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Yellow Face
"It’s a...kind of unreliable memoir." That’s how David Henry Hwang all-too-accurately labeled his bracing and hilarious 2007 play Yellow Face, which recounted a pivotal moment in his cultural awareness. The story, which mixes fact with fiction, starts in 1990, when Hwang—the first Asian American playwright to win a Tony—is among the highest profile artists to protest the casting of Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in an Asian role in the musical Miss Saigon. But when Hwang begins work on a new play based on the controversy (or does he?), he inadvertently hires a white actor for a key Asian role. To protect his reputation as an Asian American role model, Hwang invents a fake background for his star.
The resulting debacle spreads much further than he could foresee, and forces him to re-evaluate just how much of a champion for his culture he truly is. Hwang pulls no punches, naming names, and not letting himself off the hook.
Winner of an Obie and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman, Yellow Face is as timely as ever, wrestling with issues of cultural appropriation, complicity, and artistic freedom. It’s brought to life in this audio-only revival by a stunning all-star cast (many playing themselves) led by Daniel Dae Kim.
The resulting debacle spreads much further than he could foresee, and forces him to re-evaluate just how much of a champion for his culture he truly is. Hwang pulls no punches, naming names, and not letting himself off the hook.
Winner of an Obie and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman, Yellow Face is as timely as ever, wrestling with issues of cultural appropriation, complicity, and artistic freedom. It’s brought to life in this audio-only revival by a stunning all-star cast (many playing themselves) led by Daniel Dae Kim.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
David Henry Hwang
59 books139 followersDavid Henry Hwang (Chinese: 黃哲倫; pinyin: Huáng Zhélún; born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.
He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University. His first play was produced at the Okada House dormitory at Stanford and he briefly studied playwriting with Sam Shepard and María Irene Fornés.
He is the author of M. Butterfly (1988 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Awards, Pulitzer finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (Drama Desk nomination), Family Devotions (Drama Desk Nomination), Sound and Beauty, and Bondage. His newest play, Yellow Face, which premiered at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum and New York's Public Theatre, won a 2008 OBIE Award and was a Finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. He wrote the scripts for the Broadway musicals Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (2002 revival, 2003 Tony nomination), and Disney's Tarzan. His opera libretti include three works for composer Philip Glass, 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), and The Sound of a Voice; as well as Bright Sheng's The Silver River, Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards) and Unsuk Chin's Alice In Wonderland (Opernwelt's 2007 "World Premiere of the Year"). Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate, and Possession (co-writer), and also co-wrote the song "Solo" with Prince. A native of Los Angeles, Hwang serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild. He attended Stanford University and Yale Drama School, and was appointed by President Clinton to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University. His first play was produced at the Okada House dormitory at Stanford and he briefly studied playwriting with Sam Shepard and María Irene Fornés.
He is the author of M. Butterfly (1988 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Awards, Pulitzer finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (Drama Desk nomination), Family Devotions (Drama Desk Nomination), Sound and Beauty, and Bondage. His newest play, Yellow Face, which premiered at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum and New York's Public Theatre, won a 2008 OBIE Award and was a Finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. He wrote the scripts for the Broadway musicals Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (2002 revival, 2003 Tony nomination), and Disney's Tarzan. His opera libretti include three works for composer Philip Glass, 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), and The Sound of a Voice; as well as Bright Sheng's The Silver River, Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards) and Unsuk Chin's Alice In Wonderland (Opernwelt's 2007 "World Premiere of the Year"). Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate, and Possession (co-writer), and also co-wrote the song "Solo" with Prince. A native of Los Angeles, Hwang serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild. He attended Stanford University and Yale Drama School, and was appointed by President Clinton to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
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May 8, 2024
The Earlier Yellow Face*
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook (May 2, 2024) multicast adaptation of the original play (2007) and the playscript from Dramatists Play Service (February 13, 2009).
Playwright David Henry Hwang creates a fictionalized story about his unpublished play Face Value (1993) which closed on Broadway after only 8 preview performances without even an official opening. The fiction takes off from the real-life protests of Hwang and others to the casting of Caucasian actor Jonathan Pryce in the role of the half-Vietnamese bar owner "The Engineer" in the London and New York staging of the Miss Saigon (1989) musical.
