Joker

by Yilong Liu

A Filipino gay writer and activist settles into a straight marriage in Hawai'i to keep a promise he's made. The tenuous calm is rocked by the arrival of a former friend of his from the Philippines. Will the life he carefully constructed crush around him? Set during the run-up to marriage equality in Hawai'i, Joker explores love, loss and the power of our promises.

A Filipino gay writer and activist settles into a straight marriage in Hawai'i to keep a promise he's made. The tenuous calm is rocked by the arrival of a former friend of his from the Philippines. Will the life he carefully constructed crush around him? Set during the run-up to marriage equality in Hawai'i, Joker explores love, loss and the power of our promises.

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Joker

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: Joker

    A powerful look at intimacy and the promises we make as things become more complicated for these characters. Captivating and well done.

    A powerful look at intimacy and the promises we make as things become more complicated for these characters. Captivating and well done.

  • Nick Malakhow: Joker

    An intimate, exquisitely-told story that incorporates beautiful foreshadowing and tension that intrigues without giving too much away too soon. Each character is vividly realized and Liu clearly paints them with loving brushstrokes. Even though there is tension and momentum, we never stop caring for and empathizing with these folks. Liu explores living one's truth and coming to terms with identity in a multi-faceted and nuanced way. The theatricality of the monologue interjections and occasional magic moment is powerful! I'd love to see this live and on its feet, but the humorous, human text...

    An intimate, exquisitely-told story that incorporates beautiful foreshadowing and tension that intrigues without giving too much away too soon. Each character is vividly realized and Liu clearly paints them with loving brushstrokes. Even though there is tension and momentum, we never stop caring for and empathizing with these folks. Liu explores living one's truth and coming to terms with identity in a multi-faceted and nuanced way. The theatricality of the monologue interjections and occasional magic moment is powerful! I'd love to see this live and on its feet, but the humorous, human text is so strong all by itself.

  • David Hansen: Joker

    An intimate family drama set against the backdrop of momentous events, Joker is a keen mystery. The playwright does a masterful job creating tension and an inscrutibly frustrating emotional puzzle which when unlocked reveals the many layers to a character who has kept so much pain hidden for so long. Recommended!

    An intimate family drama set against the backdrop of momentous events, Joker is a keen mystery. The playwright does a masterful job creating tension and an inscrutibly frustrating emotional puzzle which when unlocked reveals the many layers to a character who has kept so much pain hidden for so long. Recommended!

View all 5 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Year 2016

Production History

  • Type Workshop, Organization National Queer Theatre/IRT Theatre, Year 2019
  • Type Community Theater, Organization Kumu Kahua Theatre, Year 2015
  • Type Fringe, Organization The Kraine Theatre (FringeNYC), Year 2015
  • Type University, Organization Earle Ernst Lab Theatre, Year 2014

Awards

  • Po'okela Award for Original Script
    Hawaii State Theatre Council
    Winner
    2016
  • National Partners of the American Theatre Award for Playwriting
    KCACTF
    Winner
    2015