Timely ‘The Heart Sellers’ at Dobama Pulls at Heartstrings

When Dobama Theatre announced their upcoming season, it was somewhat of a surprise to see “The Heart Sellers,” a play that takes place on Thanksgiving Day, slotted as the third show in their 2025-26 schedule. Thanksgiving in February? Wouldn’t audiences be a bit tired of the holidays by this point?

As it turns out, Dobama could not have chosen a better, more poignant or more meaningful time to stage “The Heart Sellers.”

“The Heart Sellers” by Lloyd Suh takes place in a small apartment on Thanksgiving Day, 1973. Luna, a Filipina immigrant, has just met Jane, a Korean immigrant, at the grocery store while looking at frozen turkeys and has invited her over to share a meal. Although strangers, the women have much in common: they are both 23 years old, have recently immigrated from Asia and are married to absent husbands completing their residencies. They are also both incredibly lonely. Over the course of ninety minutes, Luna and Jane bond as they discuss their new home and their new lives, while reminiscing on the home and lives they’ve left behind.

Dobama’s production under the direction of Julia Rosa Sosa Chaparro officially opened on Friday, Jan. 30. On this same day, a National Shutdown strike and boycott was organized across the country to protest ICE and the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, among others. Some local businesses closed for the day, while others made donations to non-profits supporting immigrants. Protesters gathered in cities across the country, hoisting signs featuring anti-ICE and pro-immigrant sentiments.

So, while it may be months after Thanksgiving, there is arguably no better time for Dobama to have staged a show that provides commentary on and prompts discussion of the immigrant experience.

Featuring only two actresses and set in a quaint studio apartment with ample wood paneling, orange accents and plenty of funky patterns (courtesy of set designer Naoko Skala), “The Heart Sellers” is undeniably intimate. This intimacy provides for a powerful setting to explore the complex, often competing emotions that surround an immigrant’s journey. The promise of opportunity competes with homesickness. The potential for a lucrative future battles losing touch with your roots. A greater life for your children wars with the possibility of never being whole yourself.

“The Heart Sellers” explores these emotions through a burgeoning relationship between Luna and Jane. Although they discuss their fears, frustrations and dreams over a couple of bottles of wine, the two women bond over more than just their immigrant status–because, ultimately, this is a story of friendship.

Luna, played by Nova Gomez, is an excitable chatterbox who often catches herself in the midst of over-disclosing. Her need to make a good impression on the stranger she’s invited over for dinner borders on desperate, but it’s also downright adorable. Gomez navigates Luna’s manic energy, bubbly personality and talkativeness with charm and skill.

Kat Shy plays Jane. The woman’s quiet demeanor, politeness and penchant for neatness and poise are, at first, in stark contrast with Luna. But, as the similar costumes–both wear vests, crimson red pants and patterns with intersecting lines–from designer Suwatana Rockland imply, Luna and Jane are made of similar stuff.

As the play progresses and the women bond over a love of “Soul Train,” a shared disgruntlement with Richard Nixon and similar dreams of creating art, Jane emerges from her shell. Shy’s soft personality is uber-sweet and Jane’s steady character development is a rewarding watch.

Investment in Jane and Luna’s budding relationship is made possible through both playwright Suh’s playful and engaging banter, as well as the chemistry found on stage between Gomez and Shy.

Moments of laugh-out-loud humor are interspersed with discussions of difficult topics and complex emotions. During some of the latter interactions, Gomez and Shy drift toward the center of the stage to deliver monologues that are accompanied by dramatic, colorful shifts in lighting from designer Jakyung Seo. Unfortunately, moving the characters to the forefront of the playing space and washing them in purple or green as they wax poetically about autonomy or the patriarchy disrupts the show’s otherwise realistic air.

“The Heart Sellers” tells the story of two immigrants bonding over similar life circumstances, but on a deeper level, it explores seeking connection during times of isolation. Dobama’s production is not just an immigrant story, but a human story, and with the state of the U.S. in 2026, there’s hardly a better time to explore these narratives–Thanksgiving turkey and all.

“The Heart Sellers” runs through Feb. 22, 2026, at Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights. Visit dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396 for tickets, $25-42.

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