CRITIC’S PICK: “...’Hong Kong Mississippi’ proves what artists can do with modest means but an abundance of passion, pluck and reasons to play.”
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From the moment he walks out with a stuffed “Disneyfied” dragon to tell us a fairy tale his mother told him when he was little, we are enraptured by Pinky, an 11-year-old Chinese boy growing up in San Francisco’s Tenderloin. Written and performed by Wesley Du, Hong Kong Mississippi is a coming-of-age tale that speaks innocently, yet often in frank terms, of racism. And providing the real dose of irony, the only other character to experience a seismic shift in the play is the man who resents Pinky the most, a man who against his better judgment unknowingly becomes Pinky’s mentor and father figure he never had.
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Du portrays more than a dozen characters, nailing their disparate voices…The harshness of Du’s depictions at first seems humorous…but turns ugly…Given how much “Hong Kong Mississippi” centers on Pinky’s infatuation with blues music, it’s surprising that it’s not until hallway through the play that we even see a guitar…And it’s outright disappointing how little Du plays it…. there is so much missed opportunity for authentic drama
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This brilliant theatrical monodrama is comprised of writer-performer Wesley Du’s finely crafted vignettes which could have been a literary memoir; here it is a showcase for his tremendous performance skills, including guitar playing. Through his beaming stage presence, resonant expressive voice and animated physicality, he demonstrates awesome shapeshifting. Du creates indelible portraits of his younger selves, his fierce mother and mature Black blues musicians.
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