Editing David Henry Hwang (section)

==Career==
[[File:DAVIDHENRYHWANG1979SF.jpg|thumb|left|Playwright David Henry Hwang teaching a writing
class in San Francisco's Fort Mason in 1979]]

===Trilogy of Chinese America===
Hwang's early plays concerned the role of the [[Chinese American]] and [[Asian American]] in the contemporary world. His first play, ''[[FOB (play)|FOB]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/20/theater/review-theater-culture-shock-in-hwang-s-fob.html|first=Mel |last=Gussow|title=Review/Theater; Culture Shock in Hwang's 'F.O.B.'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 20, 1990|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> explores the contrasts and conflicts between established Asian Americans and "[[Fresh off the boat|Fresh Off the Boat]]" new immigrants. The play was developed by the National Playwrights Conference at the [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]] and premiered in 1980 [[Off-Broadway]] at the [[Joseph Papp Public Theater]]. In 1981 it won an [[Obie Award]] for Best New American Play.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.obieawards.com/events/1980s/year-81/|title=1981 Winners|publisher=Obie Awards|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> Papp produced four more of Hwang's plays, including two in 1981: ''[[The Dance and the Railroad]]'', which tells the story of a former [[Chinese opera]] star working as a [[coolie]] laborer in the 19th-century American West,<ref name=newyorktimes>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/31/theater/stage-dance-railroad-by-david-henry-hwang.html|title=Stage: 'Dance, Railroad,' by David Henry Hwang|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Frank |last=Rich|author-link=Frank Rich|date=March 31, 1981}}</ref> and ''[[Family Devotions]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/19/theater/theater-hwang-s-family-devotions.html|title=Theater: Hwang's 'Family Devotions'|work=The New York Times|first=Frank |last=Rich|date=October 19, 1981}}</ref> a darkly comic take on the effects of Western religion on a Chinese-American family. This was nominated for the [[Drama Desk Award]]. Those three plays added up to what the author described as a "Trilogy of Chinese America."<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://jadtjournal.org/2017/06/04/the-theatre-of-david-henry-hwang/|title=The Theatre of David Henry Hwang (Review)|journal=Journal of American Drama and Theatre |date=June 5, 2017 |volume=29|number=2 |first=David |last=Coley}}</ref>

===Branching out / national success===
After this, Papp also produced the show ''[[Sound and Beauty]]'', the omnibus title to two Hwang one-act plays set in [[Japan]]. At this time, Hwang started to work on projects for the small screen. A television movie, ''[[Blind Alleys]]'', written by Hwang and Frederic Kimball and starring [[Pat Morita]] and [[Cloris Leachman]], was produced in 1985 and followed a television version of ''The Dance and the Railroad''.<ref name=newyorktimes/>

His next play ''[[Rich Relations]]'', was his first full-length to feature non-Asian characters. It premiered at the [[Second Stage Theatre]] in New York.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/22/theater/stage-rich-relations-from-david-hwang.html|title=Stage: 'Rich Relations'|first=Frank |last=Rich|work=The New York Times|date=April 22, 1986}}</ref>

Hwang's best-known play was ''[[M. Butterfly]]'', which premiered on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1988. The play is a deconstruction of [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s opera ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/m-butterfly-miss-saigon-interview_83073.html|title=Metamorphosis From 'Madama Butterfly' to 'M. Butterfly' and 'Miss Saigon'|publisher=Theater Mania|date=November 7, 2017|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> alluding to news reports of the 20th-century relationship between French diplomat [[Bernard Boursicot]] and [[Shi Pei Pu]], a male Chinese opera singer. Shi purportedly convinced Boursicot that he was a woman throughout their twenty-year relationship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-09-21/83-embassy-worker-center-m-butterfly-story-still-enigma|first=Jake |last=Cigainero|title=At 83, the embassy worker at the center of the 'M. Butterfly' story is still an enigma|publisher=PRI|date=September 21, 2017|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The play won numerous awards for Best Play: a [[Tony Award]] (which Hwang was the first Asian American to win), the [[Drama Desk Award]], the John Gassner Award, and the [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]. It was the first of three of his works to become a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

