Playwright Lauren Yee’s ‘Young Americans: A Play in Two Road Trips‘ is a humorous tale with heart and smarts.
Here, Yee follows the path of newly-engaged immigrants who barely know each other traveling together during two seminal periods of their lives, with both of its female characters entertaining goals of defining themselves without connection to the man at the steering wheel.
A cast of familiar Philadelphia actors and creatives such as Bi Jean Ngo, Merri Rashoyan, Hansel Tan and director Cat Ramirez take ‘Young Americans’ for a ride to the stages of Norristown’s Theatre Horizon, now through April 6.
Despite the differences in mission statements between husband and father Joe, his wife Jenny, and their daughter Lucy, their intergenerational immigrant tale unites their family through notions of heritage, legacy and the manner in which these three people connect as “others” in a United States that isn’t always friendly, empathetic, understanding or compassionate. It is important, too, to know that Yee’s script stipulates that her characters are immigrants – without stating their country of origin – and how all of ‘Young Americans’ actors cast should be non-white.
“Lauren Yee writes characters who speak from the heart,” says Bi Jean Ngo, who plays Jenny in ‘Young Americans’. “It is immensely satisfying to look at a script and see people who are fighting to be seen, heard, and understood by each other. I identify so deeply with these characters, as a child of immigrants myself, who has spent my entire life examining what it means to be American and even now, what it means to belong somewhere.”
Asking Ngo about the inspirations that guided her acting through Yee’s poignantly intelligent and provocative comedy that touches on families in forward motion, and she points to her own family’s travels.
“We had an Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser station wagon,” she says. “My dad drove, my mom was the passenger princess, and my brothers and I sat in the back with all the luggage. Sometimes, we didn’t have a plan, my dad just drove, and it was always an adventure, and my parents also had great taste in music.
“When I think about my character learning about herself, her new partner, and America through this epic road trip, I think about my family and our epic road trips,” Ngo continues. “If you want to talk road trip film references…my fiancé loves ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’. It’s incredibly endearing. John Candy and Steve Martin are an odd pairing who become best friends. That’s also my character, Jenny, and Hansel Tan’s Joe.”
Ngo is quick to add Tan, Rashoyan, and Ramirez to the list of reasons ‘Young Americans’ is a worthwhile trip.
“Merri and Hansel are incredible scene partners,” says the actress. “They’re funny and generous. And Cat is incredibly generous and supportive, and I love how they created a playful, collaborative space where we really feel empowered to propose ideas for our characters. The world that Cat and the team of designers have created for this production of ‘Young Americans’ is beautiful, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Director Cat Ramirez acknowledges how the cast of ‘Young Americans’ came into this process with a sense of play and curiosity.
“We’ve really dug into the twists and turns of the script at every point in the process to make sure that the story we’re telling is aligned with the text,” says the director. “I love the arcs everyone has built for their characters.”
Ramirez looks at Yee’s work and how the playwright “weaves magic into the world” as a way of highlighting the story.
“We leaned into that with our staging,” adds the director. “It was important to me to create a world replicating the feeling of a road trip — feeling like you’re trapped in the car, or those times you feel like you’re being embraced by the openness and possibility of the road. Sometimes we take the setting literally, but other times, we utilize unexpected elements of the set — beautifully designed by Chris Haig — to highlight that experience.”
In Ramirez and Haig’s initial meetings, talk illuminated the experience of a road trip’s beautiful vistas often obscured by highway signs, fast food chains, “the detritus of American capitalism. That view feels like a metaphor for ‘Young Americans.’ These characters are working to find where they belong, but often generational trauma, racism, misogyny, and other societal factors make it difficult for them to truly see what they want.”
Thinking of their own inspiration regarding ‘Young Americans’, Ramirez’ says that the beauty and specificity, of Yee’s script, didn’t take much work to personalize.
“I was struck by how many moments in the show reminded me of moments with my own family and how Lauren allows her characters to say so many things that I wish I could share with those closest to me,” says Ramirez. “Creating a piece that replicates that initial feeling is important to me.
“Our production is zany and heartfelt,” Ramirez adds. “It stresses how hard it can be to step into uncertainty, and the conflicts that happen when we either hold too tightly to controlling our futures or make the difficult choice to do something that prioritizes ourselves, and I think that’s an experience that resonates with a lot of people.”
‘Young Americans‘ is on stage at Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb Street in Norristown, now through April 6. For information and tickets, visit theatrehorizon.org/ya
