Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi (2011)

TW: Physical Violence, Racial/Queer Humor, Asian Slur

 

SYNOPSIS

            We’re introduced to the convenience store with Appa advertising a new Korean energy drink to a customer that’s buying a scratcher and discuss the cultural importance of using certain names for items when others are technically still correct. Appa teaches Korean history at every opportunity and still dislikes Japanese things after their occupation of Korea to the point of having his daughter call the police on an illegally parked Honda. An old friend drops by to offer Appa an exit strategy. Lots of condos are going up in the area and Walmart is planning to swoop in. Mr. Lee offers Appa enough money to retire with but he would rather have Janet inherit the store to keep his legacy alive despite her adamant refusal to do so. The police arrive soon after and the officer turns out to be an old friend of Appa’s runaway son that his daughter had a crush on. Janet and Officer Alex leave for an impromptu lunch date while Umma rendezvous with their son at church on it’s last meeting. Jung is dissatisfied with his life choices and Umma encourages him to do what’s necessary for his young son, to find fulfillment in family. When Alex and Janet return Appa gives his approval by physically forcing Alex to ask Janet to marry him and soon after Jung arrives at the store after a fifteen year absence. Jung gives Appa a picture of his grandson and begs for a job. Appa gives him the entire store.

 

CHARACTERS

Appa – 59, First Gen Korean-Canadian, Thick Korean-Canadian Accent

Umma – 56, First Gen Korean-Canadian, Thick Korean-Canadian Accent

Jung – 32, Second Gen Korean-Canadian

Janet – 30, Second Gen Korean-Canadian

Rich – Young Adult, Black Kenyan (Actor Traditionally also Plays Mr. Lee, Mike, & Alex)

Mr. Lee – Black

Mike – Black Jamaican, Thick Accent

Alex – 32, Black

 

POSSIBLE MONOLOGUES

            Mr. Lee has the first traditional monologue asking Mr. Lee about his exit plan and offering him his card. It’s short but has a clear motive and use of tactics.

            Appa’s first true monologue is about profiling people to anticipate who will steal from the store and who won’t. The conversation starts because of a Black man wearing a jean jacket which Appa professes is a steal combo, but also believes fat Black girls never steal while fat White ones do. He covers brown and Asian as well as gay and lesbian people. The only purely positive stereotype is gay men and the only purely negative one is White guys. Every other stereotype has both steal and no steal categories. He also has a less risqué monologue where he argues with Janet trying to get her to take over the store. There are several multi-sentence lines of Appa’s that could be strung together for a lengthy dramatic monologue with a bit of dark humor at the end. He also has a rather sweet monologue telling Janet about a friend in LA that was good to Black customers and when riots broke out, those same customers protected his store. Because of that, Appa gives her relationship with Alex his blessing despite Alex not being Korean.

            Janet has a monologue explaining what happened to Jung that would work well for a short dramatic piece. She also has her monologue where she’s arguing with Appa about not wanting to take over the store and she tallies up how much he would owe her for helping out as often as she had for several years.

            Jung has a lengthy monologue that works alone if you start with his “I don’t like my life, Umma” line and can be cut down to a minute or 30 second monologue easy.

 

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

            The play brings on comparisons to a modern Death of Salesman with a happy ending. The structure is very much like a classic with a breath of fresh air. There are serious moments with lots of comedic breaks much the same as everyday life that makes it easy to bond with the characters in the play. I can see why it sold out so quickly with each of its initial productions.

            Now that I’ve read the play, I’m excited to watch the Netflix adaptation. I prefer to read then watch because the series will expand of what’s in the script where normally when books get adapted they have to make lots of cuts to fit the new medium. I can’t wait to fall in love with these characters again.