By snoadmin
Let’s face it: It’s not very likely that the typical college student will come to school outside of class to see a play. But what if the play was chock-full of issues that are particularly relevant to our generation?
Imagine a play that pokes fun at international adoptions, typical teenage daughter-mother relationships, Asian stereotypes, confused young adults, OCD, Mormons, pothead buddies, IM’s and ever-present F-bombs. These are just a few of the topics covered in “The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow,” directed by Edgar Landa and presented by the CSULB Department of Theatre Arts.
Jennifer Marcus, played by Megumi Ageishi, is a 22-year-old girl suffering from OCD, agoraphobia and being a genius. Although she can easily detect the defects in military missiles, solve Rubik’s Cubes and build her own robot, her real struggle takes place in leaving her room, taking out the trash and upholding a relationship with her workaholic CEO mother.
Jennifer has a laid-back father (Matt Straus) who looks past her difficult traits, and an uptight, controlling mother (Jocelyn Jolley). The family is disconnected, wealthy and, naturally, resides in a Southern California suburb. Her best friend Todd (Schuyler Dove) is a pizza-delivering pothead who has some noteworthy insight even though he can’t solve Jenny’s Rubik’s Cube.
As Jennifer struggles to find her identity, she concludes that it all starts with finding her birth mother, who resides in China. She starts an online friendship with Terrence, a Mormon missionary who just so happens to be in Shanghai, China. In exchange for the undercover work of locating her birth mother, Jennifer sends him pictures of herself to coach him through his own struggle: “lasting” longer than a minute.
However, once Terrence finds Jennifer’s mother, she reaches another wall: her agoraphobia. Since she cannot physically leave her house, she decides to construct a robot to fly to China to meet her mother for her. Seem too far-fetched? Not for Jennifer and her old professor Dr. Yakunin, who helps despite his expressed dismay. Terrence and Dr. Yakunin are both played by Sean Gray, who exhibits the ability to skillfully play multiple characters.
Between Jennifer and the professor, a plan to build the robot “Jenny Chow” is born. Jennifer does some undercover work for the government, all through instant messenger, in exchange for parts to build the robot. Jenny (Sayaka Miyatani) is a self-made version of Jennifer. When she announces, “I am Jenny Chow. I am very excited,” she seems to be a modern version of Pinocchio, and Jennifer is her creator.
The play comes to a climax when Jenny Chow meets Jennifer’s mother in China, and discovers that she has a husband and a son. Jennifer also learns that she was a product of rape who was given up at birth. This sends Jennifer into a meltdown as she lashes out at Jenny, calling her “ugly, retarded and a complete bitch.” Ultimately, Jennifer sees herself as a failure and a letdown, and takes it all out on Jenny. It is a heartbreaking realization that definitely touched the audience.
Overall, you get the feeling that Jenny Chow teaches Jennifer a thing or two about herself, yet playwright Rolin Jones seems to leave you hanging at the end. Although it is a conceptual comedy with plenty of laughs, a more concrete ending would have been helpful. There are many promising paths of lessons brought up, yet few conclusions to them.
Ultimately, if you’re down for an evening of entertainment and a play that finally speaks directly to our generation, you can’t really go wrong with this production.
“The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow” runs through Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Studio Theatre.