===Work post-''Butterfly''===
The success of ''M. Butterfly'' prompted Hwang's interests in many other different directions, including work for [[opera]], [[film]], and the [[musical theatre]]. Hwang became a frequent collaborator as a librettist with the world-renowned composer [[Philip Glass]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-11-ca-506-story.html|title=MUSIC : A 'Voyage' Into Uncharted Waters : Philip Glass and crew--David Henry Hwang and David Pountney--venture into new territory at the Met|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 11, 1992|first=Margalit |last=Fox|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

One of ''M. Butterfly'''s Broadway producers, [[David Geffen]], oversaw a [[M. Butterfly (film)|film version]] of the play, which was directed by [[David Cronenberg]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/01/movies/seduction-and-the-impossible-dream.html|title=Seduction and the Impossible Dream|first=Janet |last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|work=The New York Times|date=October 1, 1993}}</ref> Hwang also wrote an original script, ''[[Golden Gate (film)|Golden Gate]]'', which was produced by [[American Playhouse]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-01-28-1994028046-story.html|title=Hwang wrestled for years with the story that became 'Golden Gate'|first=Stephen |last=Hunter|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=January 28, 1994}}</ref> Hwang wrote an early draft of a screenplay based upon [[A. S. Byatt]]'s [[Booker Prize]]-winning novel ''[[Possession: A Romance|Possession]]'', which was originally scheduled to be directed by [[Sydney Pollack]]. Years later, director/playwright [[Neil LaBute]] and [[Laura Jones (screenwriter)|Laura Jones]] would collaborate on the script for a [[Possession (2002 film)|2002 film]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=August 8, 2002|first=Todd |last=McCarthy|title=Possession|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/possession-3-1200546884/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

Throughout the 1990s, Hwang continued to write for the stage, including short plays for the famed [[Humana Festival]] at the [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]]. His full-length ''[[Golden Child (play)|Golden Child]]'', received its world premiere at [[South Coast Repertory]] in 1996. ''[[Golden Child (play)|Golden Child]]'' was later produced in New York City. It won a 1997 [[Obie Award]] for playwriting for Hwang's 1996 off-Broadway production. In 1998 it was produced on Broadway, and was nominated that year for a Tony Award for Best Play.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Kenneth |last=Jones|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/golden-child-david-henry-hwangs-tale-of-polygamy-and-family-opens-nov-13-in-nyc-com-199693|title=Golden Child, David Henry Hwang's Tale of Polygamy and Family, Opens Nov. 13 in NYC|magazine=[[Playbill]]|date=November 13, 2012}}</ref>

===Return to Broadway===
In the new millennium, Hwang was asked by director [[Robert Falls]] to help co-write the book for the musical ''[[Aida (musical)|Aida]]'' (based upon the opera by [[Giuseppe Verdi]]). In an earlier version, it had failed in regional theatre tryouts. Hwang and Falls re-wrote a significant portion of the book (by [[Linda Woolverton]]). ''Aida'' (with music and lyrics by [[Elton John]] and [[Tim Rice]]) opened in 2000 and proved highly profitable.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/sfo-season-will-feature-francesca-zambello-directed-aida-and-david-henry-hwang-opera|title=SFO Season Will Feature Francesca Zambello-Directed Aida and David Henry Hwang Opera|first=Andrew |last=Gans|magazine=Playbill|date=January 13, 2016}}</ref>

