Looking for a laughter-filled night out on Broadway? Look no further than playwright David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, a comic play that is serious when it comes to the issue of cultural barriers. The show is about Daniel Cavanaugh, played by Gary Wilmes, a Caucasian American businessman who is in the small Chinese city called Guiyang trying to acquire a deal for his company Ohio Signage. He wants his company to be tasked with making signs for the new Cultural Center. Through his hilarious correspondences with Chinese officials he meets Xi Yan, played by Jennifer Lim, the Vice-minister of Guiyang. Xi Yan and Danny Cavanaugh work closely together to proctor a deal but through heated discussions and frustration dealing with the language barrier their relationship evolves into an affair. The actors perform quite well and it is completely indistinguishable that the actors who play non-English speaking roles are actually fluent in English. The confusion on their faces during conversations where both the Chinese and English languages are present and the conclusions that they draw from their character’s partial understanding of language all fit into an incredibly realistic portrayal of the situation.
One aspect of the show that stands out immediately is the way the stage is set up by Scene Designer David Korins. The four sets in the show are the minister’s office, the lobby of a hotel, Danny’s hotel room, and a restaurant. The sets spin into place while chairs and tables ride on and off of the stage on a rail, which makes scene progression very smooth. What makes these progressions even more amusing is the incorporation of Chinese pop music played to aid in the transition. This was an excellent choice by Sound Director Darron L. West as it highlights the main theme of the play, cultural differences. Not everyone has heard Chinese pop music and when you want the audience to be fully immersed in the setting of the play you must reach them from every angle. It was definitely a notable part of the cultural learning experience that the show provides.
An interesting theme that the show employs is the sense that no matter what private business is going on, you are never alone. During scenes with heated arguments and passionate feelings an extra dressed as a hotel employee could walk across the stage and go through the revolving door to take a smoking break. This was a unique choice made by the director Leigh Silverman. China is a country known for its large population so to see that affect the setting by never allowing a private moment worked very nicely with capturing the essence of Chinese life and culture. Usually extras are tasked with setting up props for a scene while the lights are dimmed but because of the one-of-a-kind automated stage setup they were relieved of these duties. I found this to be a great side-effect to automating the stage because without seeing extras as “part of the stage” moving the chairs and tables into position, I’m able to concentrate on them being silent background characters that bring a bit of realism to, what would be, an almost empty stage.
Playwright David Henry Hwang is known for his inclusion of ideas like cultural boundaries in his other works such as M. Butterfly so if you have seen his work before then the contents of Chinglish isn’t much of a surprise. He brings to light minute details that differ between Chinese and American culture such as when Daniel Cavanaugh is surprised to learn that he must stay in China for 8 weeks to get to know his client before a deal can be made. Huang also explore larger ideas such as the understanding of marriage and how it’s meaning differs with culture and country. It is shown that while Westerners marry for love and move on when that love disappears, people in the East marry for love but also treat each other as partners in life and do not give up even if love is no longer felt. Before watching the show these facts were completely unknown to me so I am pleased that the show both entertains and educates. I left the theater with a greater understanding of Chinese cultures and not many other shows can boast that kind of teaching experience. In interviews, Hwang talks a lot about racism, stereotyping, and the huge negative effects they have on society. With the help of Chinglish, Hwang is definitely making a difference in the way Americans understand Chinese culture and bring people together through understanding.
Although Chinglish is a comedy show it should not be taken lightly. Through it’s humor, the show conveys a very deep message cultural identity and the walls that exist when attempts at diffusion are made. My only complaint about the performance is a possible disconnect between the show and a Chinese audience. The show’s disproves misconceptions about Chinese culture but it is very one-sided. So for example it might explain how most laws in China are basically a formality and the power lies between client relationships but it doesn’t explain to Chinese viewers how such a situation would be different in America. I would have enjoyed more scenes where stereotypes about Americans are disproven. However, the focus of the show centers on Americans understanding Chinese culture and scenes where the opposite happens are few and far between. Aside from this, the cast performs wonderfully and the stage is set up like no other that I’ve seen. Chinglish is now playing at the Long Arc Theatre and it’s doors are open to Americans, Chinese, and to people of all cultures.
