After the Quake, currently at the Mandell Weiss Forum of the La Jolla Playhouse theaters, is a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theater. Director Frank Galati has adapted two of the stories from Haruki Murakami's six-story collection of the same title. The two stories, "Super-frog Saves Tokyo" and "Honey Pie," intertwined in this telling.
Set on a simple stage enhanced only by a table and a few chairs, in black, with horizontal, light-colored bars as a background, the action moves from one tale to the other with ease. Two of the actors, Andrew Pang and Keong Sim, change roles. Pang is the Narrator as well as the Tokyo-saving frog, and Sim plays Katagiri, who helps frog and Takatsuki, a friend of Sayoko and Junpei, Aiko Nakasone and Hanson Tse, in "Honey Pie." <BR> Pang simply puts on frog-like long green gloves, changes postures and becomes the frog who is trying to convince Katagiri, a bank collections officer, to go underground and save Tokyo from a giant worm about to destroy Tokyo. The time period is February, 1995, a few months after the Kobe earthquake and just before the subway gas attacks. Sim, the mild-mannered Katagiri, with the simple removal of his raincoat and spectacles becomes the athletic and outgoing Takatsuki. He marries lovely Sayoko and fathers a child, Sala, played by Kayla Lauren Mei Mi Tucker. He then disappears from the scene, and Sayoko's true love reenters to steal her heart.
While interesting, to really be appreciated, the stories need a little more context. It would be nice to have a short, quick-read bio about Murakami. The synopsis of the two stories in the program offers a bit of enlightenment. While adapted for a Western audience, the pieces still carry a flavor of Murakami's Japanese background. His love of Western literature is reflected in some of the dialogue and references to Western authors. After the Quake has many interesting moments. Tucker's portrayal of Sala is quite good. The eight-year-old has a background of film and television, print ads, and over four years as a violinist. Jason McDermott, on cello, and Jeff Wichman, on koto, provide good backing to the dialogue, as well as transition music.