Hwang then opens his own play "Face Value" but inadvertently casts a Caucasian named Marcus as his Asian lead (in reality BD Wong played the role) and then has to invent a supposed Asian background for the actor in order to not embarrass himself. The actor then goes on to play several prominent Asian roles in the theatre, culminating in the role of the King of Siam (Thailand) in The King and I.
Various farcical events pile on top of each other with Hwang's father being accused of laundering Communist Chinese money in his bank, the press eager to expose Marcus's deception and DHH (the playwright's proxy) scrambling to both save his father from prosecution and undo the false narrative he had created for Marcus.
The audiobook had a full cast of prominent film and TV actors and featured Daniel Dae Kim in the role of DHH and Jason Biggs in the role of Marcus. Several prominent figures and actors played themselves. Everyone did an excellent job in this comedy farce.
Footnote
* I am thinking of the recent novel Yellowface (2023) by R.F. Kuang.
Trivia and Link
There was a Direct to YouTube film adaptation of David Henry Huang's Yellow Face in 2 parts which premiered ten years ago in 2014 and which you can watch here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook (May 2, 2024) multicast adaptation of the original play (2007) and the playscript from Dramatists Play Service (February 13, 2009).
Playwright David Henry Hwang creates a fictionalized story about his unpublished play Face Value (1993) which closed on Broadway after only 8 preview performances without even an official opening. The fiction takes off from the real-life protests of Hwang and others to the casting of Caucasian actor Jonathan Pryce in the role of the half-Vietnamese bar owner "The Engineer" in the London and New York staging of the Miss Saigon (1989) musical.
Hwang then opens his own play "Face Value" but inadvertently casts a Caucasian named Marcus as his Asian lead (in reality BD Wong played the role) and then has to invent a supposed Asian background for the actor in order to not embarrass himself. The actor then goes on to play several prominent Asian roles in the theatre, culminating in the role of the King of Siam (Thailand) in The King and I.
Various farcical events pile on top of each other with Hwang's father being accused of laundering Communist Chinese money in his bank, the press eager to expose Marcus's deception and DHH (the playwright's proxy) scrambling to both save his father from prosecution and undo the false narrative he had created for Marcus.
The audiobook had a full cast of prominent film and TV actors and featured Daniel Dae Kim in the role of DHH and Jason Biggs in the role of Marcus. Several prominent figures and actors played themselves. Everyone did an excellent job in this comedy farce.
Footnote
* I am thinking of the recent novel Yellowface (2023) by R.F. Kuang.
Trivia and Link
There was a Direct to YouTube film adaptation of David Henry Huang's Yellow Face in 2 parts which premiered ten years ago in 2014 and which you can watch here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).
November 26, 2021
Hwang's storytelling technique is masterful. I never knew what perspective was coming next. A masterclass in play-craft. And hilarious. Race served 7 ways, skewering racism and political correctness at the same time. Left wondering/hoping for an African American playwright to do the same. Theater can do so many things TV and movies can't. It can be brave and uncomfortable in a space where we breathe the same air. Where our heartbeat, gasps, and laughs align. Nothing like it. (Skips down the street singing show tunes and shouting Shakespeare monologues.)
July 29, 2026
tldr: Yellow Face is about white actors cast into Asian roles. This short play sinks its teeth into complex discussion of yellow fever, white worship, and the otherness of being Asian in America.
This is Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang, written in 2008, as opposed to Yellowface by RF Kuang. The version I’m reading is the Broadway Edition published in 2025. This new revision was brought about by changing attitudes toward anti-Asian racism: considered non-existent in 2008, racism against Asians finally reared its ugly head during Covid-19 and now demands to be seen. In this sense, David Henry Hwang was ahead of his time, and now his narrative is more pertinent than ever.
Asian-American socio-political commentary is difficult to write. On the one hand, you don’t want to offend the “Whitey” too much. On the other, you don’t want to offend the Asian-Americans at all, which is tricky because, it turns out, that many Asian-Americans, in their struggle to assimilate, harbour internalised white supremacy and white worship. This play is thus not only about White fetishisation of Asians, but also about Asian worship of the White.
As an aside, yes, this play shares similarities with RF Kuang’s novel of the same name, but a better comparison would perhaps be Elain Hsieh Chou’s Disorientation. These two stories have uncannily similar plot beats, but I was surprised to find that Hwang’s trailblazing play found no mention in Chou’s extensive bibliography. In other words, that two people could write so similarly on the same issue only lends more gravity to its relevancy.
