The Heart Sellers

The Heart Sellers at the Studio Theatre, is a very intriguing play. The name actually derives from the Hart/Celler Immigration Act of 1965. It is the legislation signed by Lyndon Johnson, which still makes up much of our immigration law. It is the legislation which allowed more people from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, to come into the country. 

It turned into The Heart Sellers when the two women in the play claim they felt they were selling their Heart when they went through customs the first time in the United States. The play is written by Lloyd Suh.  It is presented in ninety minutes without an intermission, and is directed by the very talented Danilo Gambini.

The two-women play opens with Luna, Francesca Fernandez, a young Filipina, excitedly inviting Jane, Jeena Yi, a young Korean, into her apartment on Thanksgiving Day, 1973. Both are really talented actors. The two women met at the local supermarket, and were drawn together by their similarities: both new to the U.S. from Asia, with husbands working demanding hours as medical residents, and an innate knowledge that their stories must have a lot in common.

You start laughing right away as Luna, who is garrulous and goofy, talks a mile a minute. She is excited to welcome Jane into her home. Jane stands at the door, not saying a word, and seems as amazed by Luna as the audience is. Luna finally gets her to come in and takes her coat, and realizes they even have the same coats. Luna bought a turkey, and Jane says she can cook it. Though it turns out the turkey is frozen, and while Jane puts it into the oven, it never really thaws enough to eat. 

But Luna brings out the wine, and with enough to drink, both women open up to each other, and eventually share their innermost thoughts. The play is about women’s rights, the power of men in society, and the women wonder if they will ever do more than dream of what they want. They talk about their families, and why they came to the United States. Luna controls the first half of the show, and Jane the second half. They very effectively go both go back and forth really well from silly to serious. Kudos also to the creative team including scenic designer, Marcelo Martinez Garcia, who designed the apartment, reflecting the year with shag carpet, groovy patterns, and mustard-colors. And to costume designer, Helen Q. Huang.

While I recommend seeing the play (it was really good) they could easily have cut fifteen minutes out of the middle, and lost nothing. The Heart Sellers will be at the Studio through October 26, 2025. Tickets are available online.