Trying to Find Chinatown and Bondage

by David Henry Hwang

Book by David Henry Hwang, Hwang, David Henry

Genres: Plays

47 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

David 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.

Reviews

[Will Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to Find Chinatown is an incredible example of a short play that actually means something, has depth, and packs a punch. One of those plays you could read 10 times and discover something new within every time. This play raised really interesting questions about identity. It’s no doubt that David Henry Hwang is a thoroughly skilled playwright. I feel like he just gets it: complex writing that’s insightful and unique while being very relatable and realistic. Hoping to read more of his work soon.

[jane bro · Rating 2 out of 5]

i rate finding chinatown 2 stars and bondage 2.5 stars. i like bondage more even though it still became convoluted at times. i haven’t really given this playwright a chance outside of these plays (i read half of m butterfly and got distracted) but that is my own fault not a comment on the works themselves. i am excited to read more but was left longing in my journey this time around.

[sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can tell when an author has spent his lifetime contemplating his race, identity, and place in the world when he has written something as concise and powerful as this. Shit. Good shit.