Yellow Face opens with DHH (obviously referring to the author himself, but written in initials we refer exclusively to the stage character) protesting a Miss Saigon yellowface casting choice, which soon inspires him to write his own play. Now casting for Face Value, DHH accidentally casts a white man, Marcus G. in one of his Asian roles on the absurd assumption that Marcus has “Siberian Jewish” (read: Asian) ancestry. Far from being ashamed, Marcus fully embraces his newfound Asian identity and basks in the glory of being the hottest up-and-coming Asian actor. DHH is left to contemplate the monster that he has created, and how he ever made that mistake in the first place.
On a superficial level, this book is, of course, about yellowface. Yellowface is racist, no questions about it, because when white people choose to present as Asian, they do it because it is convenient. They wear “Asian” like a costume, donning it like a jacket when it’s cold and slipping it off when it’s warm. But Asians, who sit perpetually on a racial hot seat, can’t remove their skin even if it’s scorching.
DHH soon sees his mistake. Marcus isn’t Asian at all. In fact, he is 100% white. But let us be generous and say, as DHH fabricates as part of his smokescreen, that Marcus is something like 1/8th Asian (Siberian Jewish… whatever). Can Marcus still be considered Asian?
While reading this, I was thinking about Lisa See and her 1/8th Asian heritage. She is known as the best-selling Asian author and writes exclusively on Chinese topics, using names like “Snow Flower” and “Pearls” in her books (joining the Amy Tan club of Chinese stripper names; hello Spring Flower, Spring Rain!). She chooses to write “Chinese” books on the premise that “China is beautiful,” but has never lived in China. Nor does she write about the Asian-American experience because, like Marcus, she does not partake in it.
Alison Oh, in her The Chronicle article titled “Speaking on behalf of ASiA,” writes the following:
Lisa See says that she doesn’t “choose” her Asian identity, but is it not telling that she chose to pass on her Chinese last name to her son, now only 6% white? No one would bother asking her “where are you really from?” and the only reason we know is because she is eager to tell us. Her “Asian-ness” is a bonus because she is white. She is the face of Asian-Americans because she is white.
Bottom line: The best type of Asian is the white Asian, which is to say that the best type of Asian is White, which is to say that Asian is an undesirable type and that the Whites win again. All of this is to say that Marcus’ character is absurd but not entirely satirical, for we have direct parallels in real life.
Okay. Enough about the obvious. Let’s now address the elephant in the room – how on Earth did DHH, an Asian, mistake a 100% white guy for one of his own? I have a theory, and I think it stems from Asians’ deeply-rooted though subconscious white worship. We see this most notably in DHH’s father, HYH.
HYH is a true American patriot. He doesn’t see himself as anything but American.
But his version of American is, as seen above, white. In other words, HYH’s “real” self is white. Not once does he mention a non-white name, as though colour is anathema to the concept of American – in order to assimilate as an American, one must reject colour, even if that means rejecting oneself. White: that is the only colour sitting on the umpire’s throne, the gatekeeper whom one must please to gain admittance.
Funny how things worked for HYH in the end, huh? And that’s because what HYH didn’t understand is that sitting at a business table surrounded by white people does not make oneself white. As long as his face reads yellow, he would forever be “the other.”
In order to be American, you must be white. And now we are able to consider why DHH read Asian in Marcus’ white face. My interpretation is that this was not so much an honest mistake as a form of wish fulfilment. DHH, I think, wanted to believe that there are Asian faces out there that could pass as white. Here is how he justifies his casting of Marcus:
Other than the hilarious fact that DHH couldn’t “tell an Asian when he [sees] one,” his reluctance to answer Jerry’s question speaks volumes. Thus, we encounter a quandary. DHH feels repulsed that a white face could possibly represent Asian-Americans. At the same time, he isn’t opposed if, all of a sudden, Asians presented as white. The ending, too, reiterates this sentiment, albeit in a more race-blind, rainbows-and-butterflies kind of way.
Finally, I want to write a little bit about the meta-framing of this play. Yellowface is essentially about David Henry Hwang himself: he is the main character and his real-life works are referenced alongside real life characters. And yet, as DHH admits during the finale, the events in this play are purely fictional.
