Banana Boys
Firehall Arts Centre
January 17 – February 9 , 2008
Last year Firehall Arts Centre brought back Urine Town the following year, after a smash initial run. This year, they have brought back Banana Boys. I saw the play last year and found it a hysterical, fast-paced, action-packed with both ideas and physical comedy.
Some of our female dragon boat team members said “Hey what about the Banana Girls?” This play hits the nerves about Asian-Canadian identity. What is it like to be considered a banana? Yellow on the outside but White on the inside. No doubt many Canadian-born Asian Canadians are considered more and more banana with each passing generation, as they lose their mother tongue language, and traditional customs.
But can you lose something you never really had? Often times this 5th generation Chinese-Canadian bristles at being asked “Where are you from?”
On the other hand, the Asian traditionalists and new immigrants have often asked me “Are you Chinese? You look Chinese… You should speak Chinese!”
This play addresses all these issues… the push and pull of living between cultures, while trying to establish your own identity.
This
Leon Aureus play is based on the original book by Terry Woo. Terry came to Vancouver last year for the rehearsals and the opening night performance, and was really pleased with the Firehall's production. No wonder the play sold out its final nights and has been brought back for 2008.