Eating Chicken Feet

"Ms. Chen's dramatic imagination is obviously unusual. More important, it is always unpredictable," writes the New York Times of this dark comedy about divorce, abandonment, suicidal impulse, and the abasement of Chinese women. Blending the absurd and playful with the dark and painful, Chen examines the effects of divorce on a Chinese-American family, particularly Betty Sung, who, in trying to reunite her parents, falls into a coma. The play is a journey through her mind, as it springs up out of the hospital bed to observe, comment on, and direct the actions of her family—in hilarious pursuit of a perfect family happiness. Her fantasies eventually go amok, and Betty is forced to wake up and begin to look at reality. "[Chen's] vision is so steady, balanced and good-humored that she makes one laugh at the absurdity, without for a moment doubting the gravity of her message." (New York Times)