June is the First Fall

by Yilong Liu

Synopsis: What compels people to cross mountains and seas to another country, another continent, and another culture to find their true selves? What are the journeys we take to find home and belonging? In JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL, Don, a gay Chinese man, returns home to Hawaii to rediscover missing memories of himself and his family that he moved away from. His week-long stay opens wounds with his father and sister that never healed, aggravating Don's struggle to find love and belonging in his life.

Cast Size: 3 Males, 2 Females

“Written with sensitivity toward all its players, the piece offers a compassionate window into the intersection of Chinese culture, queerness, and gender roles… "June is the First Fall" is a tight, compact evening of drama.” – Caroline Cao, Exeunt

101 pages, Paperback

Published December 30, 2020

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only widely available script by the Lambda Award winning playwright, this intrigued me, as it was workshopped at Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu, which I used to frequent as a grad student at UH. This is a poignant 'coming home' play, about a young Chinese gay son returning to his family in Manoa after a ten-year absence, after his coming out precipitated a family tragedy. The characters are all strongly drawn, and the dialogue rings true, with deft touches of humor. I'll be looking out for more plays from this promising young talent.

[Dakota Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a piece I was assigned to read for a college class. At first, I didn’t know how I felt about it, but now, after completing it, I have no regrets in having to read it. Such a eye opening and intriguing read.