Quote of the Day: The Hart-Celler Act became law in 1965. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the bill was officially titled the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 – a name that reflects the bill’s focus on opening U.S. immigration to non-European nations. The bill gained the nickname “Hart-Cellar Act” from its two sponsors in Congress: Senator Philip A. Hart and Representative Emanuel Celler. Information provided in the playbill for The Heart Sellers, written by Lloyd Suh, directed by May Adrales, on stage at the Guthrie Theater through January 25, 2025.

Jenna Agbayani (Jenna) and Juyeon Song (Jane) in The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie Theater thru 1/25/25. Photo: Dan Norman

The Heart Sellers starts with two women walking into an apartment. It’s Thanksgiving 1973, and they are both new to the country and its strange holidays and traditions. They’ve noticed each other before, standing out as different in a sea of White Americans, wives of doctors in residency in an unnamed mid-sized U.S. city. It could have been Minneapolis, or Rochester, or some other Northern city. Their thick parkas indicating that the weather is much colder than their home countries, Korea and the Philippines. Luna (Jenna Agbayani) takes a chance and invites Jane (Juyeon Song), a stranger, into her home. “We were both standing alone, looking at the turkeys,” she says, knowing that they both were really searching for connection. It is a lovely premise for a story and start of a friendship. We watch the two women move from awkward mumbles and rambling conversation to sharing of their stories, hopes, and dreams. They become vulnerable to each other as they wait for the frozen turkey to cook, sip wine, and reveal more about themselves. 

Jenna Agbayani (Jenna) and Juyeon Song (Jane) in The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie Theater thru 1/25/25. Photo: Dan Norman

Luna and June show us what it was like for women to leave home and country and follow their husbands to a new country where everything is strange and hope is great for more opportunities for them and their future families. And, it’s heart-wrenching. The title is wonderfully apt for their experience. You have the names of the men who wrote the Bill to allow them to come to the U.S., Hart and Celler. You hear them bare their hearts and souls as they describe the difficulties of leaving what’s familiar to a place where everything is strange, even the smell of the rain. You empathize with them as they describe the feeling of “selling your heart” to have make this life-changing move. They are the “Heart Sellers” in their own story.

Jenna Agbayani (Jenna) and Juyeon Song (Jane) in The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie Theater thru 1/25/25. Photo: Dan Norman

The Heart Sellers is a thought-provoking play with two excellent actors. It’s mostly two characters talking to each other while moving through the scenes of getting more comfortable with each other during the “in real time” length of this 90 minute play. More talking than action, but what they say really paints a picture in your imagination. When they share memories, we start to see those images, the people, the actions, and feel the emotions, heartache and love. My friend and I kept bringing up poignant moments and descriptions on our drive home. I thought of my own grandparents’ immigration stories. What they left behind. What they tried to take with them, the traditions, the food, names they gave their children, songs they sang. I thought of the hoped for better future that the New World seems to promise the next wave of immigrants, and how it falls short. This would be a great play to go to as a group and discuss afterwards, have people share their own stories of how they ended up where they are today. I wish there had been a post-play discussion after the performance I attended.

Jenna Agbayani (Jenna) and Juyeon Song (Jane) in The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie Theater thru 1/25/25. Photo: Dan Norman

The set, designed by Wilson Chin, has wonderful details of a 1970’s apartment from the green and yellow appliances to the Tupperware containers. You can see balconies of the apartment building behind them, some with Christmas lights or a Santa, just like you could see today in a city apartment complex. Costume design by Junghyun Georgia Lee also reflects the 1970’s and a glimpse of “home clothes.” Lighting by Kat C. Zhou. Sound design by Fabian Obispo.

You can see The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie Theater through January 25, 2025. 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Write the story of how you ended up where you are today. Go back as far as you know, or ask an older relative.