At Atwater Village Theatre through June 9
South Los Angeles is a region rich in history–both good and bad. In addition to the police brutality, racial tension between African-Americans and the Korean-American community erupted due to the fatal 1991 shooting of Latasha Hardins by a Korean-American merchant. This racial strife was exemplified the next year by rioting which swept through the area following the acquittal of four police officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King. Much of the unrest targeted Korean merchants in the area. In David Johann Kim’s play “Two Stop,” the relationship between a Korean store owner and local Black residents is explored and takes place on the night of the riots. “Two Stop” is playing at the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., through June 9.
One of the themes in the play is racial tension. Interestingly enough, director Tracey A. Leigh describes herself as an “army brat” and found herself in Korea for a period of time. She has positive memories associated with Korea, noting that she didn’t experience a large amount of racial tension as a Black person in Korea. This is starkly different from the two protagonists in “Two Stop,” where Jong’s (i.e. a Korean convenience store owner) brother was murdered by Black individuals robbing his store, implicating that there are racial tensions between Jong and the local Black residents. After the robbery, Jong moves to guard his store against potential threats. In walks “GG,” a Black youth who appears to be a customer, then begins an attempt at stealing items sold in the store.
Meanwhile, Jong exits to scare away potential intruders. Upon his return, he and GG engage in a chase around the store while food items fly back and forth, with Jong pulling out a weapon. Eventually, GG overtakes the booth with glass surrounding the counter and reluctantly Jong makes her Korean style soup and begins to engage in conversation with her. Although Jong had a weapon, it is later revealed that none of the guns work and that they are only meant to intimidate. The play’s plot reveals alternate themes such as personal history and friendship. The bond between Jong and GG is revealed when GG later attempts to defend Jong against her mother.
GG reveals she was present the night of the robbery and was in fact scared however she didn’t have any part in murdering Jong’s brother. Jong and GG forge an unexpected friendship and begin to share stories about their lives. It becomes clear to the audience that Jong seeks to extract as much information from GG as possible. Later, GG’s drug-addicted mother, Sunny, enters and recounts past police brutality against GG’s father which resulted in his death and her subsequent anger toward law enforcement–especially the officers involved in the Rodney King beating.
It is clear that police brutality has changed the course of all of their lives as they were all connected to GG’s father. Intermittently throughout the play, people attempt to break into the convenience store. The play concludes with the three main characters working together to ward off intruders during the riot. This conclusion may provide a glimpse into the experiences of Korean store owners in Black and Brown neighborhoods prior to the riots.
