Jennifer Lim (theatre actress)
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Lim is a Chinese
/Korean
theatre actress most noted for her performance in the 2011 Broadway
show Chinglish
by playwright David Henry Hwang
, appearing at the Longacre Theatre
.
. She obtained a Bachelor's degree
in Drama from the University of Bristol
in 2000, and subsequently studied for an MFA at the Yale School of Drama
. She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
in a Mandarin Chinese performance of Hamlet
directed by Richard Schechner
in Poland
and Shanghai
, appeared in Medea
in Turkey and in a performance of Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven in Vienna
. She has also performed in Scotland, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Norway.
She had a role in the 2008 Hollywood
movie 27 Dresses
, which starred Katherine Heigl
, and TV appearances on As the World Turns
, The Good Wife and Royal Pains
.
In 2009, Lim appeared in This Isn't Romance by In-Sook Chapell at the Soho Theatre
in London. Michael Billington
of The Guardian
described her performance as "highly impressive as Miso, managing to modulate the character's ferocious mix of lust, anger, guilt and self-hatred."
In 2010, Lin appeared in the role of Desdemona in Ching Chong Chinaman at the West End Theatre
in New York City
. Lim and fellow actor Jon Norman Schneider were described in Nytheatre.com
as "especially adept at convincingly portraying teenagers" and "extraordinary actors at the top of their game".
Reviewing the Chicago debut of Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre
, Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune
wrote that Lim's performance was "Played with intellectual dexterity and a ripe sense of comedy" and said that "this is Lim's coming out party as an actress".
In New York Magazine, Scott Brown called her performance on Broadway "just plain superb" and wrote: "Rarely do we get to see a woman over the age of 30 and under the age of 60 express herself with such self-possession, such unquirky steadiness of soul, such sexual and emotional matter-of-factness. Funny, fierce, effortlessly precise (she transforms one word — "What?" — into a dizzying symphony of evasions, feints, and strategic retreats), Lim turns in a Tony-worthy performance of a marvelous role, a triumph in any language." Ben Brantley
of the New York Times called Lim's performance "strident and sensual" and said it "hints at a real complexity." Jeremy Gerard wrote in Bloomberg.com that Lim's character is "keenly mixing steeliness and sexual predation".
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
/Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
theatre actress most noted for her performance in the 2011 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show Chinglish
Chinglish (play)
Chinglish is a new American play by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang. It is a comedy about an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China, which opened on Broadway October 27, 2011 with direction by Leigh Silverman....
by playwright David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
, appearing at the Longacre Theatre
Longacre Theatre
The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 220 West 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.-Theatre History:Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts in 1912, it was named for Longacre Square, the original name for Times Square...
.
Personal life
Lim was born in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. She obtained a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Drama from the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
in 2000, and subsequently studied for an MFA at the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
Acting background
Lim's career has taken her all over the world, as she built up a variety of international credits necessary to qualify for a U.S. visa. She played OpheliaOphelia
Ophelia is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and potential wife of Prince Hamlet.-Plot:...
in a Mandarin Chinese performance of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
directed by Richard Schechner
Richard Schechner
Richard Schechner is Professor of Performance Studies at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University , editor of TDR: The Drama Review, and artistic director of East Coast Artists. His BA is from Cornell University , MA from the University of Iowa , and PhD from Tulane University...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, appeared in Medea
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
in Turkey and in a performance of Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. She has also performed in Scotland, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Norway.
She had a role in the 2008 Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
movie 27 Dresses
27 Dresses
27 Dresses is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Aline Brosh McKenna. The film stars Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. The film was released January 10, 2008 in Australia and opened in the United States on January 18....
, which starred Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
, and TV appearances on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, The Good Wife and Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
.
In 2009, Lim appeared in This Isn't Romance by In-Sook Chapell at the Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
in London. Michael Billington
Michael Billington (critic)
Michael Keith Billington is a British author and arts critic. Drama critic of The Guardian since October 1971, he is "Britain's longest-serving theatre critic" and the author of biographical and critical studies relating to British theatre and the arts; most notably, he is the authorised...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described her performance as "highly impressive as Miso, managing to modulate the character's ferocious mix of lust, anger, guilt and self-hatred."
In 2010, Lin appeared in the role of Desdemona in Ching Chong Chinaman at the West End Theatre
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Lim and fellow actor Jon Norman Schneider were described in Nytheatre.com
Nytheatre.com
NYTheatre.com is a theatre information and review website founded in 1997.The Washington Post recommends it to "dedicated fans" of live theater....
as "especially adept at convincingly portraying teenagers" and "extraordinary actors at the top of their game".
Critical reception in Chinglish
In Chinglish, Lim plays Vice Minister Xi Yan, described as a "a sexy, fearsome, no-nonsense Chinese official who takes matters into her own carefully manicured hands".Reviewing the Chicago debut of Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
, Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
wrote that Lim's performance was "Played with intellectual dexterity and a ripe sense of comedy" and said that "this is Lim's coming out party as an actress".
In New York Magazine, Scott Brown called her performance on Broadway "just plain superb" and wrote: "Rarely do we get to see a woman over the age of 30 and under the age of 60 express herself with such self-possession, such unquirky steadiness of soul, such sexual and emotional matter-of-factness. Funny, fierce, effortlessly precise (she transforms one word — "What?" — into a dizzying symphony of evasions, feints, and strategic retreats), Lim turns in a Tony-worthy performance of a marvelous role, a triumph in any language." Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
of the New York Times called Lim's performance "strident and sensual" and said it "hints at a real complexity." Jeremy Gerard wrote in Bloomberg.com that Lim's character is "keenly mixing steeliness and sexual predation".
Theatre
| Film / Show | Role |
|---|---|
| Chinglish Chinglish (play) Chinglish is a new American play by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang. It is a comedy about an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China, which opened on Broadway October 27, 2011 with direction by Leigh Silverman.... |
Xu Yan |
| Ching Chong Chinaman | Desdemona |
| Vengeance Can Wait | Namase |
| This Isn't Romance | Miso Blake |
| Songs of the Dragons | Korean #3 |
| Yokastas Redux | Yoyo |
| Deviant | Sara |