Program notes describe Peerless as “a darkly comedic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth where two ambitious Asian-American sisters stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams.” The print material features buckets of blood and a ghoulish witch-like character opens the show with spooky music, so the ominous messages are supposedly obvious. Still, the intriguing script by Jiehae Park kept me wondering what was so menacing about these two precocious adolescents jabbering about classes and homework until their twisted reality started to bite.
Identical twins identified as only L and M talk incessantly about grades, school, and class rankings, sometimes referring to racial preferences, theirs and others. L indicates she’s the pretty one, while M is the designated smart one. L, played with precocious fervor and remarkable skill by Jay Thaiyod, is a nonstop chatterbox, even during ballet dance class, wearing a makeshift tutu and all. Imaan Khan as M is a bit more subdued, but you can barely tell because they talk nonstop throughout the entire first half of the play, finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences, nicely directed by Youri Kim.
Hope Campbell sleeks along with a goth vibe taunting the girls, insinuating dire results, and has an overall bitchy/witchy demeanor. She’s the first sign that things will not go nicely in this schoolyard. C.C. Gallagher and David Jackson add nice touches as part of the well-tuned ensemble. Once the twins discover that the only remaining slot in the prestigious school they are determined to attend has been taken by a student of Native American heritage, they set their sights on doing something about that. It’s not pretty.
Identical costumes designed by Sephenie Yee immerse the girls in adolescence, while Jim Robertson and Douglas Becker work wonders with lights and set design. The square set is lit along the edges with a circle also lit in the middle. The lights pulsate in a multi-colored glare as the tension and action build and crescendo with sound by Sean Johnson packing a punch.
Peerless has been playing in the theater circuit since 2016, but probably only a select milieu could tackle the somewhat subversive content. It’s an unusual selection for Silver Spring Stage known for more traditional “safe” programming. Here’s to taking a stretch out of the theater comfort zone into fascinatingly rich material mixed with goosebump eerie — Peerless.
Running Time: Approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.
Peerless plays through Marchh 30, 2025 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm) at Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD. Purchase tickets ($23.75–$26.75 including fees) at the door or online. For more information, call (301) 593-6036, visit the website, or email contact@ssstage.org.
Contains mature language and themes, loud sound effects, and explosion scenes.
COVID Safety: Masks are encouraged but not required.
Peerless
By Jiehae Park
Directed by Youri Kim
CAST
M: Imaan Khan
L: Jay Thaiyod
BF: David Jackson
Dirty Girl / Preppy Girl: Hope Campbell
D / D`s Brother: CC Gallagher
M Understudy: Daniella Ignacio
L Understudy: Kira Judish
BF Understudy: Tyler Ward
D / D`s Brother Understudy: Jeremiah Kirstein
Dirty Girl / Preppy Girl Understudy: Sarah Marie Wilson
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Producer: Saúl Díaz Cruz
Director: Youri Kim
Assistant Director: Drue Maggio
Production Stage Manager: Jen Kochaver
Lighting Design: Jim Robertson
Sound Design: Sean Johnson
Costume: Stephenie Yee
Set Design: Douglas Becker
Composer: Andrew Stainer
Intimacy & Fight Director: Julia Rabson Harris
