TWO STOP

by David Johann Kim

On the verge of the ’92 LA Riots.
A Korean market.
A murder scene.
The cashier and a neighborhood teen face off.
History and histories go head to head as LA starts to burn.

On the verge of the ’92 LA Riots.
A Korean market.
A murder scene.
The cashier and a neighborhood teen face off.
History and histories go head to head as LA starts to burn.

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TWO STOP

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: TWO STOP by David Johann Kim
    “

    A play told in real time that blends intimate relationships with troubling moments in history. I'd love to see what a scenic and video designer can do with this play. This play kept me guessing until the very end. You can't help but root this newly-formed community as they face the outside world that means to do them hard. A great script for actors of color to really shine.

    A play told in real time that blends intimate relationships with troubling moments in history. I'd love to see what a scenic and video designer can do with this play. This play kept me guessing until the very end. You can't help but root this newly-formed community as they face the outside world that means to do them hard. A great script for actors of color to really shine.

    ”
  • Ali MacLean: TWO STOP by David Johann Kim
    “

    A harrowing play that grabs you and doesn't let you go as you watch the characters, in real time, barricade themselves in a convenience store as the LA riots get closer. However, the revelations inside cause small fires and explosions of their own and they may not be safe with each other. A suspenseful look at racism, family, and violence in America.

    A harrowing play that grabs you and doesn't let you go as you watch the characters, in real time, barricade themselves in a convenience store as the LA riots get closer. However, the revelations inside cause small fires and explosions of their own and they may not be safe with each other. A suspenseful look at racism, family, and violence in America.

    ”

Character Information

The play was written to have 3 characters onstage and 3 or so characters who only appear on the store's closed circuit security monitors.
  • Jong
    Born into Japanese occupation of Korea. Drafted into Korean War as infantry. Volunteered to fight in Vietnam War as part of ROK forces. He emigrated to the US following Vietnam. He is in Los Angeles because his brother was murdered there just prior to the opening of the play.
    59 years old
    Naturalized Korean American
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • G.G.
    High school junior, loner near SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES in 1992. Has lived with insecurity and chaos in her life. Witnessed a murder just prior to the opening of the play.
    16 years old
    1/4 Korean,
    3/4 African American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Sunny
    Born in Seoul, Korea of an American Soldier and a Korean women not long after the Korean War. Had a very difficult life prior to being adopted out of Korea to Los Angeles. Knew Jong very well before G.G. was born. Has had a very rough life in the years prior to the opening of the play.
    39 years old
    1/2 Korean,
    1/2 African American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Reading, Ensemble Studio Theatre - Los Angeles - Winterfest, 2022
  • Workshop, Chalk Repertory Theatre, 2021

Production History

Awards

  • Best Show
    LA Theatre Bites Awards
    Winner
    2024
  • Outstanding Production of a Drama ( Intimate Theatre)
    Stage Scene LA (2024 Scenie Awards)
    Winner
    2024
  • Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellowship
    Dramatists Guild Foundation
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • Los Angeles New Play Project Award and Grant
    Los Angeles New Play Project
    Winner
    2022