As an actor, Johnny Barton has a long history of appearing in plays by William Shakespeare. He’s built up a certain level of comfort with the Bard’s works. Speaking Korean, not so much.
But when Main Street Theater first approached him about being in Kim’s Convenience, the story of a Korean family that moves to Canada for a better life, he was more than ready to sign on. With a mother from Indonesia and a father from Arkansas, Barton is doing this play for his mom, he says.
“This was one show I knew for a fact that she would really, really relate to very well.”
The play, by Canadian Ins Choi examines the generational and cultural divide that happens in a family of immigrants helmed by a very protective and loving father, who unfortunately also has a bad temper. Throughout it, however, the two-act is filled with humor. (It was later developed into a television series that ran from 2016 to 2021 and was the first Canadian TV show to feature an Asian case of lead actors.)
In the play set in Toronto in 2012, Appa runs the store with his wife Umma and wants his daughter Janet to take over the business after him. But she wants to be a photographer. He’s estranged from his son — he hit him during an argument — and doesn’t know that there’s anyone to carry on his business.
His store is located in the middle of some upscale development around him as well as an incoming Walmart and he doesn’t know if he should instead sell out. Neither he nor his wife are very fluent in English or the customs of the Western world, Meanwhile their children find it hard to relate to what life back in Korea would have been like, Barton says. .
Barton, who is a middle school theater teacher in the Aldine ISD and a single parent of two children, says he readily relates to Appa’s protective side, his temper not so much. “The son accuses Appa of being bad to his mother and Appa disagrees and he has a temper and he hits him. Obviously violence isn’t something we condone but we can understand it at the same time.”
The son leaves, but ultimately returns and is welcomed with open arms, Barton says.
The actor’s biggest challenge, he says, was learning the few lines of Korean called for in the play and in just a few short weeks of rehearsal. He’s doing his best but trusts any Korean speakers will be understanding of any mistakes he makes.
“I’m just hoping they will be forgiving with my hillbilly Korean.”
Barton grew up in Houston and graduated from Galena Park High School before going on to Sam Houston State University. Asked why he was attracted to theater, he says: “To me theater’s all about telling stories and I love performing. For me to be able to tell other people’s stories as well as my own is something that unites us as people. And plus it’s just fun.”
Other cast members include Minsook Kim, Sethe Nguyen, Kory Laquess Pullam and Jack Stansbury. Andrew Ruthven is directing.
Barton says Kim’s Convenience hits the right balance of serious and funny.
“The show is very funny, but at the same time there’s a whole lot of heart.”
Performances are scheduled for May 17 through June 15 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at Main Street Theater – Rice Village, 2540 Times Boulevard. For more information, call 713-524-6706. $40-$63.
