Yellow Fever (play)
Yellow Fever is a play by R. A. Shiomi, which takes place on Powell Street in Japantown, Vancouver, a gathering place for the local Japanese-Canadian culture. Set in the 1970s, the Sam Spade-like main character, Sam Shikaze, must work to unravel the mysteries that surround him. First produced by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 1982, it received positive reviews and had a successful run off-Broadway.
Plot summary
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 tries 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 Sam and Kadota do not see eye-to-eye on politics.;Characters and actors in the premier production:
- Sam Shikaze
- Rosie
- Goldberg
- Chuck Chan
- Nancy Wing
- Sergeant Mackenzie
- Capt. Kenji Kadota
- Superintendent Jameson
- Raul Aranasm, stage director
- Tisa Chang, artistic director
- Susan Socolowski, administrative director
Awards and honors
- 1982: Bay Area Theater Circle Critics Award
- 1982: "Bernie" for new play from the San Francisco Chronicle
- 1983: Obie Award to Ernest Abuba for performance