Long before it became a beloved TV series in Canada and then a global smash on Netflix, Kim’s Convenience began as a modest stage play at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2011. This spring, the award-winning comedy returns to its theatrical roots when it arrives as part of a North American tour at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre March 21st through April 19th.
Written by and starring Ins Choi, and directed by Weyni Mengesha, the revival production is presented by Soulpepper Theatre Company and Adam Blanshay Productions in association with American Conservatory Theater. Choi, who originally performed the role of Jung in the play’s early life, now steps into the role of father Appa — the proud, stubborn owner of a Toronto convenience store whose livelihood and legacy feel increasingly uncertain.
At its core, Kim’s Convenience is both intimate and expansive. Mr. Kim works tirelessly to support his wife Umma and their two adult children, Jung and Janet, while grappling with a neighborhood that is shifting around him and children whose perspectives have been shaped by a different country. What unfolds is a portrait of generational friction, cultural inheritance, and the quiet dignity of everyday labor. Choi has described the play as his “love letter” to first-generation immigrants, and its humor emerges not from stereotype but from specificity — from the rhythms of family, language, and shared history.
The Ahmanson run carries particular resonance in Los Angeles, home to one of the largest Korean and Korean American communities in the world. Among the cast is Ryan Jinn, who has inhabited Jung going back to last year. Born in L.A. and raised in Vancouver, Jinn brings his own perspective to a story that has traveled far while remaining deeply personal.
LAexcites recently spoke with Ryan Jinn about Jung, what Kim’s Convenience means to him and others, and the anticipation of bringing it to Southern California audiences.
You’re continuing the role of Jung in this production of Kim’s Convenience, a character you began since early last year at the Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto. What’s it been like living with Jung over time, and how did you originally come to be cast?
Jinn: We had our first stint of this last year in Toronto so, for me, it’s been one big show since then.
I was originally cast the old-fashioned way via self-tape. The rest of the cast had in-room auditions, but being so far away, I just submitted a tape from Vancouver and we had live call backs over Zoom when I read with Esther [Chung] who would eventually become Umma. And that was that. I flew out Jan 1st of last year, so it was all of 2025 sitting with Jung.
Back in 2021, I actually did this role for two nights. I got a call to do Jung because the actor playing him got Covid. That was my first time stepping into the role. It’s a long time coming. For a lot of the cast and crew of the show, we’ve had a lot of full-circle stories with Kim’s Convenience in some shape or form. I also auditioned for Jung way back with the TV show, so Kim’s been circling my life for years.
I’ve been able to sink my teeth into Jung for a long time — I get a chance to fine-tune and familiarize myself with so much. We had a very long rehearsal process in the winter for [last year’s] Soulpepper run, but we’re well over 150 shows now and something new can always be sparked — and even with this (current) run in Florida, we’re uncovering new things with our characters. To be able to inhabit this character for so long is unusual and we get a chance to keep digging and discover new things on a daily basis.
The play began at the Toronto Fringe before becoming a global TV/streaming hit. I see you were even in one episode of the TV show back in 2021 when you played a character named Vince. How does it feel to be part of a movement with such a strong and devoted following?
Jinn: Again, this journey with Kim’s started when I saw the audition for the TV show. I didn’t realize it was a play before until I met Jimmy (James Yi, the understudy for Appa) in 2017 when we met in Vancouver doing a commercial for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Jimmy is such a sociable guy who pays it forward — he said I would make a great Jung. And he was the one who gave me the copy of the play first, and I thought how I could connect myself with this world and these people. I thought Jung sounds just like me, and that was that.
Seeing the excited nature of people any time they hear about this show — sometimes it comes up. I was at Disneyland one day when I was recognized for my role in that one episode I did.
Also, we think of it as a sleeper Canadian hit, but I was in Korea this year and spoke to a lot of people who were excited about the show. It’s truly a global hit and being able to connect with people who learned about Korean culture through the show furthers the idea that diversity helps us all.
