Aubergine

Ray leaves his job as a classically trained French chef to take care of his dying father, a Korean immigrant who never appreciated Ray’s culinary accomplishments. Food, which normally unites people, painfully divides Ray from his father, even as it serves as the key to memory and identity for all the characters in this off-Broadway hit. If the language of food lets Ray down, he’s even more vexed by the Korean language. Ray calls upon his estranged girlfriend, Cornelia, for translation services when his non-English-speaking uncle arrives with a sackful of strange ingredients intended for a soup to nurse Ray’s father back to health. This life-affirming and perceptive drama from one of the country’s most important playwrights distills the flavors of rich characters and intense relationships.