Race. Ethnicity. Homosexuality. AIDS. Partner abuse. Assisted suicide. That the script for Chay Yew's A Language of Their Own can weave together such an imposing cast of issues into so coherent a script is certainly commendable. But that the flesh-and-blood cast and crew of the Asian American Association's new production of Yew's play, directed by Jaynie Chen '02, can so effortlessly embody and ultimately transcend these issues is something truly amazing. A Language of Their Own, for all of the questions its complex issues raise, is essentially a very simple and very romantic play. The lack of dry eyes in the house at the end of this production should be considered only one indication of its compelling emotional effectiveness.

We meet Ming (Andrew Han '01) and Oscar (Gautham Bhan '02), a gay Asian twenty-something couple, just as they are breaking up from an intense four-year relationship. In the complex dialogue of the first act, which alternates between testimonial-like projections to the audience and their more private interchanges, the two men reminisce over the struggles and the happy times they shared together. Their interactions become strained, less frequent and even more wistful in the second act as they attempt to rebuild their lives with new partners. The tense relations between Ming and Robert (Jeremy Blocker '03), an ingenuous Caucasian waiter, are intercut with scenes of Oscar as he builds a new relationship with Daniel (William Adams '03), a sassy young diva-in-cargo-pants Filipino college student.

The efficacy of this storyline is due, to a large extent, to the quality of the cast. On their own, Han and Bhan have firm grasp of the nuances of their characters. Han's Ming is often immature, occasionally even cruel, yet he can also be touchingly sensitive. Bhan's Oscar effectively evinces both his need to maintain propriety and his earnest desire for Ming's affection. Together, they make an incredible team.

Their timing in the first act is impeccable. Their retorts are fast-paced and neurotically hilarious, their affectionate moments are deeply moving without any schmaltzy sentimentality. In other words, they embody both the relationship you've always been ready to kill for and the one for which you thank God daily for having so far spared you.

Admittedly, the pace of the second act slows somewhat with the incorporation of the two additional characters and the plot complications they provide. In part, this is due to the nature of the script. Yew includes several poetic monologues which, though eloquently written and sincerely delivered, do not cover a lot of new ground. On the whole, the best moments of A Language of Their Own come not when the characters elegize to the audience over the successes and failures of communication with each other, but when they literally establish (and at times destroy) an intimate and mutual working language.

The crew of A Language of Their Own deserves accolades for creating a flexible but unified environment for the interactions of these characters. Kathy Jo's set is sparse but highly effective. Potentially distracting props are done away with by sound effects. A few strategically placed lights and curtains not only divide physical space, but also symbolize on occasion an insurmountable emotional barrier between the characters.

You will doubtlessly leave the theater with much to think about. The play's vivid engagement of the themes of interracial and interethnic dating certainly beg discussion and debate. But in the end, issues can't conquer all. A Language of Their Own proves that love-in all of its hilarities, joys and frustrations-can.

A LANGUAGE OF THEIR OWN

written by

Chay Yew

directed by

Jaynie Chen '02

Through Nov. 18

Leverett Old Library Theater