"M. BUTTERFLY."   Term Paper ID:30526 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discussion of various elements of David Henry Hwang's play.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Discussion of various elements of David Henry Hwang's play. Funding. Choice of director. First performance of play in 1988. Success of the play and Tony Award for Best Costumes. Physical and symbolic description of the set. Musical selections. Characters. Plot and issues of the play. Purpose of nude scene. 2 illustrations. Paper Introduction: M. Butterfly is David Henry Hwang’s intriguing dream of love and intrigue. The producer of this particular play was Stuart Ostrow and according to Mr. Hwang, the idea was presented to Ostrow, who provided some start-up funding for the writing of the project. The project was based on a two-page treatment that Hwang sent to Ostrow. Ostrow kept the treatment and was able to reproduce it the night M. Butterfly won the Tony. Hwang was a bit inured by the fact that he had proposed a musical and Ostrow produced musicals. Upon confrontation, though, Ostrow was enthralled by the piece and insisted on taking it straight to Broadway rather than working it through a regional theatre program first as Hwang felt was necessary. Ostrow suggested director John Dexter as the proposed director for this play. Dexter originally began acting while in the a Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Butterfly is David Henry Hwang's intriguing dream of love andintrigue. For this moment, he turns upstage. Pressure from the right has eased off because of the success of M. The producer of this particular play was Stuart Ostrow andaccording to Mr. Hwang, the idea was presented to Ostrow, who provided somestart-up funding for the writing of the project. (Lyons, 1999) This identity fluidity is seen so refined in the character of SongLiling, who appears to be so many things - yet, is not any particular oneof them. Butterfly - it's something like 'if the whites like you, we have to like you too.' Some leftist people have accused M. A significant issue in the play is Song Liling's transformation fromwoman into man. Dexter was subtlyforcing the audience away from gawking at the penis and more at Gallimard'sreaction to it. Although writer Hwang had made somemusical selection suggestions prior to production, he was not displeasedwith what Dexter chose sensing it brought more fluidity to the play. Its probably true that all my work in some senses confronts the issue of fluidity of identity and explores the idea that who we are is the result of circumstance, the result of things that are not necessarily inherent but instead come out of our interaction with our contacts. Dexter chose to stage themoment with Gallimard upstage and to the center on the ramp. Some people are unhappy that I have this Asian guy on stage in a dress for two acts. Guan and his wife Michelle Ehlers choreographed the show.This was very important in order to address the intricate form of PekingOpera with the dancers and the part of Song Liling. Winter 1999.-----------------------http://www.csubak.edu/~jmason/385/Butterfly.html It then descended into asort of vomitorium. Butterfly were designed by Eiko Ishioka and wereawarded the 1988 Tony for Best Costumes. Behind this ramp was a scrim of brilliant red.Centerstage was a raised playing area all in black. His idea of fluidity of identity hasbeen unable to break some of the conservative Chinese walls built up withinthe community over the years. Dramatists Play Service, Inc. (Lyons, 1999) While it may be a layered story, one thing about M. W O R K S C I T E DPHOTOS:http://www.csubak.edu/~jmason/385/Butterfly.htmlHwang, David Henry. The play opened February 1 , 1988 at the National Theatre inWashington, D.C. NY: Callaway, 2 1.Lyons, Bonnie. Some of the othercast members included John Getzand Rose Gregorio. The character of Gallimard changes as he slowly loseshis preconceptions and fantasies about who he believes Song to be andlearns to be with the man he is. [pic] http://www.csubak.edu/~jmason/385/Butterfly.html The set symbolically relayed the meeting and the clash between Westand East. Dexter originally began acting while in the army during WorldWar II. This takes place literally when SongLiling strips and stands before him in the nude. Butterfly. His direction of M. Butterfly won the Tony. Running across thestage in two rows and able to be arranged in a multitude of combinationswere red Shoji screens. And certainly I've been criticized for inappropriate use of