David Henry Hwang est un dramaturge américain de premier plan, reconnu comme le principal dramaturge asiatique-américain aux États-Unis. Son œuvre explore fréquemment les thèmes de l'identité, de la culture et des stéréotypes raciaux. À travers des récits captivants et des dialogues perspicaces, il plonge dans les complexités des relations humaines et des attentes sociétales. Le style distinctif de Hwang et sa volonté d'aborder des sujets difficiles en font une voix essentielle du théâtre américain contemporain.
Set against the backdrop of a prison cell, the narrative unfolds through diplomat Rene Gallimard's memories of his passionate yet illusory relationship with the enchanting Chinese diva, Song Liling. This poignant exploration of love, identity, and cultural clash draws inspiration from Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly, delving into themes of perception and reality. Celebrated for its depth and insight, the play has garnered critical acclaim, including a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize nomination, and is set for a Broadway revival.
Based on a true story that stunned the world, M. Butterfly opens in the cramped prison cell where diplomat Rene Gallimard is being held captive by the French government - and by his own illusions. In the darkness of his cell he recalls a time when desire seemed to give him wings. A time when Song Liling, the beautiful Chinese diva, touched him with a love as vivid, as seductive - and as elusive - as a butterfly. How could he have known, then, that his ideal woman was, in fact, a spy for the Chinese government - and a man disguised as a woman? In a series of flashbacks, the diplomat relives the twenty-year affair from the temptation to the seduction, from its consummation to the scandal that ultimately consumed them both. But in the end, there remains only one truth: Whether or not Gallimard's passion was a flight of fancy, it sparked the most vigorous emotions of his life. Only in real life could love become so unreal. And only in such a dramatic tour de force do we learn how a fantasy can become a man's mistress - as well as his jailer. M. Butterfly is one of the most compelling, explosive, and slyly humorous dramas ever to light the Broadway stage, a work of unrivaled brilliance, illuminating the conflict between men and women, the differences between East and West, racial stereotypes - and the shadows we cast around our most cherished illusions.
"It’s a...kind of unreliable memoir." That’s how David Henry Hwang all-too-accurately labeled his bracing and hilarious 2007 play Yellow Face, which recounted a pivotal moment in his cultural awareness. The story, which mixes fact with fiction, starts in 1990, when Hwang—the first Asian American playwright to win a Tony—is among the highest profile artists to protest the casting of Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in an Asian role in the musical Miss Saigon. But when Hwang begins work on a new play based on the controversy (or does he?), he inadvertently hires a white actor for a key Asian role. To protect his reputation as an Asian American role model, Hwang invents a fake background for his star.The resulting debacle spreads much further than he could foresee, and forces him to re-evaluate just how much of a champion for his culture he truly is. Hwang pulls no punches, naming names, and not letting himself off the hook.Winner of an Obie and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman, Yellow Face is as timely as ever, wrestling with issues of cultural appropriation, complicity, and artistic freedom. It’s brought to life in this audio-only revival by a stunning all-star cast (many playing themselves) led by Daniel Dae Kim.
“A vivid, moving play in perfect command of its eternal theme of family and change.” – Wall Street Journal“Written with insight, compassion, and a sharp eye for the unintended consequences of clashing cultures, Golden Child is one of Hwang’s best works, as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.” – BackstageDavid Henry Hwang draws on the true stories told to him by his grandmother of his great-grandfather’s break with Confucian tradition by his conversion to Christianity, and the eventual unbinding of his daughter’s feet. A “skillfully-told story that engages the emotions as well as the brain,” Golden Child explores the impact of these decisions on each of his great-grandfather’s three wives, and succeeding generations ( Entertainment Focus ).David Henry Hwang is the author of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly , Yellow Face (OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Golden Child (1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), Family Devotions (Drama Desk nomination), and the books for musicals Aida ( co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 Broadway revival), and Tarzan , among other works. David Henry Hwang graduated from Stanford University, attended the Yale School of Drama, and holds honorary degrees from Columbia College in Chicago and The American Conservatory Theatre. He lives in New York City with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and their children, Noah David and Eva Veanne.
