The Language Archive and Other Plays

A new collection of plays by one of the most versatile dramatists in contemporary American theatre.

The Language Archive

George is a man consumed with preserving and documenting the dying languages of far-flung cultures. Closer to home, though, language is failing him. He doesn’t know what to say to his wife, Mary, to keep her from leaving him, and he doesn’t recognize the deep feelings that his lab assistant, Emma, has for him.

'Very stimulating… preoccupied with matters of linguistics and, more specifically, about how we all take a leap of faith every time we open our mouths… haunting' Chicago Tribune

Durango

To the outside world, the Lee boys look perfect: Isaac is on track to be a doctor, and his younger brother, Jimmy, is a champion swimmer. But when their widowed father, Boo-Seng, decides to take them on a road trip to Durango, Colorado, the carefully constructed facades of all three begin to crack. As they near their destination, tempers flare, old wounds reopen, and secrets are revealed.

'A finely wrought drama' Los Angeles Times

Aubergine

A man shares a bowl of berries, and a young woman falls in love. A world away, a mother prepares a bowl of soup to keep her son from leaving home. And a son cooks a meal for his dying father to say everything that words can’t. In this poignant and lyrical play, the making of a perfect meal is an expression more precise than language, and the medium through which life gradually reveals itself.

'Delivers a moving meditation on love, loss, and the emotional power of food. Anyone who’s ever shared a quiet late-night meal with a loved one, especially one who’s no longer here, will find much to relate to' Hollywood Reporter

The Piano Teacher

An elderly widow, living by herself in a small suburban town, whiles away her time reminiscing about her late husband and the children she taught long ago as a piano instructor. One day, she finds herself compelled to call her old students. But is it out of loneliness or some other, darker need?

'A cozy, effective little chiller… coolly imparts insights about the transmission of evil in a globalised world, where actions a continent away can spread their malign influence to the suburb next door' New York Times

Office Hour

Gina was warned that one of her students would be a problem. Eighteen years old and strikingly odd, Dennis writes violently obscene work clearly intended to unsettle those around him. Determined to know whether he’s a real threat, Gina compels Dennis to attend her office hours.

But as the clock ticks down, Gina realises that 'good' versus “bad” is nothing more than a convenient illusion, and that the isolated young student in her office has learned one thing above all else: for the powerless, the ability to terrify others is powerful indeed.

'Undeniably topical… Cho is curious about the intersection of private and public selves, the way psychology and culture mutually express each other. This is a small play, but before you realise it, its rippling current has taken you far from the safety of shore' Los Angeles Times