By blurring the boundaries of reality and fiction, Hwang communicates that Asian discrimination is as real in life as it is on stage. It also invites us into his world and encourages us to ask: What is “American” to us? One could say that this is a typical “breaking the fourth wall” technique. But there is no fourth wall. This is the real world, and Hwang has put everything, his life, his credentials, and his face, on the line.
Rating: 5/5
Read time: 1 hour
This is Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang, written in 2008, as opposed to Yellowface by RF Kuang. The version I’m reading is the Broadway Edition published in 2025. This new revision was brought about by changing attitudes toward anti-Asian racism: considered non-existent in 2008, racism against Asians finally reared its ugly head during Covid-19 and now demands to be seen. In this sense, David Henry Hwang was ahead of his time, and now his narrative is more pertinent than ever.
Asian-American socio-political commentary is difficult to write. On the one hand, you don’t want to offend the “Whitey” too much. On the other, you don’t want to offend the Asian-Americans at all, which is tricky because, it turns out, that many Asian-Americans, in their struggle to assimilate, harbour internalised white supremacy and white worship. This play is thus not only about White fetishisation of Asians, but also about Asian worship of the White.
As an aside, yes, this play shares similarities with RF Kuang’s novel of the same name, but a better comparison would perhaps be Elain Hsieh Chou’s Disorientation. These two stories have uncannily similar plot beats, but I was surprised to find that Hwang’s trailblazing play found no mention in Chou’s extensive bibliography. In other words, that two people could write so similarly on the same issue only lends more gravity to its relevancy.
Yellow Face opens with DHH (obviously referring to the author himself, but written in initials we refer exclusively to the stage character) protesting a Miss Saigon yellowface casting choice, which soon inspires him to write his own play. Now casting for Face Value, DHH accidentally casts a white man, Marcus G. in one of his Asian roles on the absurd assumption that Marcus has “Siberian Jewish” (read: Asian) ancestry. Far from being ashamed, Marcus fully embraces his newfound Asian identity and basks in the glory of being the hottest up-and-coming Asian actor. DHH is left to contemplate the monster that he has created, and how he ever made that mistake in the first place.
On a superficial level, this book is, of course, about yellowface. Yellowface is racist, no questions about it, because when white people choose to present as Asian, they do it because it is convenient. They wear “Asian” like a costume, donning it like a jacket when it’s cold and slipping it off when it’s warm. But Asians, who sit perpetually on a racial hot seat, can’t remove their skin even if it’s scorching.
“DHH: You come in here with that, that face of yours. Call yourself Asian. Everyone falls at your feet. But you don’t have to live as an Asian—every day of your life. No, you can just skim the cream, you, you, you ethnic tourist!”
MARCUS: You’re right. I don’t have to live Asian every day of my life. I am choosing to do so.
DHH: Funny thing about race. You don’t get to choose. But you don’t know that because you’re white.” (p41)
DHH soon sees his mistake. Marcus isn’t Asian at all. In fact, he is 100% white. But let us be generous and say, as DHH fabricates as part of his smokescreen, that Marcus is something like 1/8th Asian (Siberian Jewish… whatever). Can Marcus still be considered Asian?
While reading this, I was thinking about Lisa See and her 1/8th Asian heritage. She is known as the best-selling Asian author and writes exclusively on Chinese topics, using names like “Snow Flower” and “Pearls” in her books (joining the Amy Tan club of Chinese stripper names; hello Spring Flower, Spring Rain!). She chooses to write “Chinese” books on the premise that “China is beautiful,” but has never lived in China. Nor does she write about the Asian-American experience because, like Marcus, she does not partake in it.
Alison Oh, in her The Chronicle article titled “Speaking on behalf of ASiA,” writes the following:
“See has continually maintained that she did not “choose” to be Chinese. But imagine if someone who was seven-eighths Asian and one-eighth white decided to present themselves as racially white. Regardless of his or her cultural upbringing and personal identity, he or she would not be accepted into “white society” as someone who looks like a racial minority. It is because of the privilege that comes with looking white that See can maintain her hybrid identity.”
