Playwright Joel Tan named this play for the book And Tango Makes Three, a true story about the two male penguins in Central Park Zoo who as a couple hatched and raised Tango – who, just by the way, later paired with another female penguin.
But we’re not here to discuss the genetics of queerness. Rather, this play is about the impact of homophobia, specifically in Tan’s home city of Singapore where the play is set. The director Carol Ann Tan, also Singapore-born, says “Singapore is rife with contradictions … you can have a good life in Singapore so long as you play by the rules.”
But Kenneth (G Hao Lee) and Liam (Mike Newquist) do not. With their teenage son Jayden (Luke Gerdes) they move from Liam’s home in London to Kenneth’s in Singapore, staying with Kenneth’s father Richard (Cai Young). While out to dinner with their lesbian friend Elaine (Carolyn Hu Bradbury) their waitress Poh Lin (Rainey Song) refuses to serve ‘perverts’ and ‘child molesters’. Liam quickly shepherds Jayden away but Kenneth gets into a furious confrontation with Poh Lin. The encounter is filmed by another diner, who posts it on Facebook, where it goes viral.
The remainder of the two-hour show explores the repercussions from the ever-widening exposure on social media. Local activist Zul (Ronnie Derrick Lyall) begins a petition demanding Poh Lin be fired, and it all evolves into a huge public demonstration.
Poh Lin’s nephew/son Benmin (Oscar Hew) is still deeply closeted at age 30, but he meets Zul and, as their relationship deepens, Benmin is increasingly torn between loving loyalty to his Yi Ma and the burgeoning social conscience he’s learning from Zul. Meantime, the baggage between Kenneth and his father Richard (baggage whose enormity we don’t learn until later) is reactivated by Richard’s ignorant reactions to the building kerfuffle and his misguided attempts to grandparent Jayden.
TANGO is a deeply nuanced work, examining the complexity of our relationships with our homes and our families. Stage manager Jacob Sexton, with Assistant Ashby Amory, expertly presents the panoply of scenes by having two or three sets on the stage simultaneously. Lighting Designer Elliot Hublak, supported by lead electrician MaK Cole, defines each scene by spotlighting the rapid-paced action.
The acting is uniformly superb, but I need to give a shoutout to a couple of exceptional actors. It’s hard to believe that Luke Gerdes (Jayden) is practically a neophyte on the stage, he appropriates it so effectively. His range is amazing. And Rainey Song brings Poh Lin to life brilliantly. It would be easy to dislike this bigoted, rather stupid woman, but Song doesn’t allow us that oversimplification; however grudgingly we must sympathize with her as she suffers the consequences of her ignorance. And she is a testament to the skill of dialect Coach James Napolean Stone. Poh Lin’s heavy Cantonese accent is beautifully performed, and Song’s acting is so adept that even when she’s speaking Cantonese we hardly need the subtitles projected on the wall – her acting makes her meaning clear without the necessity of words.
I wish there had been even more work for Intimacy Director Kayla Menz (I’m so very partial to boys kissing!) but they do a fine job, and we have no doubt that this marriage of 16 years remains strong and passionate. Savanna Nix’s costumes, like Hannah Dains’ props, actively support the action, while Valerio Torretta Gardners’s sound integrates and unifies the mercurial action.
TANGO is the delightful product of a talented playwright, superb actors, and a splendid crew. Under Carol Ann Tan’s direction utilizes the intricacies of this richly nuanced piece. Joel Tan wrote it in 2017 but it definitely captures 2023. TANGO will be playing through June 11 at PrideArts Center. Check it out!
