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Chinglish
"Marvelous . . . the conceit is elegantly of a piece, yet Hwang is able to keep turning it in on itself to reveal new ambiguities, absurdities, subversions and paradoxes." Chicago Reader "Hwang's plays collectively chart the evolving definition of what it is to be an 'American.' . . . His art has illuminated and anticipated our ongoing national story with a sensibility unlike any other in the American theater."Frank Rich Springing from the author's personal experiences in China over the past five years, Chinglish follows a Midwestern American businessman desperately seeking to score a lucrative contact for his family's firm as he travels to China only to discover how much he doesn't understand. Named for the unique and often comical third language that evolves from attempts to translate Chinese signs into English, Chinglish explores the challenges of doing business in a culture whose languageand ways of communicatingare worlds apart from our own. David Henry Hwang's "best new work since M. Butterfly , this shrewd, timely and razor-sharp comedy" ( Chicago Tribune ) received its Broadway premiere in fall 2011. David Henry Hwang is the author of the Tony AwardCwinning M. Butterfly , the Pulitzer PrizeCfinalist Yellow Face , Golden Child , FOB , Family Devotions , and the books for musicals Aida (as co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 Broadway revival), and Tarzan , among other works.
112 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2012
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About the author
David Henry Hwang
55?books125?followersDavid Henry Hwang (Chinese: S܂; pinyin: Hung Zhln; 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 Mara Irene Forns.
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 Mara Irene Forns.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 26, 2017
I read and loved so long ago that it's almost certain it shaped my predisposition for certain literatures and lifestyles. I still haven't seen the play on stage (shame on me), but to be honest, I haven't made much of an effort, and it is so much easier for me to pick up another text by a familiar name than it is to locate an appropriate theatre showing the appropriate play at an appropriate time. I promise to watch productions of both of this and that eventually, as finally watching Hamlet after years of textual analysis was a heady revelation, but for now, script suffices.
While 'Chinglish' didn't strike me as profoundly as MB, I feel I can better appreciate this farce of a culture clash now that my years of instinctually hysterical reactions to images of 'Engrish' are long past. The plot is rather plain, but considering how much Hwang is packing into the text and onto the stage, a complex story would have amplified the bilingualism already playing havoc with every level of communication and reciprocating action. I'm sure the production of this is a marvel, not only for deadset guaranteeing actual representation for actual Chinese speakers of Mandarin (not general 'Chinese', mind you), thereby one-upping decades of white people winning film awards for putting on yellowface and fooling around. There's also the technological aspect to consider when it comes to subtitles (I know it's fashionable to hate them, but I for one suck at languages, and am not going to pass up an opportunity simply because of a little visual discomfort), as well as the rhythm of the speaker's delivery, which is one reason why I'm thankful to have encountered this play in textual form first. The slippage Hwang deliberately introduces into the lines where one character's dialogue overlaps another adds further confusion to whether or not two people are actually engaged in communicating, or simply projecting their own pre-formatted monologues of social cues and business jargon onto each other to the point of ignoring the timing of another's response in order to get their own speech out. If this happens even in the English portion near the preliminary, what hope is there for later on, when two languages, spawning from two far flung points geographically and linguistically, are set against each other in the effort of good old fashioned capitalism?
One final thing I should mention is that this play is indeed funny in a satirizing way I can get behind. The humor takes more effort to appreciate than the monstrosity of 'satire' that usually parades around US television screens, and a great deal of it is lost without its accompanying visual display, but I'm certain I'll be roaring when I get around to finally watching this play in the flesh. It's a shame none of my GR friends have rated or even added this work, but it is both a play and lacks the much vaunted status of MB, so there's two sizable marks against its GR popularity. Plus, some of my friends have probably been less lazy and actually went and saw the thing instead of contributing poor pittance to the mere script, so I'll simply have to follow in their footsteps one of these days.