Lisa See says that she doesn’t “choose” her Asian identity, but is it not telling that she chose to pass on her Chinese last name to her son, now only 6% white? No one would bother asking her “where are you really from?” and the only reason we know is because she is eager to tell us. Her “Asian-ness” is a bonus because she is white. She is the face of Asian-Americans because she is white.
Bottom line: The best type of Asian is the white Asian, which is to say that the best type of Asian is White, which is to say that Asian is an undesirable type and that the Whites win again. All of this is to say that Marcus’ character is absurd but not entirely satirical, for we have direct parallels in real life.
Okay. Enough about the obvious. Let’s now address the elephant in the room – how on Earth did DHH, an Asian, mistake a 100% white guy for one of his own? I have a theory, and I think it stems from Asians’ deeply-rooted though subconscious white worship. We see this most notably in DHH’s father, HYH.
HYH is a true American patriot. He doesn’t see himself as anything but American.
“I knew that [my life in China] was a fake life, and my real life was [in America]. All those movie stars – Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra – they were the real me.” (p16)
But his version of American is, as seen above, white. In other words, HYH’s “real” self is white. Not once does he mention a non-white name, as though colour is anathema to the concept of American – in order to assimilate as an American, one must reject colour, even if that means rejecting oneself. White: that is the only colour sitting on the umpire’s throne, the gatekeeper whom one must please to gain admittance.
Funny how things worked for HYH in the end, huh? And that’s because what HYH didn’t understand is that sitting at a business table surrounded by white people does not make oneself white. As long as his face reads yellow, he would forever be “the other.”
“NWOAC: Does your father see himself as more American, or more Chinese?
DHH: That question makes no sense.
NWOAC: On the contrary, I think it’s quite relevant.
DHH: How about you? Do you see yourself as more American or more white?
NWOAC: That’s not the same thing. […] Because there’s no conflict between being white and being American.
DHH: Did you really just say that? There’s a conflict. Between being Chinese and being American?” (p57)
In order to be American, you must be white. And now we are able to consider why DHH read Asian in Marcus’ white face. My interpretation is that this was not so much an honest mistake as a form of wish fulfilment. DHH, I think, wanted to believe that there are Asian faces out there that could pass as white. Here is how he justifies his casting of Marcus:
“DHH: Asian faces come in a variety of shapes and sizes – just like any other human beings. Which we are, you know. […] He’s mixed race. You want to start discriminating against them now?
JERRY: David, if our leading man, who’s supposed to be an Asian dressing up in white face – if when he takes off his makeup, he still looks white – would that bother you?
[…]
DHH: I have to cast this in a way that feels right to me. And I can tell an Asian when I see one.” (p23)
Other than the hilarious fact that DHH couldn’t “tell an Asian when he [sees] one,” his reluctance to answer Jerry’s question speaks volumes. Thus, we encounter a quandary. DHH feels repulsed that a white face could possibly represent Asian-Americans. At the same time, he isn’t opposed if, all of a sudden, Asians presented as white. The ending, too, reiterates this sentiment, albeit in a more race-blind, rainbows-and-butterflies kind of way.
“DHH: That’s where you [Marcus] come in. To take my mask and put it on your face and wear it better than I ever did. Cuz that was Dad’s dream: a world where he could be Jimmy Stewart. And a white guy can even be Asian. (Pause) But in the end, Dad couldn’t be Jimmy Stewart.” (p65)
Finally, I want to write a little bit about the meta-framing of this play. Yellowface is essentially about David Henry Hwang himself: he is the main character and his real-life works are referenced alongside real life characters. And yet, as DHH admits during the finale, the events in this play are purely fictional.
By blurring the boundaries of reality and fiction, Hwang communicates that Asian discrimination is as real in life as it is on stage. It also invites us into his world and encourages us to ask: What is “American” to us? One could say that this is a typical “breaking the fourth wall” technique. But there is no fourth wall. This is the real world, and Hwang has put everything, his life, his credentials, and his face, on the line.
Rating: 5/5
Read time: 1 hour
Read
December 8, 2022I urge you all to swear creatively - Dr. Anderson
January 18, 2024
This is a brilliantly funny and wonderfully moving play. It's metatheatrical, it's Brechtian, and it's very, very smart.
May 22, 2023
Clever in parts; Meta-theatrical; but its literary merits are, imho, rather meager.
