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Gina and David are two young professionals in their early thirties who are having a meet-cute after they’ve had a fender bender. They start out upset with each other and the situation, but as they exchange information, they begin to flirt and Gina gives David her phone number to “have sex…maybe”.
And so begins Kairos, Lisa Sanaye Dring’s thought-provoking, new play that is having its world premiere at East West Players through April 28. What begins as an urban, modern romance takes a turn when news starts spreading worldwide of a new procedure, Prometheus, that gives the receiver immortality. Not everyone is eligible and recipients are chosen by lottery – oh, and if you get chosen, your spouse can get it too. This prospect opens up layer upon layer of considerations and complications for Gina and David, their family and friends, and of course, the world as we know it.
Dring uses this one, new relationship to explore all the subtle, and not so subtle, nuances that this sort of proposition creates – from whether or not to get married, to how to navigate those around you who are not chosen, and of course choosing whether or not to go through with it yourself. Performed at a brisk pace, under the masterful direction of Jesca Prudencio, Kairos is a stirring, thoughtful, and exquisite play that takes us on a clever journey to vulnerability and our core humanity. Would we actually want to live forever?
The Yi-Chien Lee set is a breathtaking representation of life in the form of tree roots that descend from overhead in the shape of human lungs, or perhaps it’s meant to be a heart – but it is stunning in it’s beauty, intricacy and natural simplicity. The set pieces are simple chairs, changing shape to create an office, their cars, a wedding ceremony, or their apartment. The resulting effect is that it’s all about the story and Prudencio gets beautiful performances from her actors.
Sylvia Kwan is a sassy, and smart Gina – a woman in her early thirties who, at the beginning of the play, finds herself without a mate, children or any prospects on the horizon. Kwan gives Gina the right amount of jaded defensiveness coupled with a piece of her that is still a romantic dreamer. She is so enjoyable to watch and makes it very easy to see why David falls for her almost immediately. Gerard Joseph is irrisistible as the bookish, mild-mannered David. The chemistry with Kwan is off the charts and you root for them as a couple. Joseph really draws you in and makes it count when things get tricky for him with his family and subsequently with Prometheus. Ren Hanami and William L. Warren are perfectly cast in their small but ultimately significant roles – both bring gravitas and a beautiful poignancy to the moment.
Kairos invites you to yourself – a future self that asks what you would choose, who would you choose and ultimately, what gives life its meaning.
Kairos runs through April 28, 2024 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre in the Union Center of the Arts at 120 Judge Aiso Street, Los Angeles, in Little Tokyo. Tickets to Kairos may be purchased online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling (213) 625-7000.