What’s it been like working under Weyni Mengesha’s direction?
Jinn: You know, I had friends who found out when I was being directed by her — and whether she knows it or not, she’s got an aura. One of her greatest strengths — and imperative for any director — is to identify the types of actors you’re working with and adapt to them. A great director is one who can identify where you’re at, how you take notes, how you work, and be able to speak that language. We were in a room with five strangers who became family, and we needed our cast and director to speak the same language and, without that, shows can really struggle. One thing we’ve talked about as a company is how collaborative this has been and how it’s been an opportunity to make everyone better.
Have you had the freedom to play Jung the way you’ve envisioned him, which may be slightly different from the way it’s written on the page or your predecessors who have played him?
Jinn: There would be times when Weyni would discuss it and ask to change stuff and the playwright (Ins) was very supportive and didn’t want to prescribe. What’s exciting is being able to find new things about a play he wrote in 2011 — to use fresh and new things and not recycle ideas. And it’s an honor stepping into the shoes, on a personal level, of [Ins] who originated the role.
I’m the type of actor who desires as much help as I can get when I can get it. Whether or not I incorporate these things, I just want as much information as possible. I was told to bring myself to it and not worry about how it was played in the past. The egoless framework that Ins and Weyni set up from day one — we all felt this leeway to find the edges, knowing it’s okay to go beyond and to have that permission. We had the time to do that with the long rehearsal process as we’ve had a blank canvas to play on before polishing and cleaning it.
Do you feel like the meaning of the play is the same as it was in 2011 or do you think it has slightly changed in 2026?
Jinn: It’s funny — knowing this play was written in 2011, it still rings so true. We talk about this being a contemporary classic play as it is universal and evergreen. The struggle of being a fish out of water or being dropped into an unfamiliar environment — there will always be that story. So many of the words still ring true to this day. Again, the message underneath it all is one of humility, acceptance, and accountability. These are quintessential human things and, for that reason, 10 or 20 years from now those lessons will be true. And I hope so because I would love to play Appa one day [laughs].
Kim’s Convenience balances generational conflict with humor and real emotional weight. As an actor, how do you find that line between tenderness and comedy without slipping into sentimentality or caricature?
Jinn: I gravitate towards that medium myself as a consumer. I love things that, at times, exploit both sides of that coin — to sort of send the emotional rollercoaster down all these different roads. As the performer, it always comes down to the truth of it all. I’ve been studying comedy for a long time now and have become very granular about the mechanisms of comedy and one of its tentpoles is that it has to be rooted in truth. Nobody likes manufactured bits so, as performers, it’s our job to make that as real as possible. As actors, that comes down to digging deep into emotional cores, so whether it’s drama or comedy, it’s kind of the same mechanism. It’s two sides of the same coin and playing with both is so much fun as you get the full, colorful spectrum.
Los Angeles, which also happens to be your birthplace, has one of the largest Korean diasporas. Does performing here feel different in any way?
Jinn: Well, anticipation builds for all of us — I still have family in L.A. and I would go every year, and our first stop would be at the [Koreatown] Galleria food court where we’d get Korean food. On a personal level, all roads lead here. This is the culmination of a lot of different aspects of my life.
Do you feel more nervous when friends and family are in the audience?
Jinn: I, mercifully, am not one to be overwhelmed by nerves as the other side of that coin is excitement, and I’ve been able to lean a little more into that. For any ounce of nervousness that doesn’t get converted into excitement, I’ll deal with that when it comes, but for now, it’s pure excitement. I’m looking forward to it because Koreans don’t always get a chance to rally around each other in theater and this will be a great opportunity to do so and support one another.
Cover image caption: Left to right are Ryan Jinn, Esther Chung, Ins Choi, Kelly Seo, and Brandon McKnight in Kim’s Convenience. Photo is courtesy of Dahlia Katz.
Kim’s Convenience runs from Saturday, March 21st through Sunday, April 19th at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit centertheatregroup.org.