October 3, 2024
4.1
Yellow Face is a semifictional memoir that mixes facts with fiction, starting with the controversy surrounding the casting of a Caucasian actor in an Asian role, to which the author and main character of the book, David Henry Hwang, wrote public letters of protest against.
This results in DHH being inspired to write a new play, Face Value, and mistakenly casting a white actor as his Asian lead.
While trying to cover up this blunder, he comically adds to his mishap by creating an exaggerated background, which consequently creates a spiderweb of troubles while trying to maintain this hoax.
This audiobook explores in a clever but humorous way themes from racial stereotypes in media, politics, community, and family to cultural identity, artistic freedom combined with representation, and the marginalization of minority communities in America.
David Henry Hwang starts as a
Tony Award-winning playwright arrogant and high on his success, outraged enough to light a fire that pushed for more protests, but when it’s his “name” on the line, he quickly turns his back. He is angry at Marcus, the lead actor in his failed play Face Value, for not admitting to the public that his identity as Asian American is fake, but at the same time he was not willing to out this himself for fear of being dragged down with him, making him grasp for straws to rationalize his mistakes. The events in this book force DHH to consider what identity, race, and community mean to himself and the public, undoing his web of lies at the end of the book.
The audiobook had an amazing full cast of around 13 different narrators led by Daniel Dae Kim. It was also joined by an array of different sound effects, like a phone ringing or the cracking sound of a speaker. I must say they have done an amazing job and it turned out great, although for me personally I prefer a smaller cast and little-to-know sound effects, which I knew before starting this book. For me, it became a little bit overwhelming with so many different narrators. This audiobook is ideal for people wanting to experience a book, to basically hear a movie in their head.
David Henry Hwangs book reminded me a lot of RF Kuangs recent book with a similar title, Yellowface, approaching similar themes but in the publishing industry and media. It was a great listen and a well thought out combination of fact and fiction.
Yellow Face is a semifictional memoir that mixes facts with fiction, starting with the controversy surrounding the casting of a Caucasian actor in an Asian role, to which the author and main character of the book, David Henry Hwang, wrote public letters of protest against.
This results in DHH being inspired to write a new play, Face Value, and mistakenly casting a white actor as his Asian lead.
While trying to cover up this blunder, he comically adds to his mishap by creating an exaggerated background, which consequently creates a spiderweb of troubles while trying to maintain this hoax.
This audiobook explores in a clever but humorous way themes from racial stereotypes in media, politics, community, and family to cultural identity, artistic freedom combined with representation, and the marginalization of minority communities in America.
David Henry Hwang starts as a
Tony Award-winning playwright arrogant and high on his success, outraged enough to light a fire that pushed for more protests, but when it’s his “name” on the line, he quickly turns his back. He is angry at Marcus, the lead actor in his failed play Face Value, for not admitting to the public that his identity as Asian American is fake, but at the same time he was not willing to out this himself for fear of being dragged down with him, making him grasp for straws to rationalize his mistakes. The events in this book force DHH to consider what identity, race, and community mean to himself and the public, undoing his web of lies at the end of the book.
The audiobook had an amazing full cast of around 13 different narrators led by Daniel Dae Kim. It was also joined by an array of different sound effects, like a phone ringing or the cracking sound of a speaker. I must say they have done an amazing job and it turned out great, although for me personally I prefer a smaller cast and little-to-know sound effects, which I knew before starting this book. For me, it became a little bit overwhelming with so many different narrators. This audiobook is ideal for people wanting to experience a book, to basically hear a movie in their head.
David Henry Hwangs book reminded me a lot of RF Kuangs recent book with a similar title, Yellowface, approaching similar themes but in the publishing industry and media. It was a great listen and a well thought out combination of fact and fiction.
August 19, 2018
When I was a theater critic, I had a rule that I wouldn't review a play unless I had seen the whole thing. This was in case the end was so good that it made me rethink the rest of the play and turned it from blah into enjoyable. Until today, that had only happened twice. This play makes number three. At first it felt like David Henry Hwang's (DHH) apology tour. Then it felt like DHH's bitter pity party that the audience is stuck attending. Then something is revealed that changes everything. I went from blah, to, "Hey, this is playing at a nearby theater, I'm going to go see it tomorrow." So give it a chance and stick it out until the end. You'll see why DHH won an Obie award.
