Chinglish (play)
| Chinglish | |
|---|---|
 Original Broadway poster | |
| Written by | David Henry Hwang |
| Date premiered | June 18, 2011 |
| Place premiered |
Goodman Theatre Chicago, Illinois |
| Original language | English, Mandarin |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Official site | |
| IBDB profile | |
Chinglish is a play by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang. It is a comedy about an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China, which opened on Broadway October 27, 2011 with direction by Leigh Silverman.
Production History
Chinglish began at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, IL, where it ran from June 18, 2011, until July 24, 2011. It was Hwang's second collaboration with OBIE Award-winning director Leigh Silverman, following Yellow Face at the Center Theater Group and The Public Theater.[1]
Few plays in recent years have delighted me as much as Chinglish. With a career spanning more than three decades and a canon that incorporates an array of genres, David is one of the luminaries of contemporary American theater. I have admired his work since long before our collaboration on the Broadway musical Aida, and it is a thrill to welcome him to the Goodman for the first time.
-Robert Falls, Goodman Theatre Artistic Director
It was announced in Summer 2011 that the play would come to the Longacre Theatre on Broadway[2] with the following cast: Gary Wilmes, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang.
Critical Reception
The production earned glowing praise from the Chicago Tribune, which wrote: "Four stars! In Hwang's hilarious Chinglish, the Chinese tiger roars, American business trembles. Laughs and sexual pleasure in translation. A shrewd, timely and razor sharp comedy! David Henry Hwang's best work since M. Butterfly.[3] The Chicago Sun-Times judged the piece "One of the funniest plays in memory. ... Chinglish has characters not clichés - the Chinese aren't worker bees, the American isn't an arrogant idiot.[4]
The New York staging was called: "Fresh, energetic and unlike anything else on Broadway. Chinglish is a thoughtful, funny and poignant piece in which, miraculously, nothing gets lost in translation."[5] Bloomberg termed it "A lethal comedy about business, sex and the failure to communicate that bristles with intelligence.” [6] Time magazine ranked the play as its #3 choice among all theatre productions in 2011.[7]
Awards
Chinglish was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards,[8] including:
- Best Production - "Chinglish"
- Director - Leigh Silverman
- Actress in a Principal Role - Jennifer Lim
- New Work - David Henry Hwang - (WON)
- Scenic Design - David Korins - (WON)
Plot
The U.S. and China are at a critical moment in history—each nation is deeply interested in, but knows very little about the other. Chinglish was born from the many visits I’ve made to China over the past five or six years to witness the exciting changes there. During one visit, I toured a new arts center where everything was first-rate—except for the ridiculously translated English signs. It was at that moment I thought of writing this play.”
-David Henry Hwang, Playwright
Characters and Broadway Cast
- Daniel Cavanaugh (S: 丹尼尔．卡凡諾, T: 丹尼爾．卡凡諾, P: Dānní'ěr Kǎfánnuò[10]) - Gary Wilmes[citation needed]
- Xi Yan (C: 席 言, P: Xí Yán[10]) - Jennifer Lim
- Miss Qian (C: 钱小姐, T: 錢小姐, P: Qián-xiǎojie[10]) / Prosecutor Li (S: 李检察官, T: 李檢察官, P: Lǐ-jiǎncháguān[10]) - Angela Lin
- Miss Zhao (S: 赵女士, T: 趙女士, P: Zhào-nǚshì[10]) - Christine Lin
- Peter Timms (C: 彼得, P: Bǐdé[10]) - Stephen Pucci
- Bing (冰) / Judge Xu Geming (S: 许革命法官, T: 許革命法官, P: Xǔ Gémìng-fǎguān[10]) - Johnny Wu
- Minister Cai Guoliang (S: 蔡国亮局长, T: 蔡國亮局長, P: Cài Guóliàng-júzhǎng[10]) - Larry Lei Zhang
Berkeley Repertory Theater, South Coast Repertory and Hong Kong Arts Festival Cast
- Daniel Cavanaugh - Alex Moggridge
- Xi Yan - Michelle Krusiec
- Miss Qian / Prosecutor Li - Celeste Den
- Miss Zhao - Vivian Chiu
- Peter Timms - Brian Nishii
- Bing / Judge Xu Geming - Austin Ku
- Minister Cai Guoliang - Larry Lei Zhang (Berkeley) / Raymond Ma (South Coast Repertory)
Production Credits
- David Henry Hwang (Playwright)
- Leigh Silverman (Direction)
- David Korins (Set Design)
- Anita Yavich(Costume Design)
- Brian MacDevitt (Lighting Design)
- Darron L. West (Sound Design)
- Jeff Sugg & Shawn Duan (Projection Design)
Notes
- ↑ "World premiere of David Henry Hwang's Sexy New Comedy, CHINGLISH (June 18 - July 24), Completes Goodman Theatre's 'Decade on Dearborn' Celebratory Season.". Broadway's Best Shows. May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
- ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (June 28, 2011). "By Way of Chicago, David Henry Hwang Comedy ‘Chinglish’ Will Come to Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ↑ Jones, Chris (June 27, 2011). "In Hwang's hilarious 'Chinglish,' the Chinese tiger roars, American business trembles". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ↑ Steinberg, Neil (June 28, 2011). "Blagojevich tragedy not as alien as we might like". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ↑ Kennedy, Mark (October 27, 2011). "'Chinglish' jumps into Sino-American culture gap". Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ↑ "Chinese Call Shots in Business, Sex Comedy ‘Chinglish’: Review". Bloomberg. October 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ↑ Zoglin, Richard. "The Best of 2011: Theater", Time magazine, December 19, 2011 issue, p. 77
- ↑ "Jeff 2011 Equity Awards Announced". Jeff Awards. August 31, 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ↑ "Chinglish on Broadway". Broadway's Best Shows. September 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 "41st Hong Kong Arts Festival Presents Chinglish." (Archive) Hong Kong Arts Festival. p. 11. Retrieved on May 17, 2013.
External links
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