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It
starts with haunting music—the twanging, evocative sounds of the
Chinese Zither—and a young immigrant woman talking about a harrowing
journey to America.
She stops, looks up at the audience, smiles, and then says, “What do you think this is?”
This is just one example of the in-your-face and outrageously funny writing of Gwendoline Yeo’s one-woman show Laughing With My Mouth Wide Open. Playing in the El Centro Theatre, Yeo’s Laughing
tells a humorous, touching, and enjoyable journey of Yeo’s life from
the youngest daughter to traditional Chinese parents in Singapore, to
her graduation from UCLA.
Yeo’s
story begins in Singapore, where we learn that she is the youngest
sibling to two “perfect” older siblings (her oldest brother is now a
molecular geneticist, and her sister a pediatrician) and very strict
Chinese parents. Once the family moves to San Francisco, Gwendoline
must attempt to navigate her rich and mostly-Caucasian Catholic school,
as well as her parents strict desires for their children. Yeo’s
bildungsroman to adulthood is filled with plenty of good laughs, but a
number of touching moments as well.
Yeo’s talent as a writer is evident from the start, as the show is outrageously funny. The audience was doubled over in  stitches
multiple times, and Yeo writes with a sensitivity and honesty to her
subject that allows the audience to laugh at her situations WITH her,
instead of AT her. Her discussions of her life and place in
Asian-American culture never feel gimmicky or forced—instead, she works
with honest variations on traditional tropes in the immigrant story
(she rebels against her family’s desire for her to attend UC Berkeley,
but only by winning Miss Chinatown USA to pay for UCLA). Her portrayal
of her parents, which could easily have become parodies of Asian
stereotypes, feels completely sincere. Yeo ( and her director) clearly put some thought into creating an incredibly well-told story.
In
addition to good writing, Yeo supported a great story with wonderful
acting. She flowed onstage with both fluidity and grace, and switches
from one role to the next with ease and poise. Yeo’s desire to create a
connection with the audience is clear from the beginning, and while she
certainly allows herself room to play and be goofy, the characters
always feels grounded. In doing so, Yeo is able to show off her
versatility as an actress, and the serious moments always feel balanced
and justified within the humor. In addition, the theatrical devices she
incorporates—a Speak n’ Spell that acts as her first friend and
confidant and the interaction with the voice over of an intrusive
professor (both voiced by Phil LaMarr)—also succeed in feelings
grounded within the show’s story. Another wonderful touch was Yeo’s use
of the Chinese Zither, the instrument she learns to play instead of the
piano when she admits that she hates the piano. Yeo is an adept
musician as well, and the musical interlude was a nice touch to the
characters abilities.
Overall, I cannot recommend Laughing With My Mouth Wide Open
enough. Funny and heartfelt, it provided a great night of theatre for
the sake of theatre—a rare gem and treat to find in Los Angeles.
Plays through December 19, 2010 Thur, Fri and Sat. At the El Centro Theatre
804 N. El Centro Ave. 90038. To purchase Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120935
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