Based on the true story of Harry Chin, a Chinese man who came to the United States in 1939 despite the Chinese Exclusion Act, The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin is a remarkably poetic work that exposes the secrets a man sometimes must hold in order to make a better life.
The play also illustrates the harsh realities of draconian and racist immigration policies, particularly the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882 that remained in effect until 1943. Chinese men already in the country were forced to leave their families behind forever, or go back to abject poverty in their homeland. There was a loophole, however. A Chinese resident could be permitted to enter if they could prove they were the child of a Chinese resident legally in the U.S. “Paper sons” underwent grueling interrogations that required them to memorize a stranger’s history or else they would be sent back. Chin’s hard choice was to come to America, taking on menial jobs, and sending back money when he could, leaving his wife and child behind. He marries an American, and has a daughter, Sheila, who know nothing of his life in China. Chin moves back and forth through time, visited by the Poet, who travelled to the U.S. with him from China, to memories of his first wife Yuet, to meeting his second wife Laura, to her death, and back to the harsh interrogation in 1958 when he was forced to confess to coming to the country illegally in order to stay with his family.
A man divided, Harry Chin (David Shih) finds a way to live with his choices, as hard as they have been. Harry’s daughter Sheila (Allison Beck) tries to understand her father’s grief and fear and the dreams he gave up along the way. Rounding out the cast are Anne Bates as the bright and caring second wife Laura, Linden Tailor playing double duty as animated and talkative Poet and the harsh immigration officer, Sephanie Soohyun Park as Harry’s wife and his daughter, and Sam Encarnacion as Harry’s boss and as the Interrogator who forces a confession from him.
Scenic designer Wilson Chin provides a globe/moon background and elegantly simple staging to the action, and director Jaki Bradley makes good use of the space and the actor’s talents. Given the shifting timeline in this heartfelt story, the clean direction is key to making sense of the plot. The beautiful dreams and poetry of the script by Jessica Huang, clash with racist realities in mid-century America and create a haunting play about the struggles of one man to make his way in the world.
The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin continues at the IRT’s Upperstage through May 15. Visit irtlive.com or call 317-916-4835 to reserve tickets.