August 20, 2025
This audible original was short and sweet. Daniel Dae Kim, Jason Biggs, and all of the other actors were incredible voices in this audiobook. An interesting story about race that would be fun to discuss in a book club.
May 25, 2025
A fascinating and unexpectedly humorous look and racism and hypocrisy. Its honest approach is refreshing.
August 2, 2025
I watched the PBS proshot of this play back in May, but I thought it apt to revisit the work now in the wake of the Maybe Happy Ending casting controversy. So much of it hits even harder, it almost feels prophetic.
After a week of obsessively scrolling through arguments and online discourse, it's refreshing to come back to Yellow Face and see some of your own thoughts unpacked and mirrored back.
The commentary is relevant as ever, the satire is witty, and the play is genuinely hilarious.
I had no idea that Face Value was a real show. I thought he made it up.
After a week of obsessively scrolling through arguments and online discourse, it's refreshing to come back to Yellow Face and see some of your own thoughts unpacked and mirrored back.
The commentary is relevant as ever, the satire is witty, and the play is genuinely hilarious.
I had no idea that Face Value was a real show. I thought he made it up.
March 5, 2025
I’m interested how this works onstage.
June 7, 2021
I think I finally get what David Henry Hwang is About - the ideas he's trying to figure out and the points he's trying to make. But I've also figured out that I'm just never going to love his stuff because Hwang is, to me, clearly from an older generation. I thought it was my fault for expecting an old play to still be politically relevant and relatable, but then I realized this wasn't published in the 90s like I'd thought while reading it. Hwang and I are simply on different wavelengths when it comes to views and concerns about Asian American experiences.
Still, there was a lot to like. The unreliable narration, surreality, fourth wall breaks, etc., made Hwang's kinda cheesy humor finally land for me. The story and pacing were rocky in the first act but didn't drag. DHH's relationship with his dad... their disconnect over art... oof. And Marcus's immediate attraction to the “community” of being Asian, in contrast to not having experienced unconditional acceptance and support and dedication based on a group identity before, really gave me something new to think about.
Still, there was a lot to like. The unreliable narration, surreality, fourth wall breaks, etc., made Hwang's kinda cheesy humor finally land for me. The story and pacing were rocky in the first act but didn't drag. DHH's relationship with his dad... their disconnect over art... oof. And Marcus's immediate attraction to the “community” of being Asian, in contrast to not having experienced unconditional acceptance and support and dedication based on a group identity before, really gave me something new to think about.
August 13, 2018
I read this in one sitting as I was doing laundry. I love Hwang's voice throughout and it made me think of myself regarding what mask or "face" I put on in the world. As an Afro-Latina or just a black person (I'm both) but how folks see me. This play made me think a ton. The play was also really funny. I've been reading a ton of plays lately and this one made me laugh out loud and chuckle a few times. I know if I saw this performed I'd laugh just as much. This play is important and I'm glad it was written. I can't wait to read the rest of his work!
January 4, 2019
holy shit where was this play in my life last year when i was embroiled in a (fairly minor, though definitely nonfictional) race-related media fiasco???
funny and thoughtful. frenetic, but just might work? would have to have clean direction/design though; would be easy to get wrong.
funny and thoughtful. frenetic, but just might work? would have to have clean direction/design though; would be easy to get wrong.
March 11, 2017
Good. But the gender politics...
March 28, 2024
when i got to the end and realized this doesn’t pass the bechdel test i understood why i had felt the urge to rip my hair out on each page! (🥶)
June 18, 2024
Another audiobook I almost instantly hated. Very insider-y about contemporary Broadway. Not my thing.
July 28, 2021
** 4 stars **
A smart and comic exploration of Asian, American, and Asian American identity. A fictionalized version of the playwright, DHH, casts an unknown actor named Marcus G. Dahlman to star in his new play Face Value--a play about Asian identity--shortly after protesting Jonathan Pryce (a white actor) portraying the role of an Asian man in Miss Saigon. Marcus's name doesn't sound Asian and he doesn't look stereotypically Asian, but as the casting director says, "that doesn't mean anything nowadays." DHH soon learns, however, that Marcus does not actually have any Asian ancestry, but he's already cast him in the role, and it would be racist to fire him just for being white. In the meantime, DHH's father, a Chinese immigrant to the US who now runs a successful bank and has built the American dream he always wanted, is under investigation by the federal government in what seems like a racially motivated attack against Chinese Americans. What is DHH to do?
