**** Recommended Northlight Theatre’s production of The Heart Sellers is a delightful comedy. In just 90 minutes, you’ll fall in love with these two newcomers to America, one from Korea, the other from the Philippines, and their celebration of its ‘strange’ holiday. The story, set in 1973, was fun to watch as it includes quite a few quaint and time-specific references. I was charmed! 4 Spotlights
Luna (Aja Alcazar) and Jane (Seoyoung Park), who met in the grocery store on Thanksgiving, have a lot in common. They’re both new to America and they’re both married to overworked medical interns. With their husbands are so busy, they’re lonely and isolated.
Luna invited Jane over for Thanksgiving but they’re both nervous and awkward. When Luna notices they have the same coat – from K-Mart – they agree that they like walking around in that store.
They sit on the couch in an awkward silence. Remembering that she’s the hostess, Luna rummages through a cabinet and finds some Ritz crackers and cheese in a can. Luna loves to talk, so she’s a little dismayed when Jane doesn’t say much.
Luna says she bought a turkey but doesn’t know how to cook it. Jane surprises her when she admits she watches Julia Child – and she know how to cook! The frozen turkey is a problem but they wrap it in foil. Luna has a couple of yams, so they wrap those up in foil also, and put it all in the oven.
After Luna produces a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses, they really start talking, finding a lot more things in common. The more wine they have, the tipsier they get and the more they giggle. Finally, they change into pajamas and settle into friendship.
The Heart Sellers was written by Lloyd Suh. It premiered at Milwaukee Rep in 2023 to outstanding reviews. The Northlight production is directed by Helen Young with set design by John Culbert.
Northlight Theatre’s production of The Heart Sellers runs through February 23rd at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. Parking is free. Running time is about 90 minutes, no intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:30 pm; Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:30 & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Tickets range from $49-$89. FYI (847) 673-6300 or www.northlight.org.