Conlan Ledwith and Brian Lee Huynh Photo by Russ Rowland

The play opens with Kono (Brian Lee Huynh) in a detention cell, where he awaits a hearing on espionage charges that could lead to his deportation. Attorney Wayne Collins (Robert Meksin) is reviewing the case, determined to clear Kono's name. In flashbacks, Kono describes his dissolute early life, marked by gambling and visits to geisha houses, before he immigrated to Seattle in 1913. He later sent for Isami Yasuzaki (Kiyo Takami), his sweetheart back home, and they quickly married.

Seeking opportunity in the booming movie business, the couple relocate to Los Angeles. Kono finds work as a chauffeur for Charlie Chaplin (Conlan Ledwith), and his unwavering loyalty and unquestioning discretion soon earn him a place as the most famous American celebrity's trusted confidante. "He is everything," Chaplin explains to group of reporters, "muse, valet, private secretary, and bodyguard. I wouldn't know my left from right if it weren't for Mr. Kono."

Kono's position with Chaplin provides access to the era's most celebrated personalities, including Albert Einstein (James Patrick Nelson), Winston Churchill (Jae Woo), and Mary Pickford (Emma Kikue). But their 1932 trip to Japan turns dangerous when Chaplin narrowly avoids becoming a victim in an assassination plot engineered to provoke war between the United States and Japan.

The relationship between the two men sours when Chaplin marries his Modern Times leading lady, Paulette Goddard (Kikue). When Kono refuses to relinquish financial and domestic control to Goddard, he is summarily fired. Unemployed and a pariah in Hollywood, Kono plunges into despair over the death of his wife.

In the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese Americans endured widespread discrimination. Falsely accused of disloyalty, over 120,000 were imprisoned in internment camps. Kono was among those targeted, accused of conspiring with Japanese naval officer Itaru Tachibana (Woo) and threatened with forced repatriation.

Directed by Jeff Liu, the production offers a compelling case for probing the intersections of politics and pop culture, while also revealing the sadly persistent nature of anti-immigrant sentiment. Indeed, Kono is a fascinating figure who deserves to be lifted out of the footnotes of history. At the play's center, Huynh (who is rarely off-stage) appears tentative, particularly in the early scenes. However, his performance gains strength, offering an intriguing portrayal of a man driven by ambition, hubris and anger.

Ledwith effectively captures Chaplin's vocal and physical mannerisms without resorting to caricature. Takami delivers a poignant performance as Kono's long-suffering wife. Meksin, initially burdened by a largely dramaturgical role, gradually reveals his character's compassion and the social and political reasons behind his legal advocacy.

Regrettably, Chung's reliance on narration and rapid-fire exposition, especially in the first act, hinders the development of both character and dramatic impact. However, Sheryl Liu's striking geometric set, reminiscent of a pop-up book, effectively combines with Asami Morita's lighting and Cinthia Chen's photographic projections to swiftly traverse decades of narrative. Karen Boyer's period costumes aid in identifying both well-known and lesser-known historical figures.

Happily, the second act resonates more deeply. Presented as a courtroom drama, it allows the playwright to explore the characters and their motivations with greater nuance. While the first act centers on the relationships of Kono, Chaplin, and Isami, the second act offers a moving portrayal of the accused spy and his defender. As the characters evolve and the dramatic tension tightens, the play hints at a deeper resolution that ultimately remains elusive.

My Man Kono serves as a timely cautionary tale about the devastating impact of exclusionary policies, yet it falls into a common trap of biographical plays: prioritizing the factual over the personal. We learn much about Kono's life but too little about the man himself.