The Far Country

Photo by Ahron R. Foster

By Lloyd Suh
Originally produced at Atlantic Theater Company, New York, NY
November 17, 2022 – January 1, 2023

Synopsis: An intimate epic that follows an unlikely family’s journey from rural Taishan to the wild west of California in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Artistic Statement: The Far Country illustrates Lloyd’s extraordinary craft in this story of a family’s immigration in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Lloyd depicts the intricacies of cultural identity and immigration. We are thrilled to have presented this commission, inviting our audiences to lean into a story rooted in history that has gone largely unknown.

Grant Statement: Lloyd’s writing is filled with nuance, detail, and at times a shift in style. An extra week of rehearsal supported by the Edgerton Foundation ensured Lloyd the time to try a number of rewrites before arriving at the version that told the story he wanted to tell, and also allowed director Eric Ting and the cast time to hone in the rhythms of the complex, overlapping dialogue. We are grateful for the generous support of the Edgerton Foundation and their tremendous dedication to the development of new plays.

Writer Lloyd Suh
Director Eric Ting
Scenic Designer Clint Ramos
Costume Designer Junghyun Georgia Lee
Lighting Designer Jiyoun Chang
Sound Designer Fan Zhang 
Wig/Hair & Makeup Designer Tommy Kurzman
Production Stage Manager Alyssa K. Howard

Cast
Ben Chase
Jinn S. Kim
Whit K. Lee
Christopher Liam Moore
Shannon Tyo
Amy Kim Waschke
Eric Yang

Pulitzer Prize, 2023 Finalist


Reviews
“An artful examination of the emotional price of immigration. Directed with sensitivity & spirit by Eric Ting! The Far Country meditates on ethnicity & identity; an act, loving and sorrowful, of reclamation.”
ALEXIS SOLOSKI, THE NEW YORK TIMES

★★★★
“Suh succinctly & humorously covers 21 years from Taishan to San Francisco. ”
MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO, TIME OUT

“Enlightening, sobering, even at times enraging! Sets the stage alight with dramatic tension, gripped as we find ourselves hoping.” Editor’s Pick!
KENJI FUJISHIMA, THEATERMANIA

“A graceful & haunting account! There is also warmth and humor in The Far Country, Suh is interested in the resilience of the human spirit.”
ELYSA GARDNER, NY SUN

“An intimate & revealing look at the immigrant experience. The actors deliver the overarching message of triumphing over adversity and bigotry with steadfast endurance.”
DEB MILLER, DC METRO THEATER ARTS

“Lyrical and thought provoking! Suh’s script is beautiful & Ting’s direction inspired.”
ERIN KAHN, STAGE BUDDY

“Director Eric Ting guides a uniformly excellent cast! Suh’s strength is his ability to mix realism and poetic elements.”
JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ, NEW YORK THEATRE GUIDE

“Tops anything imagined by Franz Kafka! Jiyoun Chang’s lighting of Clint Ramos’ impressive set imbues moments with breathtaking beauty!”
ROBERT HOFLER, THE WRAP

Subsequent Productions:

  • Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, CA March 8, 2024 - March 14, 2024
  • Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT April 26, 2024 - May 18, 2024