His next project was a radical revision of [[Richard Rodgers]], [[Oscar Hammerstein, II]], and [[Joseph Fields]]' musical ''[[Flower Drum Song]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/celebrate-60-years-of-flower-drum-song|title=Celebrate 60 Years of Flower Drum Song|first=Mark |last=Peikert|magazine=Playbill|date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> The musical, which had been adapted from the novel ''The Flower Drum Song'' by [[C. Y. Lee (author)|C. Y. Lee]], tells a story of the culture clash encountered by a Chinese family living in [[San Francisco]].<ref name=nbc>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/six-decades-ago-flower-drum-song-featured-hollywood-s-first-n899576|title=Six decades ago, 'Flower Drum Song' featured Hollywood's first Asian-American cast|first=Melissa |last=Hung|work=[[NBC News]]|date=August 13, 2018|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> Although the original Broadway production had a successful run from Dec 1, 1958 to May 7, 1960, and a Hollywood film version was released in 1961, some felt the musical had become dated. The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization allowed Hwang to significantly rework the plot even as he retained character names and songs. While his 2002 revision won him his third Tony nomination, the  show, directed by Robert Longbottom, received mixed reviews and ran for only 169 performances and 25 previews on Broadway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/flower-drum-song|title=Flower Drum Song|publisher=PBS|date=November 18, 2002|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> It later toured nationally.<ref name=nbc/> Whereas the original production of ''Flower Drum Song'' had cast some non-Asians in leading roles, including Caucasians and an African-American ([[Juanita Hall]]), the 2002 production featured an all-Asian cast of actor-singers. 

===Back to The Public===
[[File:David Henry Hwang in NY Photo Credit Lia Chang.jpg|thumb|left| David Henry Hwang at the Public Theater in [[New York City]] in 2008]]
Hwang's 2007 play ''[[Yellow Face (play)|Yellow Face]]'' relates to his play ''[[Face Value (play)|Face Value]]'', which closed in previews on Broadway in the early 1990s. He wrote it in response to a controversy about the casting of [[Jonathan Pryce]] in an Eurasian role in ''[[Miss Saigon]]''. ''[[Face Value (play)|Face Value]]'', which included music and lyrics for a musical-within-a-play by Hwang, lost millions of dollars. It was a stumbling block in the careers of Hwang and producer [[Stuart Ostrow]].<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/theater/reviews/11yellow.html|title=David Henry Hwang: racial casting has evolved – and so have my opinions|work=The New York Times|date=December 11, 2007|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

In ''Yellow Face'', Hwang wrote a semi-autobiographical play, featuring him as the main character in a media farce about mistaken racial identity. This had been also an important element in ''[[Face Value (play)|Face Value]]''.<ref name=nyt/>

''Yellow Face'' premiered in Los Angeles in 2007 at the [[Mark Taper Forum]] as a co-production with [[East West Players]]. It moved Off-Broadway to the [[Joseph Papp Public Theater]], an important venue for Hwang's earlier work. It enjoyed an extended run at the Papp, and won Hwang his third Obie Award for Playwriting. The play was a finalist for the [[Pulitzer Prize for Drama]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.sc.edu/uscpress/books/2013/7287.html|first=William C. |last=Boles|title=Understanding David Henry Hwang|publisher=[[University of South Carolina Press]]|year=2013|pages=160|isbn=978-1611172874|doi=10.2307/j.ctv6wggqc|jstor=j.ctv6wggqc}}</ref>

Hwang also wrote a new short play, ''[[The Great Helmsman (play)|The Great Helmsman]]'' for the Papp's night of plays: ''Ten''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5dlyCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA171|title=The Theatre of David Henry Hwang|author=Esther Kim Lee|editor1=Patrick Lonergan|editor2=Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr.|year=2015|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|page=171|isbn=978-1-4725-1208-6}}</ref>

===Opera===
Hwang has continued to work steadily in the world of opera and musical theatre, and has written for children's theatre as well. Hwang co-wrote the English-language libretto for an operatic adaptation of [[Lewis Carroll]]'s ''[[Alice in Wonderland (opera)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' with music (and part of the libretto) by the Korean composer [[Unsuk Chin]]. It received its world premiere at the [[Bavarian State Opera]] in 2007 and was released on DVD in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.medici.tv/en/operas/unsuk-chin-alice-in-wonderland-nationaltheater-munchen/|title=Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland|website=[[Medici.tv]]|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

