KIM'S CONVENIENCE

Background Notes

By Toby Malone, Ph.D

Not far from the Young Centre, the Regent Park area is undergoing a transformation. Rising from construction sites over razed apartment blocks is a gleaming, modern neighbourhood with an exciting future and barely a backward glance to its troubled past. It's a familiar story all over Toronto, as property values steadily increase while landlords and developers hungrily look to the potential in old city neighbourhoods. The achievement of Ins Choi's acclaimed Kim's Convenience is its unerring connection to the zeitgeist that characterises life in Toronto in the 21st Century: a narrative of change, tradition, and the dilemma of whether old-world culture can survive the cacophony of new-world influence. The brilliance of Choi's play lies in its familiarity that is both unmistakably Torontonian but always universal. Kim's Convenience may centre on a family of first-generation Korean immigrants, but their story is thoroughly human, moving beyond culture to simple humanism. Some may identify with anxiety for the success of a child; some to the pressure of a strong parental figure; some to the irrational frustration that comes hand-in-hand with over-saturation of a family member in close proximity. Some may understand the pain of estrangement; some may simply recognise the once ubiquitous sight of the Toronto Korean convenience store. Amidst all of this familiarity, the play's driving force is Appa, a man who prizes honour and family above all, a man without a filter or intention of retreating from his long-entrenched opinions and prejudices. With this said, it is important to remember that without his family - gentle, supportive Amma, combative, passionate Janet, and the lingering wounded energy of estranged son Jung - Appa is nothing. This is a play that values family above all, a message that speaks to countless varied experiences.

Kim's Convenience has turned into a phenomenon since it was first developed from Ins Choi's kernel of an idea in a workshop with Fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company in 2006. Choi wrote what he knew from working in a relative's convenience store, and married the struggle of the business's survival with a tangibly fracturing family unit. As a member of Soulpepper's second Academy, Choi had access to resources that allowed further development which led to an acclaimed prize-winning run at the 2011 Toronto Fringe. Kim's Convenience was the smash hit of Soulpepper's 2012 season, which has led to publication of the script with the House of Anansi Press and an exciting 2013 tour which will include London ON, Port Hope ON, and Calgary AB.