Jesa, presented at the Public Theater by the resident Ma-Yi Theater Company, is a domestic comedy-drama, a look at Korean-American family rituals, and a tale of the supernatural. “How,” you may think, “can all this come together in a coherent play?”
The answer is simple: through the combined talents of playwright Jeena Yi, director Mei Ann Teo, and the four women who make up the cast of Jesa. Together, they present a believable, fractious family, meeting to perform a ritual dinner honoring their late parents — although no one remembers exactly how the ritual goes.
The four sisters are wildly dissimilar in attitudes and goals. The eldest, Tina (Tina Chilip), is foul-mouthed, drunk, and irreverent, acknowledging few boundaries. Grace (Shannon Tyo) is devoted to the goal of being the perfect suburban housewife and dutiful daughter. Elizabeth (Laura Sohn) is dedicated to the pursuit of business success. And Brenda (Christine Heesun Hwang), the youngest, has followed her artistic dream to a big city’s performing arts scene. They argue among themselves over everything, forming and reforming alliances with each change of topic.
All four have been shaped by their late parents. During their jesa (ritual feast), their actions show which parent is favored by each girl. As the emotional temperature rises, an eerie supernatural visitor makes its presence known — and felt. But who is it, and why is it there — if indeed it is there?
Director Teo skillfully guides the cast through the tangled skeins of the sisters’ relationships to each other. In this, they are helped by fight director Chelsea Pace, who makes the girls’ physical battles unsettlingly realistic.
Jesa is more than just a tale of Korean-American ritual with a dash of the macabre. It is a finely crafted emotional roller coaster, its four actors creating an unlikely but believable family that transcends any one cultural group. It is funny and poignant and scary, and I recommend it highly. A very tasty offering is this Jesa!
Jesa is presented by the Ma-Yi Theater Company in the Shiva Theater at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street in New York, through April 12, 2026. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to publictheater.org.
