Playwright Lauren Yee’s meta-theatrical memory play King of the Yees opened its run at the Signature Theater, exploring generational drift and San Francisco’s Chinatown through a surreal narrative featuring family history, political corruption, and a cast of shape-shifting characters.
The Signature Theater Run and Production Details
- Where and When: Playing at the Signature Theater through November 15, with a running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes including one 15-minute intermission.
- Ticket Pricing: Tickets range from $56 to $167.
- Core Creative Team: Written by Lauren Yee, directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, with scenic design by Krit Robinson and costume design by Michelle J. Li.
A Kind of True and Kind of Surreal Family Portrait
The production bills itself as a “kind of true” story centered on the disappearance of Larry Yee, a prominent resident of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Larry’s life shifted following the corruption arrest of the California politician he volunteered for, Leland Yee. Yet the factual baseline quickly bends into the surreal. Lauren encounters a Chinese Lion singing and dancing to “All That Jazz,” engages in a shootout with a gangster known as Shrimp Boy, and embarks on a quest to gather Chinatown’s strongest whiskey, sweetest oranges, and loudest firecrackers by sundown.
These instructions come from a trio of traditionally garbed elders encountered by entering through a mystical Chinese door. While the script uses personal biography to offer a historical tour of Chinatown and examine the cultural drift between generations, those poignant moments frequently share space with heavy metatheatrical noodling.
Real Larry Yee Interrupts Play Rehearsal
King of the Yees begins with the real Larry Yee—played by Francis Jue—interrupting a rehearsal of his daughter’s play inside the Yee Fung Toy Family Association, a 150-year-old men’s club. This real-life intrusion completely derails the scripted interactions between the fictionalized Larry, played by David Shih, and the fictionalized Lauren, played by Maureen Sebastian. The actual Lauren, played by Kelly Marie Tran, watches in exasperation as the rehearsal falls apart entirely.
Subsequent scenes feature Shih and Sebastian running through near-comic routines. At one point, Sebastian’s character admits she is Korean, prompting Shih’s character to teach her how to pronounce “Chinese” in a repetitive linguistic drill. Meanwhile, the real Larry chats directly with the audience, singling out an Asian audience member who identifies as Danny Ma. Larry quips that the Mas are their cousins—before it is revealed that Danny Ma is actually cast member Jon Norman Schneider.
Dynamic Performances Across Multiple Roles
Schneider, Shih, and Sebastian each take on some half dozen distinct roles throughout the evening. Early in the performance, Sebastian portrays Jenny Pang, a supposed audience member who confronts Larry about the play’s scope. Jenny criticizes Lauren for failing to tackle pressing issues facing Chinatown, including undocumented restaurant workers, elder abuse, and the SROs.
Lauren Yee’s ‘King of the Yees,’ a wheels-within-wheels, plays-within-a-play intergenerational tale set in San Francisco’s Chinatown, skips the solemnity in favor of irreverence and giddy wit. https://t.co/xvDLzYoh6v
When Lauren defends her work and asks who the play is meant for if not the local community, Larry gestures toward the auditorium and offers a cheeky punchline about the audience.
| Production Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue & Run | Signature Theater, through November 15 |
| Ticket Range | $56 – $167 |
| Playwright & Director | Lauren Yee (Writer), Joshua Kahan Brody (Director) |
| Key Cast Members | Francis Jue, Kelly Marie Tran, Jon Norman Schneider, Maureen Sebastian, David Shih |
Design Team Supports Cast of Five
The production features a strong design team supporting the cast of five. Jiyuon Chang handles lighting design, Fan Zhang manages sound design, and Tommy Kurzman oversees wigs, hair, and makeup. Illusions are designed by Steve Cuiffo, while Ka-Ling Cheung serves as dialect coach and Cantonese language consultant. Han Jie Chow provides photography for the staging.
