East Meets West in TheatreWorks’ Hilarious Comedy “Tiger Style!”

by Ron Friedenthal

  As the name implies, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Mike Lew’s “Tiger Style!”, currently performing through April 28 at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts (500 Castro Street), in Mountain View, CA., is a comedic satire of tiger parenting, often stereotypically portrayed of East Asian societies.

Through the representation of a Chinese family, the theme of of this production will resonate with any parents who try to navigate the coming of age of their children and the subsequent blame the children may have of their parents when things do not work out as planned.

This is a five-actor all-star ensemble, three of whom play multiple roles superbly, including Francis Jue, Emily Kuroda, and Jeremy Kahn. The lead actors, William Dao and Jenny Nguyen Nelson, who play brother (Albert Chen) and sister (Jennifer Chen), are excellent, using humor and insight into the young adults they portray. They demonstrate how, with their parents’ strict cultural guidance, it helps them to exceed in academia. However, heir exceptional early years did not prepare them for coping in society. As a result, their early successes did not translate into having a very happy and productive adulthood.

The situations which arise are handled with quick-witted humor, from personal relationships, to work, and ultimately, to the therapist’s office. The brother and sister find they cannot cope well and therefore try to go back to their parents’ homeland only to find unhappy results.

Ultimately, they end up coming home with a new insight and a sense they feel more grounded. This detour from their well-laid out “life plans” will ultimately serve them well.

“Tiger Style!” is a two-act, two-hour production, and is the ultimate cultural mix of laughs, attitude and insight that addresses a number of topics of prejudice and cultural topics. For tickets or more information please phone (877) 662-8978 or visit theatreworks.org.

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Photo caption: Mom (Emily Kuroda), Albert (Will Dao), Dad (Francis Jue), and Jennifer (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) disagree about the kids' upbringing in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's "Tiger Style!," performing through April 28. (Photo Credit: Reed Flores)