Chinese mythology. Nobody likes to be criticized, but the debate over my plays seems to be useful for the Asian-American community. This is done with a solo performance by Song Liling whilethe house lights are up during intermission. Butterfly comes when Gallimard's fantasiesabout his love are stripped away. J. In 1957, he became a member of the Royal Court Theatre in Londonas an Associate Director. M. 1988.Ishioka, Eiko. Although Hwang is an Asian-American, the son of Chinese immigrantfundamentalist Christian parents, he takes a lot of heat within the Asian-American community for his writing. It ran at the NationalTheatre until its transfer to the historic Eugene O'Neill Theatre in March,1988. Ms. Ishioka is a ground-breakingAsian-American (Japanese) graphic design artist who had won awards in Japanfor her previous work before moving to New York. The costumes for M. He moved on to the National Theatre in the 6 'sand 7 's in between serving at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Butterfly seems towithstand the audience, as all - Asian or White - come away with some newintrospective meaning about themselves and how they relate to others intheir world. Although the audience wouldusually get up during this time as is accustomed on Broadway, it was a rareevening when anyone would leave the room during Song Liling'stransformation. Ostrow suggested director John Dexter as the proposed director forthis play. In addition to thecostumes she helped to design the sets used in the play. Dexter chose to stage the make-up change against a livemusical performance in order to give the audience something else to focuson. "Eiko by Eiko: Eiko Ishioka, Japan's Ultimate Designer. Many of the plays suggest that if the contact changes, the individual becomes a different person, so to speak. It won many criticaldrama awards - The Tony, Drama Desk, John Gassner and Outer Critics'Circle. Wong in the role of Song Liling. The actual setconsisted of a curved ramp. Much of my work is about Asian-Americans, but even in the plays that aren't, you ca trace the theme of fluidity of identity. Mr. Hwang feels thatit is essential to Peking Opera performance to devote much rehearsal timeto doing it right otherwise it will look silly in his opinion. Butterfly of perpetuating negative notions about Asians, male emasculation for instance. Literary Review. It also showed the meeting and clash between male and female asthe play itself deals with gender identity, its fantasy and reality. She is an Asian performer, he is a man seeking to be loved forwho and what he is. Song Lilingwas downstage center and facing the audience until the very instant when helowers his boxers. It began about 12 feet off the grounddownstage left to the corner and transversed the upstage wall beforeenclosing the set in its downstage right corner. This was pivotal directing, for the understanding of theplay's central moment is drawn up in Gallimard's reaction to finding outthe disillusionment of his fantasy. Hwangwas a bit inured by the fact that he had proposed a musical and Ostrowproduced musicals. It starred John Lithgow in the role of the FrenchmanGallimard and B.D. It allows the Asian-American audiences to define themselves in relation to a particular artist by either rejecting or accepting that person's vision. Hewent on to direct successful productions on Broadway and London's West End. Since John Dexter had a background within the world of opera and M.Butterfly was based loosely on the Puccini opera, it was only fitting thatthe music selections he chose were distinctly operatic in nature andidealistically most from Puccini. "Making His Muscles Work for himself: An Interview with David Henry Hwang (Asian-American Playwright)". LuciaHwong served as musical director for the Broadway production and livemusician were employed: Hwong playing Pipa or the Chinese Lute, Yukio Tsujiplaying percussion, and Japanese Flute, Jason Hwang on violin andpercussion. The play ran for 777 performances on Broadway. Butterfly won him the Tony Award. Jamie H. A pivotal moment in M. Ostrow kept the treatmentand was able to reproduce it the night M. That way if Song Liling's make-up change took too long, the audiencewas less apt to notice. The project was based ona two-page treatment that Hwang sent to Ostrow. Upon confrontation, though, Ostrow was enthralled bythe piece and insisted on taking it straight to Broadway rather thanworking it through a regional theatre program first as Hwang felt wasnecessary. M. 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