Hwang wrote the [[libretto]] to [[Howard Shore]]'s [[opera]] ''[[The Fly (opera)|The Fly]]'', based on [[David Cronenberg]]'s 1986 film [[The Fly (1986 film)|of the same name]]. The opera premiered on July 2, 2008, at the [[Théâtre du Châtelet]] in [[Paris]], France, with Cronenberg as director and [[Plácido Domingo]] conducting.<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan |last=Riding|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/arts/music/05fly.html|title=Trying to Teach 'The Fly' to Soar Operatically|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 5, 2008|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

Hwang wrote the libretto for ''[[Tarzan (musical)|Tarzan]]'', a musical based on a film by Walt Disney Pictures, which was produced on Broadway.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2011/07/10/revisiting_tarzan_after_broadway/|title=Post-Broadway 'Tarzan' swings into North Shore|first=Laura |last=Collins-Hughes|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=July 10, 2011|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

Hwang also collaborated on the multi-media event ''[[Icarus at the edge of time (multi-media presentation)|Icarus at the Edge of Time]]'', adapted from [[Brian Greene]]'s [[Icarus at the Edge of Time|novel]] of the same name. It featured music by [[Philip Glass]] and a film by "Al and Al." The piece premiered as part of the [[World Science Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Andrew |last=Clements|title=Icarus at the Edge of Time|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jul/06/icarus-at-the-edge-of-time-review|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 6, 2010|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

After its major success at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Hwang's play, ''[[Chinglish (play)|Chinglish]]'', quickly made its way to Broadway in October 2011. It won the [[Joseph Jefferson Award]]. ''Chinglish'' was largely inspired by Hwang's frequent visits to China and his observations of interactions between Chinese and American people. Ticket sales of ''Chinglish'' were conservative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/theater/david-henry-hwangs-chinglish.html|title=David Henry Hwang's 'Chinglish' |first=Patrick |last=Healy |work=The New York Times|date=October 25, 2011|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>

Hwang's short play ''[[A Very DNA Reunion]]'' was written for the evening of plays ''The DNA Trail'', which was conceived by Jamil Khoury and premiered at the historic [[Chicago Temple Building]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/THE-DNA-TRAIL-A-GENEALOGY-OF-SHORT-PLAYS-ABOUT-ANCESTRY-IDENTITY-AND-UTTER-CONFUSION-Plays-Pierce-Hall-at-The-Historic-Chicago-Temple-Building-310201044-20100126|title=The DNA Trial: A Genealogy of Short Plays About Ancestry, Identity and Utter Confusion Plays Pierce Hall at The Historic Chicago Temple Building 3/10/2010-4/4 |website=[[BroadwayWorld]]|date=4 December 2009|access-date=13 February 2024 |first=Gabrielle |last=Sierra}}</ref>

[[File:Loz alleg2.png|thumb|David Henry Hwang and [[George Takei]] discussing ''[[Allegiance (musical)|Allegiance]]'' musical at [[Columbia University]] in late 2015]]

===Since 2010===
Hwang worked on a theatrical commission for the [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]] and [[Arena Stage]] in Washington, DC. This was a musical version of [[Aimee Mann]]'s album ''[[The Forgotten Arm]]'', with Mann and Paul Bryant. He also worked on screenplays for [[DreamWorks Animation]] and directors [[Justin Lin]] and [[Jonathan Caouette]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barclayagency.com/?/site/speaker/david-henry-hwang|title=The Steven Barclay Agency- David Henry Hwang|access-date=February 27, 2019|year=2010|publisher=Stephen Barclay Agency}}</ref> In 2013, a production of ''Yellow Face'' premiered on [[YouTube]]. It was directed and adapted by [[Jeff Liu]], and featured [[Sab Shimono]] among other actors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-yellow-face-christopher-gorham-20130606-story.html|title=A play on YouTube? 'Yellow Face' debuts, starring Christopher Gorham|first=David |last=Ng|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 10, 2013|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

