Immortal Heart

Looking Inward at the Edge of the World - Rob Hurwitt, SF Chronicle Monday, July 19, 2004
"Passions run deep beneath the constrictive decorum of daily life, and family secrets erupt from caves full of prehistoric bones to haunt the people living in the little village hanging on the Edge of the World in Amy Tan's "Immortal Heart." A slyly convoluted tale of a young woman developing an understanding of her mother, Tan's short story is being retold by Word for Word to generally charming effect in a production that opened Friday at the Magic Theatre."

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Tan's prose jumps from page to stage - Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times
. There is a magical meld between the writing of novelist Amy Tan and the theatrical instincts of Word For Word, the company that uses prose as the script for theater. In the case of Tan's "Immortal Heart," which opened Friday, it is alchemy — the author's lyrical prose woven into pure theatrical gold. It's just a terrific story told tremendously well..

Word for Word gives a pulse to 'Heart' Amy Tan short story given innovative adaptation - Chad Jones, Oakland Tribune
Like Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," "Immortal Heart" delves into the emotionally and historically complicated history of a Chinese family. The stage is draped with strips of fabric washed in various shades of gray. Set designer Mikiko Uesugi, along with calligraphers Earl Speas and Katherine Su-Hwa Chen, make the space feel like a Chinese watercolor painting. Furnishings are minimal, but the stage conveys a strong sense of place. Randall Wong's evocative music and sound design along with Jim Cave's astute lighting also help create a gorgeous setting in which Tan's story unfolds.

Love Lines - Anna Mantzaris, special to SF GATE
"These are the things I must not forget," begins Amy Tan's short story "Immortal Heart." Directed by Delia MacDougall, this Word For Word production tells the tale (verbatim, a la the theater company's style), of Precious Auntie, the bonesetter's daughter. Told in flashbacks, the story follows Precious Auntie's difficult and tragic life, including the death of her fiance and her father on her wedding day. The strong and courageous Auntie survives a suicide attempt and takes to carrying for the young LuLung, who narrates the story of the elder who works to save the girl from a terrible fate. Tan's riveting tale (which set the stage for the novel "The Bonesetter's Daughter") takes the audience though rural China and years of a family's history in a flawless drama one won't want to forget."