Yellow Fever (play)
# Yellow Fever (play)

Yellow Fever is a play by R. A. Shiomi, which takes place on Powell Street in Japantown, Vancouver, a gathering place for the local Japanese-Canadian culture. Set in the 1970s, the Sam Spade-like main character, Sam Shikaze, must work to unravel the mysteries that surround him. First produced by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 1982, it received positive reviews and had a successful run off-Broadway.

## Plot summary

Sam Shikaze, a smooth private eye, narrates his own story about what happened when he was hired to find the missing Cherry Blossom Queen. He is soon trapped in a web of racism and political intrigue that seems to lead back to the Hong Kong tongs. Chuck Chan is a lawyer who tried to help solve the case, while Nancy Wing is a beautiful reporter who is searching for a story. Captain Kadota, an old friend of Sam's, offers his aid as a member of the police force, although Sam and Kadota do not see eye-to-eye on politics.

### Characters and actors in the premier production

* Sam Shikaze (Donald Li)
* Rosie (Carol Honda)
* Goldberg (James Jenner)
* Chuck Chan (Henry Yuk)
* Nancy Wing (Freda Foh Shen)
* Sergeant Mackenzie (Jeffrey Spolan)
* Capt. Kenji Kadota (Ernest Abuba)
* Superintendent Jameson (James Jenner)

Presented by the Pan Asian Repertory Theater:

* Raul Aranasm, stage director
* Tisa Chang, artistic director
* Susan Socolowski, administrative director

## Awards and honors

* 1982: Bay Area Theater Circle Critics Award
* 1982: "Bernie" for new play from the San Francisco Chronicle
* 1983: Obie Award to Ernest Abuba for performance