In 2014 two new Hwang plays were premiered. The first, ''Kung Fu'', about the life of [[Bruce Lee]], premiered as part of his residency at the [[Signature Theatre Company (New York City)|Signature Theatre]] [[Off-Broadway]]. The play opened February 24, 2014 in a production directed by Leigh Silverman, and featuring Cole Horibe, who had gained fame in the TV series, ''[[So You Think You Can Dance]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/world-premiere-of-david-henry-hwangs-kung-fu-to-feature-so-you-think-you-can-dance-star-cole-horibe-com-210060|title=World Premiere of David Henry Hwang's Kung Fu to Feature "So You Think You Can Dance" Star Cole Horibe|first=Carey |last=Purcell|magazine=Playbill|date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> The second was ''Cain and Abel'', one of many plays included in ''The Mysteries'', a re-telling of Bible stories. Conceived by Ed Sylvanus Iskander, ''The Mysteries'' also featured the work of playwrights [[Craig Lucas]], [[Dael Orlandersmith]], [[José Rivera (playwright)|Jose Rivera]], and [[Jeff Whitty]].<ref>{{cite news|title=In the Beginning, the Words of Many|first=Laura |last=Collins-Hughes|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/theater/the-mysteries-rewrites-a-medieval-tradition.html|date=March 28, 2014|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

In 2014, Hwang joined the Playwriting Faculty of the [[Columbia University School of the Arts]] Theatre Program. He was appointed the director of the Playwriting Concentration and will serve as an Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting. [[Hilton Als]] of the [[The New Yorker|''New Yorker'']] has described him as "the most successful Chinese American playwright this country has produced."<ref name=Als>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/2014/02/10/140210goli_GOAT_theatre_als|title=Exit the Dragon|magazine=The New Yorker|date=February 2, 2014 |first=Hilton |last=Als |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>

In 2016, Hwang became a writer and consulting producer of the [[Golden Globe]]-winning television series ''[[The Affair (TV series)|The Affair]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://arts.columbia.edu/news/dhh-affair-interview|title=An Interview with David Henry Hwang on Writing for Showtime's "The Affair"|publisher=Columbia University|date=November 22, 2016|access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20190624053204/https://arts.columbia.edu/news/dhh-affair-interview |archive-date=24 June 2019}}</ref> and in 1993 wrote a song "Solo" in association with [[Prince (singer)|Prince]].<ref>{{cite web|title=David Henry Hwang Recalls The Time He Wrote A Song With Prince|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/David-Henry-Hwang-Recalls-The-Time-He-Wrote-A-Song-With-Prince-20160422|first=Michael |last=Dale|website=BroadwayWorld|date=April 22, 2016|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

In the fall of 2016, the San Francisco Opera premiered ''[[Dream of the Red Chamber (opera)|Dream of the Red Chamber]],'' an opera by Hwang and Bright Sheng, based on the eighteenth-century Chinese novel of the same name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sfopera.com/globalassets/main-site-assets/pdf/program-articles/pages-from-sfo016-drc-insert-final-rev.pdf|first=Stephen |last=Roddy|title=Delving Deeper into "Dream of the Red Chamber"|publisher=San Francisco Opera|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> In the summer of 2016, Hwang became the chair of the board of the [[American Theatre Wing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americantheatrewing.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ATW-David-Henry-Hwang-Release-FINAL.pdf|title=Tony Award-Winning Playwright David Henry Hwang to Succeed William Ivey Long as New Chair of the American Theatre Wing|publisher=American Theatre Wing|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

In the Spring of 2018, Hwang's ''[[Soft Power (musical)|Soft Power]]'' premiered at the [[Ahmanson Theatre]] in Los Angeles, California. The music and additional lyrics are by [[Jeanine Tesori]]. Its cast is largely Asian.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-soft-power-asian-representation-20180506-story.html|title='Soft Power' has a cast that's almost entirely Asian. Here's why that's a radical idea for American theater|last=Fung |first=Lisa|date=May 3, 2018|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> It transferred to Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in September 2019 (previews).<ref>Meyer, Dan. [http://www.playbill.com/article/david-henry-hwang-and-jeanine-tesoris-soft-power-opens-october-15# "David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power Opens October 15"] Playbill, October 15, 2019</ref> In May 2020, it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, making Hwang the first person to be a three-time finalist without winning.