From the 1984 Print edition
31 Asian American Plays in 31 Days
#26 YELLOW FEVER by Rick Shiomi
Sam Shikaze, a smooth private-eye, narrates his own story about what happened when he was hired to find the missing Cherry Blossom Queen. He is soon trapped in a web of racism and political intrigue that seems to lead back to the Hong Kong tongs. Chuck Chan is a lawyer who tried to help solve the case, while Nancy Wing is a beautiful reporter who is searching for a story. Captain Kadota, an old friend of Sam’s, offers his aid as a member of the police force; although, he and Sam don’t see eye to eye on politics.
Satisfying a deep need for larger than life, two-fisted heroes in the Asian American canon, YELLOW FEVER was an instant smash for AATC and Pan Asian, and spawned two sequels, ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH, and ROSIES CAFE. More importantly, it launched the career of Shiomi, who rose to prominence as the long time artistic director of Mu Performing Arts (one of the largest producers of new Asian American plays in the country) and was named the 2015 McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist. The play is strangely prescient with its underlying plot (hm. Imagine. White supremacists in police departments) and has been successfully been revived by theatres across the country and has even been gender bent to feature a tough as nails female hero.
Asian American Theater Company, 1982.
Directed by Lane Nishikawa
Cast includes Art Lai, June Messina, Dennis Dun, John Nishio, Suzie Okazaki
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