Hwang explores how people fashion their own sense of identity in the so-called 'melting pot' of the United States and who gets to do so. The character of Marcus is almost a prediction of later white Americans who posed as POC, like Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug. Would definitely recommend if you have an interest in contemporary American drama.
A smart and comic exploration of Asian, American, and Asian American identity. A fictionalized version of the playwright, DHH, casts an unknown actor named Marcus G. Dahlman to star in his new play Face Value--a play about Asian identity--shortly after protesting Jonathan Pryce (a white actor) portraying the role of an Asian man in Miss Saigon. Marcus's name doesn't sound Asian and he doesn't look stereotypically Asian, but as the casting director says, "that doesn't mean anything nowadays." DHH soon learns, however, that Marcus does not actually have any Asian ancestry, but he's already cast him in the role, and it would be racist to fire him just for being white. In the meantime, DHH's father, a Chinese immigrant to the US who now runs a successful bank and has built the American dream he always wanted, is under investigation by the federal government in what seems like a racially motivated attack against Chinese Americans. What is DHH to do?
Hwang explores how people fashion their own sense of identity in the so-called 'melting pot' of the United States and who gets to do so. The character of Marcus is almost a prediction of later white Americans who posed as POC, like Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug. Would definitely recommend if you have an interest in contemporary American drama.
March 7, 2021
A masterpiece. Interior Chinatown has been getting lots of white-guilt buzz lately re: the Asian American male existensial crisis but David Henry Hwang
mined that shaft first and did it better. And the racism of the politicians, producers and journalists is all the more brutal given that it's all from the historical record. DHH doesn't hold himself above the mockery which means he's not wallowing in unattractive pathos either. And Marcus Gee - by the end, I came around to appreciate and laugh with him.
I did know about the scandal of the Miss Saigon casting already and wonder how that saga would have played out in 2021 -- if we're actually that farther along as a society.
Reviewing plays that you haven't seen performed is tough but the language is gripping even on the page. I hope to see a production someday.
4.5/5, minus half a star because the female characters are barely there. His father is too large for life, and achingly familiar.
mined that shaft first and did it better. And the racism of the politicians, producers and journalists is all the more brutal given that it's all from the historical record. DHH doesn't hold himself above the mockery which means he's not wallowing in unattractive pathos either. And Marcus Gee - by the end, I came around to appreciate and laugh with him.
I did know about the scandal of the Miss Saigon casting already and wonder how that saga would have played out in 2021 -- if we're actually that farther along as a society.
Reviewing plays that you haven't seen performed is tough but the language is gripping even on the page. I hope to see a production someday.
4.5/5, minus half a star because the female characters are barely there. His father is too large for life, and achingly familiar.
December 9, 2022
very clever and satyrical take on what identity actually means, how we look at it and how belonging to it can affect and change our perspectives.
very interesting. definetly want to read more david henry hwang.
very interesting. definetly want to read more david henry hwang.
December 17, 2023
A snarky satire that’ll have you stunned by its horror and humor. In this fast-paced, gripping story, you’ll flip between hate and pity for this incredibly flawed protagonist, yet she’s so well developed you can’t help having sympathy for her.
September 25, 2024
Watched the production with Daniel Dae Kim today with Rahul and Chansol. A heartbreaking and hilarious contribution to the genre of Asian Diasporic Media About Your Fucked Up Relationship With Your Parents
May 7, 2025
What I really love about this piece is the absurdity of it and how the absurdity sneaks up on you. Written 17 years ago, it is unfortunately, still relevant and the situations in it are infuriatingly still happening!! I do recommend the TCG version because Frank Rich's Foreward puts the piece and it's author into their rightful place in the theatrical Pantheon!
January 6, 2025
Very good, bit drawn out
July 4, 2026
Strikingly funny. I agree with most people that the ending is a little gauche. But it was also 2009 and that was totally the vibe then. A brilliant reflection on topics that run through the head of all Asian-Americans. I really devoured this.
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March 28, 2024Ooh girl David you brave for this one!
January 31, 2025
Solid play, give it a shot if you like it.
July 15, 2024
I listened to the full cast version of this book/play and it was amazing.
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