In an age where Asian-American public figures are pretty much non-existent and at a school where approximately 25% of the students are of Asian descent, it is clear that there is a disparity between the number of Asian voices that exist and the number of Asian voices actually getting heard. Stanford University Student Takeo Rivera seeks to challenge this unfortunate reality in “R&L” — a play that asks the question, “What happened to Asian-America?” Touchingly acted and creatively staged, every Stanford student struggling with identity, relationships and just how to live should make time to see this play.

Directed by Rachel Anderson and produced by Kenneth Lam Stage, “R&L” is certainly a unique production, unlike a traditional five-act play. The movements of the actors are not necessarily choreographed like a dance, but the structure of the play does have an old Greek tragedy feel. A chorus helps to set the tone and mood for the events, and the play is not necessarily focused on visual realism. This is not an example of art imitating life but of theater showing the audience life in a different way.

“R&L” is arranged as several vignettes surrounding the death of Tom Fukunaga, played by Rich Liu. Although each plot is unique and tells a different story, they all somehow connect to the disturbing death of this young Asian-American man. Much of the play is composed of flashbacks of Tom’s life or Tom himself speaking from the view of a dead man. Liu is a strong actor and gives the character of Tom an important depth, although sometimes the actor seems to have only two ranges — quiet and nervous or loud and angry. Despite this, though, the character of Tom is believable, and over the course of the play he becomes real. It is depressing to know that he is dead, a fact that gives “R&L” and the state of America in general a sense of hopelessness.

Despite the sadness associated with the death of such a young man, though, the play is mostly angry. Hell hath no fury like an Asian stereotyped, trivialized, ridiculed and boxed in. Rivera is very confrontational and does not hide the fact that everybody is to blame for the less than ideal state of not just Asians but all Americans. Pete Ramiro, played by Mark Marzona, and Helen Matzuri, played by Rachel Yong, are two of several characters who deliver speeches (which sometimes come off as a bit sermony) condemning many problems particular to Asian-Americans: gay OR Asian, white men fetishizing Asian women, Asian women only dating white men, etc.

Although the focus of the play is on Asian-Americans, this really is a play for every Stanford Student. You will notice some tragic Asian figures discussed in the story, but “R&L” illuminates how we are those tragic Asian figures, too.

No one is free from struggle. Even if you aren’t necessarily Asian — or a person of color at all — family drama and identity drama is as intrinsic to humans as opposable thumbs. The opening of “R&L” says it nicely: “Because you’re brown enough to care.”