David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is a prominent Chinese American playwright known for his exploration of the Asian American experience through his diverse body of work. Born on August 11, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, Hwang's writing reflects his journey through various phases of cultural identity, from assimilationist themes in his early play FOB to a more nationalist perspective in works like The Dance and the Railroad. His acclaimed play M. Butterfly examines themes of identity and stereotypes, illustrating the complexities of cultural perception through a love story that subverts traditional gender roles. Throughout his career, Hwang has engaged with issues of race, identity, and representation, as seen in his later works such as Yellow Face and Soft Power, both of which challenge societal norms and prejudices. In addition to his plays, Hwang has contributed to operas, multimedia projects, and television, including writing for the series The Affair. His significant contributions to theater have earned him numerous accolades, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Despite facing personal challenges, including a violent hate crime in 2016, Hwang remains a vocal advocate against racism and a leader in promoting Asian American voices in the arts.
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Subject Terms
David Henry Hwang
- Born: August 11, 1957
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Author Profile
Playwright. David Henry Hwang is a second-generation Chinese American. From his earliest plays, Hwang has focused on the Chinese American experience. He has identified three developmental phases in his early work. His “assimilationist” phase was motivated by the overwhelming desire to be accepted by White American culture. Hwang’s first play, FOB (1979), exemplifies this first period. In the play, Dave, a Chinese American, reacts negatively to a “fresh-off-the-boat” Chinese male character named Steve. This is because Steve exhibits all the stereotypes Dave has tried to avoid his entire life.
In college, Hwang lived in an all-Asian dormitory and was caught up in an “isolationist-nationalist” phase. During this period, Hwang was primarily concerned with writing for a Chinese American audience. This resulted in The Dance and the Railroad (1983), which recaptures the history of the Chinese American railroad strike of 1867. He later wrote Family Devotions (1983), encouraging Chinese Americans to reject negative Western perceptions and embrace their Chinese heritage.
After the isolationist phase, Hwang became interested in love stories. He adapted two classic Japanese works and wrote a play without identifying Asian characters. Although not successful, this last experiment led directly to Hwang’s masterpiece, M. Butterfly (1988). In this story, a French diplomat carries on an affair with a Chinese actress for years, only to discover that “she” is really a man. Identity is explored as Hwang shows how the Frenchman Gallimard falls in love with an Asian stereotype. Gallimard commits suicide at the loss of his lover, a role reversal of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (1904). Wanting to advocate a broader forum against sexism and racism in literature, Hwang created Bondage (1996), an allegory of love that challenges various prejudices. Bondage takes place in a fantasy bondage parlor, where domination is subverted when masked participants reject stereotypes. He furthers his thoughts on race and identity in his 2007 play Yellow Face. Yellow Face was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and earned Hwang an Obie Award.
Hwang worked on various operas, multimedia projects, screenplays, and plays as the twenty-first century progressed. In 2014, Hwang’s play about the life of Bruce Lee, Kung Fu, debuted. Also in 2014, Hwang joined the faculty of the Playwriting Department at the Columbia University School of the Arts. In 2016, Hwang joined the television show The Affair as a writer and producer. Hwang also continued to create operas and plays. Hwang’s 2018 production, Soft Power, featuring a majority Asian cast, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020. In 2024, two new operas by Hwang, An American Soldier and Ainadamar premiered. Hwang's work has received considerable recognition throughout his career. In 2021, Hwang was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and, in 2022, Hwang was inducted into the Lucille Lortel Playwrights' Sidewalk. The historical and cultural identity of Chinese Americans is at the heart of Hwang’s plays, which significantly explore the evolving identity of Asians in a pluralistic society.
In 2016, Hwang was the victim of a vicious attack in Brooklyn in which he was stabbed in the neck. Despite the loss of a significant amount of blood, Hwang survived the attack, which he later characterized as a hate crime. In 2021 both he and actor George Takei became outspoken against the rising number of hate crimes directed against Asian Americans.
Bibliography
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