Review: The Heart Sellers by Austin Playhouse
by Vanessa Hoang Hughes
When two lonely strangers in 1973 decide to spend their Thanksgiving together, a sentimental night of newfound friendship ensues. The Heart Sellers tells the story of Jane and Luna, two Asian immigrant women who spend a night sharing tales of love, womanhood, and belonging.
Lloys Suh’s script debuted in 2023. Ten productions in the 2024-2025 season made it one of the most produced plays in the United States.
Alexa Capareda is Luna, the extroverted hostess with a surprising number of open wine bottles stored in her apartment. Capareda sets the tone of the play, reeling in both the audience and Jane as she welcomes us into her home. Her chemistry with Sarah Chong Dickey’s Jane, the shy, soft-spoken guest, is a joy to watch. Both actors win the audience over with laughter and conversation that feel genuine and unrehearsed.
Capareda is known in Austin as a lively, inventive performer of modern dance. Chong DIckey, an actor, administers the education programs of Austin Playhouse. The title The Heart Sellers is a play on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (the "Hart-Celler Act," titled for its sponsors Sen. Philip Hart and Congressman Emmanuel Celler). That legislation abolished the "national origins" formula that had previously favored immigration from European countries, thereby making possible increased immigration from Asia and from other non-Western countries.
The production opens with wholesome moments and charming jokes, but later goes deeper, as Luna and Jane bond over their experiences of being immigrant women in a non-Asian city. Luna came from the Philippines; Jane came from Korea. They share with each other the struggles of marriage, solitude, homesickness, and the sacrifices they made coming to the U.S. The script does an excellent job of using laughter to bring up the energy after an emotional dialogue; there isn’t a dull moment in the play.
The Austin Playhouse studio stage is an intimate venue well suited for the setting of the play. During funny moments, audience will feel like guests enjoying new friendship with Luna and Jane in the cozy apartment. The small room and seating area gives a comforting sense of immersion, but there were times during an important conversation an actress's face was hidden because her back was turned to the audience.
Directed by Ben Wolfe, The Heart Sellers is an emotional, heartwarming 90-minute experience. Hysterical laughter and cathartic cries explore themes of loss and love that bind these new friends in the tiny apartment.
The Heart Sellers
by LLoyd Suh
Austin Playhouse
October 3–19, 2025
Thurs – Sat at 8:00 p.m. | Sun at 5:00 p.m.
Performances will take place at Austin Playhouse, located in the heart of West Campus at 405 West 22nd St. Free street parking is available with paid parking conveniently located one block away at the UT Co-Op Parking Garage at 2214 San Antonio St.
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Running October 3- 19. Tickets on sale now! |
