Yellow Fever (play)

Yellow Fever
Written by R. A. Shiomi
Characters Sam Shikaze
Date premiered 01 December 1982[1]
Place premiered Pan Asian Repertory
New York, New York[1]
Original language English
Subject Japanese Canadian Culture
Genre Comedy, Mystery, Parody
Setting Powell Street in Vancouver, CAN in the early 1970's

Yellow Fever is a play by R. A. Shiomi which takes place on Powell Street in Japantown, Vancouver, a gathering place for the local Japanese-Canadian culture. Set in the 1970s, the Sam Spade-like main character, Sam Shikaze, must work to unravel the mysteries that surround him.[2] First produced by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 1982, it received positive reviews[2] and had a successful run off-Broadway.

Plot summary

Sam Shikaze, a smooth private-eye, narrates his own story about what happened when he was hired to find the missing Cherry Blossom Queen. He is soon trapped in a web of racism and political intrigue that seems to lead back to the Hong Kong tong's. Chuck Chan is a lawyer who tried to help solve the case, while Freda Foh Shen is a beautiful reporter who is searching for a story. Captain Kadota, an old friend of Sam's, offers his aid as a member of the police force; although, he and Sam don't see eye to eye on politics.

Characters and actors in premier production[1]

Presented by the Pan Asian Repertory Theater,

References

  1. ^ a b c Gussow, Mel. "Yellow fever." The New York Times 132 (Dec 2, 1982): 24(N) pC21(L). General Reference Center Gold. Gale.
  2. ^ a b Oliver, Edith. "Rosie's cafe." The New Yorker 63.n36 (Oct 26, 1987): 130(1). General Reference Center Gold. Gale.

External links