Theater News

Charles Francis Chan, Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery Set to Open at Walkerspace

The NAATCO production, which opens tonight, puts an Asian-American spin on an Agatha Christie classic.

A scene from the NAATC production of Charles Francis Chan, Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery.
A scene from the NAATCO production of Charles Francis Chan, Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery.
(© William P. Steele)

The National Asian American Theater Company continues its 25th season with the world premiere of Charles Francis Chan, Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery, written by Lloyd Suh. NAATCO’s first commission, the limited off-Broadway engagement at Walkerspace runs now through November 21, with an official opening set for this evening. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar directs.

The production is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the novel that introduced Hercule Poirot. The story takes place in 1967 during the "auspicious beginnings of a new political identity called Asian American." As a young literary hippie named Frank essays an inscrutable Chinese detective, a harmless singsong Orientalist minstrel show ends in a grotesque carnival of murder.

Lloyd Suh is the author of American Hwangap, The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, Jesus in India, Great Wall Story, Franklinland, The Children of Vonderly, Masha No Home, among other works.

For tickets and more information, click here.