“Sentimental, familiar and generically feel-good…Even if the setup weren’t so rote, Mr. Choi’s script invites déjà vu with dialogue and behavior that work slight variations on hoary comic templates…But something began to shift for me in ‘Kim’s Convenience’ about two-thirds of the way through…This was not just the magic of the fine performances…The play’s questions of gratitude and ingratitude, and its exploration of the equivocal meanings of starting over, no longer felt rote at all.”
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"A sharply drawn comedy...Choi takes the conventions of immigrant-family sitcoms and deftly inverts them with a few hairpin plot twists, suffusing the 90-minute play with unexpected feeling."
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“The play, while largely grounded in honest realism, does slip into sit-com shortcuts, including a pat, albeit touching, ending that could perhaps be better earned after a longer and deeper examination of the family at its center…As perfectly embodied by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Mr. Kim is a conglomeration of determination, stubbornness, and frustration, all of which the play couches in humor, so that Mr. Kim comes off as a sort of Korean Archie Bunker.”
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"For all the amusing banter and comic physical shtick, this little play has its more serious side and an endearing, tender heartbeat. Best of all, in just 90 minutes, playwright Ins Choi has managed to juggle and satisfactorily connect a number plot strands...Good as all the performances are, the real star is Ken MacKenzie's terrifically detailed recreation of the store...Do take advantage of this chance to see this human comedy in its live and lively original permutation."
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"Superbly written, beautifully performed and perfectly staged...The situation comedy elements evolve into a moving family drama. In 85 minutes, playwright Ins Choi achieves the supreme goal of The Theater, making an audience laugh while engaging their emotions...Mengesha’s vital staging tenderly realizes the author’s vision with its steady pace and sensitive performances...Like many of the great works of dramatic literature, the power of 'Kim’s Convenience' lies in its polished simplicity."
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"One of the most endearing and sincere plays I’ve seen in a while...It’s not often a tight-knit family comedy works so wonderfully...Weyni Mengesha’s direction is flawless, allowing her cast to play with power through calculated volume and movement where it matters...While 'Kim’s Convenience' is a joy to experience, its sentimentality (unlike many sitcoms) isn’t overbearing, maintaining that feel-good quality many plays fail to achieve."
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"A hilarious, heartwarming and poignant look at the immigrant experience...The play touches upon every emotion that one can endeavor to experience in ninety minutes, all real, all empathetic, all profoundly human. It is in its beautiful humanity that Choi’s work shines and captures our hearts...Choi builds the arc of his conflicts so seamlessly that we are gratified at the natural order of resolution...This production is absolutely must-see smashing."
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“Beautifully crafted…A typical but immensely engaging story of first-generation immigrants and their children…This story is universal…It’s profoundly solid ground Choi places these three on with his intricate and simple storytelling and dialogue…It’s real, powerful, funny, and solid, and it is a night at the theater that makes me grateful to Soulpepper for bringing it to New York. In the same way, it feels like it is the perfect time for this tale to be told here in America.”
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