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Opined October 10th, 2005
The Incredible Invention of Jenny Chow - By Rolin Jones; directed by Jackson Gay; sets by Takeshi Kata; costumes by Jenny Mannis; lighting by Tyler
Micoleau; sound by Daniel Baker; composer, Matthew Suttor; dramaturge, Christian Parker; production stage manager, Robyn Henry; production
manager, Lester Grant; general manager, Melinda Berk.
Presented by the Atlantic Theater Company, Neil Pepe, artistic director; Andrew D. Hamingson, managing director. At 336 West 20th Street, Chelsea; (212)
239-6200. Through Oct. 15. Running time: 2 hours.
WITH: Julienne Hanzelka Kim (Jennifer Marcus), Michael Cullen (Mr. Marcus/Mr. Zhang), Remy Auberjonois (Preston/Terrence/Dr. Yakunin/Col.
Hubbard), Linda Gehringer (Adele Hartwicks/Su Yang), Ryan King (Todd/Boy) and Eunice Wong (Jenny Chow)
If you are looking for something to do between now and October 15th, you would do well to check out this show.
The story of Jenny, an adopted Asian teenager who is agoraphobic and has OCD (I didn’t know a person could do both.). She keeps in touch with the world through
her computer and her one friend, a delivery boy for a pizza joint, who has taken one too many trips - in and out of his car. Jenny’s dad is an amateur astronomer and
about as laid back as they get which means he is a nice balance for her mom who is on a career track and wired for sound. Mom delivers the hard love that wilts Jenny
- be somebody; get out in the world; achieve!!! And for starters, please take out the garbage, which Jenny would do if the garbage weren’t garbage and if it weren’t
outside. This is the center (albeit a weak one) of the mother/daughter orbit: taking out the garbage.
As a remedy for her home life Jenny creates a robot to fly to China and find her real mom. For this she gets help from all over the country. Professors commiserate here
and Army Generals make deals there. Doesn’t this sound like the dopiest idea ever? Well, some how Rolin Jones writing makes this not a dopey idea - not even one little
bit.
The performances are not too shabby either. Remy Auberjonois was multi-casted into more than one hilarious character, and he meets the challenge with panache.
Although locked into the small town dopehead, Ryan King gives us a fully formed and touching human being. The weakest link here is Jenny, (Julienne Hanzelka Kim)
partly because of the writing - the story is about what happens around her - and partly because this is an actor with young skills. Michael Cullen and Linda Gehringer
bring experience to bear on their work and give some lovely surprises as well.
All in all it’s an intriguing evening. Completed by the offer of $10 tickets (a special officer for new works (Call 212-691-5919, ext. 126) and an audience member who
stopped for a chat after the show and posed the question: If this kid was smart enough to build a robot to fly to China, why didn’t she just build one to take out the
garbage?