Lauren Yee starts "King of the Yees" with a metatheatrical framing device of an actor playing playwright Lauren Yee, and an actor playing an actor playing playwright Lauren Yee sharing the stage, and continues a satirical "hero's journey" as the playwright-avatar-protagonist explores both the mythology of San Francisco's Chinatown, and the political and economic realities of the community and its role in city, and state politics. Yee's writing is weird, smart, and hilarious. I reviewed Signature Theatre's 2023 production for Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/631821...

A play that is bursting with life, comedy, heart, and high theatricality. Yee is totally in control at every moment despite some wild twists, turns, and leaps. This play is so satisfying and provides such a thoughtful and affirming consideration of the future and past of San Franscisco's Chinatown. It should go without saying that Yee makes the story of one people and one neighborhood highly specific and also deeply relatable. An incredibly satisfying and exciting play.

“King of the Yees” weaves together questions of personal, familial, and cultural legacy without undermining itself or crafting an air of unearned sentimentality. Playwright Yee sets up the emotional arc of the play to the score of a well-crafted story; every scene lands in a sweet spot of character development, plot advancement and rollicking adventure. With fun roles for actors, snappy humor, and heartfelt familial relationships, “King of the Yees” threads the needle of its own narrative to excellent payoff.