Prince Gomolvilas’ Paranormal Inside, now having one of its rolling world premieres at East West Players, achieves the astounding feat in being a play that is so compelling while fully utilizing multiple global majority actors across different spectrums in meaningful ways, completely deliver on its supernatural premises to jaw-dropping effect, and also be a sequel that welcomes those who have knowledge of the previous play while not being entirely necessary for those who are unfamiliar. It is the perfect play arriving just in time for this year’s Halloween season.
Paranormal Inside finds Max and Delia once again navigating the perilous intersection of
grief, ancestry, and identity, as a sinister spirit threatens to upend the fragile peace they built
five years after the events of The Brothers Paranormal. As the boundaries between the
living and the dead once again dissipate, the play explores the generational trauma and cultural
legacies that linger long after the lights go out. Will they survive or be claimed by the forces
that haunt their past?
Photo by Andrew Ge
I never got a chance to watch The Brothers Paranormal when it had its premiere in 2022 and the greatest compliment I can give to its sequel Paranormal Inside is that I so wish I did because the world that Prince Gomolvilas has created is such a rich one that is rife with pathos, humor, and supernatural tension (and spectacular release). Yet the script is written in such a way that you can still be caught up on the traumatic events of the characters’ past and be very much along for the incredible ride in its next chapter.
Before I delve further into the story, I need to commend on how good the entire ensemble cast is. There is not a single weak element and all the actors get ample opportunities to shine not only with the rich words given to them but the actors who bring it to life with such vigor and depth. But it is in our main leads with Tamika Simpkins as Delia and David Huynh as Max that are given such harrowing tasks of conveying an unbelievable amount of buried pain and for the latter, the excruciating physical task of being possessed. There is a scene that ends Act I that will completely floor you and it is best I say nothing further so that you can have this unbelievable experience yourself without any spoilers.
I’ve given Jeff Liu such a hard time with several of his plays he directed in the most recent past but with Paranormal Inside, this is a crackling home run hit with all cylinders firing in putting together the difficult task of balancing humor with an immeasurable amount of pain that manifests itself emotionally and physically on stage in both nuanced and grandiose ways. This is accomplished with not only a fantastic script from Gomolvilas but with the entire creative team that includes Shinshin Yuder Tsai (Intimacy Director), Cesar Cipriano (Fight Choreographer), Siwaraya Rochanahusdin (Cultural/Language Consultant), Alayna Jacqueline (Dramaturg), Josh Bennett (Assistant Director), Allen “Lucky” Weaver (Casting Director), Randy Wong-Westbrooke (Scenic Designer), Brian Gale (Lighting Designer), JJ Javier (Costume Designer), John Zalewski (Sound Designer), David Murakami (Projections Designer), Ariya Selvakumar (Assistant Projections Designer) Dominik Krzanowski (Visual Effects Designer), Rye Mandel (Properties Designer), Brandon Hong Cheng* (Stage Manager), and Irene DH Lee (Assistant Stage Manager).
Photo by Andrew Ge
Woven into this supernatural tale is a conflict of what it means to be Asian American and with Max, this is explored with depth as he attempts to embrace his Thai identity even though he identifies himself entirely as an American. It is here that this tale of supernatural possession is given a most unique element that I have yet to see in any medium but it is also something I have yet to decide whether I actually like as it teeters between being significant & meaningful with the cliche “what does it all mean” Asian American identity woes that I have seen ad nauseam. If you wish to not know any spoilers, I highly recommend you stop reading after this point.
Photo by Andrew Ge
The entity that is possessing Max is not any singular demon or spirit but rather Max’s ancestors from his deceased brother, mother, father, and beyond. That after his trip to Thailand and feeling so empty without connecting or identifying with folks who share his roots, Max is burdened with the spirits of his entire Thai lineage who has latched onto him. It is only when he comes to terms with his heritage and with the help of his father-in-law Somboon (Alberto Isaac) and Delia, they are able to transfer the spirits into a spirit house. By doing this, it not only gives peace to Max but to his unborn child that is inside his wife Bincy (Christine Corpuz) and somehow curing the terminal cancer within Delia. I am not entirely sure how Max accepting his Thai heritage and thus releasing his spiritual burdens plays any effect on Delia’s cancer cells but hey, it’s a happy ending for all. There is an element of Ghostbusters and the animated 1998 Disney film Mulan with the ghost “trapping” and spiritual ancestors that comes to mind which can either be perceived as interesting or downright cheesy. My opinion fluctuates between the two and most likely will settle in between. That being said, a possession tale where it’s literally your ancestors messing with you? I’ll give the playwright kudos for creating so entirely unique.
Photo by Andrew Ge
It is extremely challenging to incorporate multiple ethnicities into a script without feeling like it’s virtue signaling or unnatural but with a play that incorporates three Thai/Southeast Asian actors, two Black women, and one white guy (who serves as the hilarious audience surrogate), Gomolvilas has done a wonderful job in making these characters feel not only natural but filled with meaning. No character is a throwaway and with every one of them given such meaty materials to work with, it is the kind of play that fulfills all the actors involved in it and something I would love to see produced throughout the country. And as we speak, this play is having a rolling world premiere with Theater Mu in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota and Perseverance Theater in Juneau, Alaska so already it’s off to the races in having different areas of the country watch this play.
Photo by Andrew Ge
Despite a few reservations about the ending, I thoroughly enjoyed this play as it satisfies the genre nerd inside me and check marked the criteria for meaningful global majority representation across the spectrum while still completely delivering in its writing, staging, and acting. Bravo to everyone involved in this production and definitely a major step up for East West Players as they continue their 60th anniversary season.
Paranormal Inside runs from October 9, 2025 through November 2, 2025 at The David Henry
Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA
90012 in the historic Little Tokyo neighborhood. You can buy tickets here.
Performance times are Thursdays (select weeks), Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays (select weeks) at 8 PM, with additional 2 PM matinees on Saturday and 5 PM performances on Sunday. Opening Night is Sunday, October 12, 2025 at 5 PM. All Saturday 2 PM performances are “Masked Matinees,” making theater more accessible to audiences who prefer a masked experience. Monday, October 20, 2025 at 8 PM is the Pay-What-You-Will performance.
Special events during the run of Paranormal Inside include Student Night on October 16, a Playwright’s Conversation after the October 19 performance, an Artist Talkback after the October 26 performance, and a Halloween costume contest to accompany the October 31 performance. All performance dates and details are subject to change.