Come on in and have a seat! Would you like some tea? Kevin Matthew Wong prides himself on being a good host, especially considering that his ancestors were accustomed to being good guests for thousands of years. Wong’s world premiere production of Benevolence, for which he is the creator and director, has audiences accompanying him on a journey of self discovery as we travel from one coast to the other in search of Wong’s Hakka (客家) family. Full of hilarity, hope, and healing, Benevolence lives up to its name.

One day, Kevin gets a call from his “Auntie” Sonia asking him to help her and the other members of her community centre to create a play for the upcoming World Hakka Conference. Kevin knows he’s Hakka (客家), but he’s not quite sure what exactly that means. Thus begins his quest to uncover his “Hakka-ness”: from interviewing his centenarian Grandmother (and by extension his Aunties) to travelling to Canada’s oldest Chinese Temple in Victoria BC, Kevin delves into his culture like never before. Though some of his efforts don’t quite yield the fruit he’d anticipated, other experiences give him a life-altering sense of clarity.

There’s a beautiful blend of understanding and curiosity which is present in Wong’s text. He knows about the Hakka (客家) people and their nomadic history, yet there’s a true sense of wonder as he navigates his own connection to that history. In this way, the audience is able to learn and discover more about Hakka (客家) culture alongside Kevin, and in a manner which feels profound for performer and audience member alike.

What’s more is that thankfully Wong took plenty of video footage and photos while on his travels, allowing for him to walk the audience through pivotal moments, even if they’re as simple as not knowing if he needed to take the stairs up or down to get to his destination. Yet so many of these videos showed the various Hakka (客家) community centres being couched in other buildings, or without a street-facing entrance; several drab hallways lead to these vibrant rooms full of pictures and history. My favourite, however, is the video of his Grandmother: she’s 100 years old, and while she might not be able to remember as much detail as Wong was hoping for, her answers had a consistent focus on family, community, and togetherness which made me tear up. This video in particular is so precious, and I feel honoured to have been able to witness it.

From the beginning, Wong’s movements have a dancer-like precision to them. In the moments where the dancing gets to fully come alive, we see how Wong’s storytelling abilities are certainly not limited to his words or videos. Wong’s natural charisma shines in his interactions with the audience, yet there’s also a level of vulnerability as he shares this life-changing, and life-affirming, journey with us.

Benevolence begins and ends with a Lion Dance – a traditional Chinese celebratory dance featuring large puppet lions. While Wong is quick to remind us that neither of these dances are what a “real” Lion Dance is like, the feeling of immense joy and jubilation shines through. At the end of the day, that’s what Benevolence is about: finding and celebrating the joy in our culture, and keeping that history alive for generations to come.

Benevolence runs in the Extraspace at Tarragon Theatre until May 4. For more information and tickets, visit: https://tarragontheatre.com/plays/current-season/benevolence/

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Cover Photo: Kevin Matthew Wong. Photo by Jae Yang.

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