Jesa, a play by Acting alum Jeena Yi '14, is set to have its world premiere at The Public's Shiva Theater from March 10 to April 5, 2026, presented by Ma-Yi Theatre Company.
The show, directed by Mei Ann Teo '14, follows four Korean American sisters who come together in Orange County to perform their father’s Jesa—a traditional ritual honoring the dead. According to the Public, Jesa, “explodes the idea of the ‘perfect family gathering.’” The show promises heart, humor, and ghosts, “literal and emotional.”
The world premiere also marks Yi’s playwriting debut. In a post to Instagram she shared, “I made my Off-Broadway debut as an actor with [Ma-Yi Theatre Company] 11 years ago and now I will make my Off-Broadway debut as a playwright with them at The Public Theater, a place I have dreamed of working at since moving to NYC.”
In the same post she shared that she and Teo, “met in Grad school at Columbia and we’ve collaborated as actor/director many times and this will be the first as playwright/director.” Yi stated that she is “so lucky” and continues “thanking the ancestors forever.”
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Born in Los Angeles, Jeena Yi now calls New York City home. When she’s not diving into a character on stage or screen, you can usually find her either writing or buried in a craft project while baking something sweet in the oven.
Tickets for the upcoming production can be found here.
