‘Tea’ Makes Strong Feminist Statement

Velina Hasu Houston’s “Tea” at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre concerns five Japanese war brides who relocate to the U.S. after World War II.

Set in 1968 Kansas, the play opens with the suicide of the troubled Himiko Hamilton (June Angela), an abused wife who created a terrible scandal by shooting her husband a few years back. Although the four other war brides in this tiny rural community treated Himiko as a virtual outcast while she was alive, they gather for tea and talk to commemorate Himiko’s passing.

During the action, which moves around in time, Himiko drifts in a barren nether world between life and death, just as she has drifted between two disparate cultures for so many years. Himiko’s salvation hinges upon the conduct of her spiritual sisters who have lost sight of their common ties during years of squabbles and petty social distinctions. During the course of their reminiscences, the women ultimately reforge their strong bond of cultural kinship, allowing the haunted Himiko to achieve balance and peace.

As austere and elegant as a Zen rock garden, “Tea” makes a strong feminist statement without drawing attention to itself. William Wilday directs thoughtfully, except for a couple of amusing but overplayed comic sequences in which the actresses portray their own husbands and daughters. Apart from these, the ensemble, which includes Lily Wong, Nancy Long, Susan Fukuda and Charline Su, gives performances as balanced and spare as Houston’s play.

* “Tea,” Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Oct . 7. $10. (310) 828-7519. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.