Yellow Face
Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang, published by Theatre Communications Group in 2009, is a thought-provoking play that delves into the complexities of race and identity. This edition spans 70 pages and is presented in English. The narrative begins with the 1990s controversy surrounding color-blind casting in the production of Miss Saigon, evolving into a comedic exploration where the character DHH inadvertently casts a white actor in an Asian role, raising questions about authenticity and representation.
Readers will find a blend of humor and serious commentary as Hwang navigates themes of Asian identity and the evolving definition of Americanness. The play also touches on significant cultural issues, including the real-life story of Hwang’s father, the first Asian American bank owner, and the espionage case of physicist Wen Ho Lee. Yellow Face combines elements of drama and social science, offering a lively cultural self-portrait that engages with both personal and political dimensions of race in America.
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“A thesis of a play, unafraid of complexities and contradictions, pepped up with a light dramatic fizz. It asks whether race is skin-deep, actable or even fakeable, and it does so with huge wit and brio.” –TimeOut London
“A pungent play of ideas with a big heart. Yellow Face brings to the national discussion about race a sense of humor a mile wide, an even-handed treatment and a hopeful, healing vision of a world that could be” –Variety
“It’s about our country, about public image, about face,” says David Henry Hwang about his latest work, a mock documentary that puts Hwang himself center stage. An exploration of Asian identity and the ever-changing definition of what it is to be an American, Yellow Face “is by turns acidly funny, insightful and provocative” (Washington Post).
The play begins with the 1990s controversy over color-blind casting for Miss Saigon before it spins into a comic fantasy, in which the character DHH pens a play in protest and then unwittingly casts a white actor as the Asian lead. Yellow Face also explores the real-life investigation of Hwang’s father, the first Asian American to own a federally chartered bank, and the espionage charges against physicist Wen Ho Lee. Adroitly combining the light touch of comedy with weighty political and emotional issues, Hwang creates a “lively and provocative cultural self-portrait [that] lets nobody off the hook” (The New York Times).
David Henry Hwang is the author of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly, Yellow Face (OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Golden Child (1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), Family Devotions (Drama Desk nomination), and the books for musicals Aida ( co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 Broadway revival), and Tarzan, among other works. David Henry Hwang graduated from Stanford University, attended the Yale School of Drama, and holds honorary degrees from Columbia College in Chicago and The American Conservatory Theatre. He lives in New York City with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and their children, Noah David and Eva Veanne.
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