Pacific Theatre Presents Ins Choi's KIM'S CONVENIENCE

How do we share our legacy? Mr. Kim has built a tiny empire from nothing. His convenience store is his life, his livelihood, and his legacy. As his Toronto neighbourhood transforms, Mr. Kim hopes his daughter Janet will take over Kim's Convenience... but she has other plans for her future. Pacific Theatre's 2018-2019 season opens with Ins Choi's tale of entrepreneurship and familial chaos - a burst of infectious energy that has since been adapted into a hit CBC sitcom.

Playwright Ins Choi is no stranger to Pacific Theatre, having written and performed his one-man show Subway Stations Of The Cross as part of the theatre's 2014-2015 season. Since then, his spotlight has expanded to the realm of television: Choi is the showrunner and head writer for CBC's adaptation of Kim's, which also features many of the performers from the original Soulpepper production. Though the show is set firmly in Toronto, Vancouver audiences will recognize (sometimes with a wince) the constant threat of gentrification and renoviction that hang over the store, as well as the complicated social dance between immigrant parents and their Canadian-born children. Pacific Theatre's take on Kim's features Maki Yi, herself a veteran of one-person shows at Pacific Theatre, as matriarch Umma. "I love both the play and the playwright," said Yi. "The story is dear to my heart, with these characters from my homeland sharing my culture(s)."

Director Kaitlin Williams is also looking forward to bringing Kim's Convenience to life. "I am honoured to be working on this piece of theatre that is quickly becoming a Canadian classic. As I have listened to the cast, designers and audiences speak to me, one thing that has struck me is how much this story means to them. Ins Choi has given voice to a family and experience that has previously been invisible or pushed to the margins. I'm so glad the Kims are getting their time and that we are bringing their story to Pacific Theatre."

Kim's Convenience opens Friday, September 7th and runs until October 6th at Pacific Theatre.

Directed by Kaitlin Williams. Featuring Jimmy Yi, Maki Yi, Tré Cotten, Jessie Liang, and Lee Shorten. Assistant Direction by Soran Nakai. Set Design by Carolyn Rapanos. Lighting Design by Jonathan Kim. Costume Design by Jessica Oostergo. Sound Design by Chengyan Boon. Stage Management by Maria Zarillo. Assistant Stage Management by Linnea Perry.