz of Jung and his knowledge about Korean history. In the conversation, Jung and Appa go through Korean milestones ranging from the 16th century to the 21st century, and provides the audience with insight of how the family’s values is based in pride in one’s culture and nation through your country’s achievements, such as how within Appa and Jung’s conversation the milestone of Kim Yuna being the first South Korean to win an Olympic medal in figure skating, and wanting to preserve the identity of where you come from.
Choi’s play focuses a lot on family. The dynamic between Appa and his children provides a familiar sense of the complicated nature between first generation immigrants and their second generation immigrant children. Appa and his daughter Janet, played by Jennifer Kim, showcase the spectrum of emotion and conversations that can arise from an immigrant household such as the expectation of tradition that strays away from the relaxed atmosphere of Western society, such as with marriage - e.g. Appa talks to Janet about her marrying Alex since she’s interested in him despite typically not being the way things are done in the West. However, despite his own personal beliefs, we see a banter-like conversation in which, after the back-and-forth sway of communication, he accepts his daughter’s wishes as he understands the difference in lifestyle in the West. I liked how the play was constructed to show how a first-generation immigrant comes to accept the difference of opinion for the sake of his child.
Another instance of a family dynamic that intrigued me was the dynamic between Jung and Umma as Jung was able to confide in his mother about his own feelings of inferiority and disappointment in his own life in comparison to that of his childhood friends, from the same background as him, that he perceives to be more successful. I found the insertion of this meaningful conversation over his own life journey and identity to be essential to understand what it’s like to be a second generation immigrant where there can be that pressure to have to succeed to in a particular way whether it be through a certain career or lifestyle choices. It felt heartwarming to see a relationship in which someone can confide in his parent about his concerns and show an audience that despite presumptions of what an immigrant household is like there’s is that space of support and understanding between parent and child.
Community in Kim’s Convenience Store is a key theme in the play as not only does the play covers the topic of gentrification but also the subject of profiling and how that can shape the way community regulates. The play handles the topic of gentrification well as it shows you how Appa, an owner of an independent business, contemplates over the financial benefits the offer to sell his property would have whilst reminiscing over the memories of how his store came to be and reflecting over how the store’s existence provides to the community. I.e through its broad range of products from around the world. As an audience member, I felt that the decision to implement this scene in the play confronts the common issue that occurs in the UK, in particularly in London, as lower-income residents are displaced by efforts to ‘improve the area’. The choice for Choi to respond to the urban development plans with Appa wanting to maintain the legacy of his store and continue to provide a service to the community, demonstrates how essential an independent business is to keeping a community together.
A final element of the event that would be a shame to not mention is the photo gallery, mini-convenience store and the pamphlet you are provided with. The photo gallery shows pictures of not only Asian independent businesses but in general businesses that have contributed to their community in the UK whether it be through their beauty salon or their restaurant or their camera repair shop. The commonality they share is the ethos of provide a service that inspired by their family and the want to make a legacy for them. In terms of the mini-convenience store provided a broad selection of snack and drinks from Korea that you can take into the theatre with you; the prices were affordable. The pamphlet provides one with the usual information about the cast, understudies, creative team and creative & production, etc; it also provides you an A to Z catalogue of information the invisibility of ESEA (East and South East Asians) in theatre which I found helped me further recognise how educational the experience is meant to be but also try to ameliorate your understanding, misconceptions and/or presumptions of what the purpose of the play is.
Even though this article cannot fully embellish one with the full scope of what the play pertains. I hope it provides you with enough information to understand that Kim’s Convenience Store will leave you constantly entertained through its drama, comedy and heartfelt messages. It is a play that I hope proves the point of the potential that ESEA have in theatre rather than just being placed as tokens to meet a quota.
Thus, I perceive that Kim’s Convenience Store would be a great way to immerse yourself into someone else’s authentic and sincere storytelling that like Jun states, in the play’s pamphlet, ‘it’s an authentic generational play with so much heart, truth and laughter. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.’
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