Mike Lew’s Rollicking Comedy Hits Home

by Mary Lou Herlihy

I succeed in life, and I fail. Occasionally I look for people and things to blame, including my gender. One thing I never blame is the color of my skin or the shape of my eyes.  But Mike Lew helps us know how it feels to be ‘other.’

At TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley, Director Jeffrey Lo highlights Lew’s biting wit and abundant humor to make “Tiger Style!” a wild, fast paced, wacky comedy.

Brother and sister Albert (raging Will Dao) and Jennifer (droll Jenny Nguyen Nelson), a programmer and a doctor, suffer from recent personal and professional failures. They blame racism. They want answers.

Then, they blame their controlling Tiger Style parents who used tough love to teach them that hard work would bring success and happiness. Albert and Jennifer demand apologies!

In playful fashion, Ikea-type platforms roll on and off, displaying signs that shout “RECREATION” or “WORK.”

Impish Albert meets a slim, nosy stranger Tzi Chuan (brilliant Francis Jue), who jogs up in a runner’s suit laden with too many campaign buttons.  The clever stranger easily extracts secrets from Albert, who still respects his elders—for now.

At “WORK,” Albert discovers that clueless—but white—Russ the Bus (riotous Jeremy Kahn) has won Albert’s promotion to Head Programmer.  His Asian supervisor says Albert is “UNRELATABLE.”

His sister Jennifer, a nerdy and neurotic oncologist, is begging Reggie (Kahn), a dreadlocks-wearing man-child, NOT to leave her.  But Reggie wants an “EXOTIC” Asian girlfriend who is domineering in the bedroom and submissive everywhere else.

Despite her massive application to MatchMaker (spot on Emily Kudoda), Jenny is out of touch and out of ideas.

Similarly, Albert suffers from ulcers, trying to “SUCK IT UP!”  He is angry at his parents for making him a “dickless suck-up.” He envies the American idiots who take their privilege for granted.

After a hysterical confrontation with their parents, the siblings buckle under the weight of guilt. After all, their grandparents had no American privileges and lived good lives.

Albert and Jenny need another plan to fix their lives: Plan B: “ASIAN FREEDOM TOUR!”  Shedding their Asian humility, they go full-on Western! But therapy for Jenny and promotion for Albert fail miserably.

Plan C: Go full-on Eastern! Things get wacky. A massive red shimmering flag lets us know we’re in China where surveillance, deception, and danger lurk.

Here, Francis Jue is over the top hilarious, imbuing the omnipotent Tzi Chuan with a delightfully unsettling blend of Pee-wee Herman charm and sinister mystery.

Does the tour succeed? A resounding YES! from this American idiot who had to google General Tso.

While the Chens’ frantic quest for “freedom” provides ample opportunity for uproarious laughter, the play also challenges us to confront our own biases and assumptions about identity, success, and the myth of the American Dream.

There’s SO MUCH to enjoy and ponder in Mike Lew’s bold, original, and hilariously acted “Tiger Style!”

“Tiger Style!” by Mike Lew, directed by Jeffry Lo, scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, costume design by Becky Bodurtha, at TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley, Mountain View, California. Info: theatreworks.org – to April 28, 2024.

Cast: Will Dao, Francis Jue, Jeremy Kahn, Emily Kuroda, and Jenny Nguyen Nelson.

Banner photo: Will Dao, Jenny Nguyen Nelson, and Francis Jue. Photos: Reed Flores