While 'Chinglish' didn't strike me as profoundly as MB, I feel I can better appreciate this farce of a culture clash now that my years of instinctually hysterical reactions to images of 'Engrish' are long past. The plot is rather plain, but considering how much Hwang is packing into the text and onto the stage, a complex story would have amplified the bilingualism already playing havoc with every level of communication and reciprocating action. I'm sure the production of this is a marvel, not only for deadset guaranteeing actual representation for actual Chinese speakers of Mandarin (not general 'Chinese', mind you), thereby one-upping decades of white people winning film awards for putting on yellowface and fooling around. There's also the technological aspect to consider when it comes to subtitles (I know it's fashionable to hate them, but I for one suck at languages, and am not going to pass up an opportunity simply because of a little visual discomfort), as well as the rhythm of the speaker's delivery, which is one reason why I'm thankful to have encountered this play in textual form first. The slippage Hwang deliberately introduces into the lines where one character's dialogue overlaps another adds further confusion to whether or not two people are actually engaged in communicating, or simply projecting their own pre-formatted monologues of social cues and business jargon onto each other to the point of ignoring the timing of another's response in order to get their own speech out. If this happens even in the English portion near the preliminary, what hope is there for later on, when two languages, spawning from two far flung points geographically and linguistically, are set against each other in the effort of good old fashioned capitalism?
One final thing I should mention is that this play is indeed funny in a satirizing way I can get behind. The humor takes more effort to appreciate than the monstrosity of 'satire' that usually parades around US television screens, and a great deal of it is lost without its accompanying visual display, but I'm certain I'll be roaring when I get around to finally watching this play in the flesh. It's a shame none of my GR friends have rated or even added this work, but it is both a play and lacks the much vaunted status of MB, so there's two sizable marks against its GR popularity. Plus, some of my friends have probably been less lazy and actually went and saw the thing instead of contributing poor pittance to the mere script, so I'll simply have to follow in their footsteps one of these days.
February 6, 2015
I do not enjoy reading plays, and only read this in preparation for an author presentation which I will be attending. That said, I found Chinglish delightful, and wish I had the opportunity to attend a performance, which I know I would like so much more than the text version! With wonderfully witty dialog, contemporary relevance, and a generous sprinkling of surprises, Hwang entertains and amuses his audience throughout. The play does not lack a few deeper truths, but the light tone left me pondering these only after the play wraps up.Looking forward to hearing him speak!
February 9, 2015
3.5 Stars. A funny play about the challenges of doing business in a country whose language and underlying cultural assumption can be world apart from the West.
I would love to see this play performed,but there was just too much going on visually for me on the pages. The Chinese dialogue was displayed in two formats; traditional character and pinyin, that on top of the English translation was of course necessary but a bit too distracting for my preference. Still a fun read!
I would love to see this play performed,but there was just too much going on visually for me on the pages. The Chinese dialogue was displayed in two formats; traditional character and pinyin, that on top of the English translation was of course necessary but a bit too distracting for my preference. Still a fun read!
May 10, 2019
I gave this "book" 3 stars because it really needs to be experienced as a performance, not read on the page.
The play is about a Caucasian American who travels to China in search of a business deal. Half of the dialogue consists of Mandarin Chinese which is presented on stage with English subtitles, and the many mistakes in simultaneous interpreting and translated signage result in comedic crosscultural misunderstandings. On the page, however, I got confused about when a character was speaking Chinese, translating, or speaking English.
Premiering in 2011, the plot portrays a particular moment in Sino-US relations which has, perhaps, passed.
The play is about a Caucasian American who travels to China in search of a business deal. Half of the dialogue consists of Mandarin Chinese which is presented on stage with English subtitles, and the many mistakes in simultaneous interpreting and translated signage result in comedic crosscultural misunderstandings. On the page, however, I got confused about when a character was speaking Chinese, translating, or speaking English.
Premiering in 2011, the plot portrays a particular moment in Sino-US relations which has, perhaps, passed.
December 8, 2020
A play that centers around misunderstandings between cultures, Hwang packs a lot into a short play. But I would have loved to have gotten a little bit more to connect to with the characters. Maybe that's part of the point? I'm not sure, but none of them felt especially developed. It's very well crafted, though, and the pitfalls of cross-cultural communication are well exaggerated to delightful comedic effect!
December 17, 2020
A clever dissection of cultures - and in a way that would be (I can only imagine) so engaging and funny to watch on the stage.
Bad translations, a misunderstood love story and a new nice nods to Enron (also an awesome play).
Yay
Bad translations, a misunderstood love story and a new nice nods to Enron (also an awesome play).
Yay
June 23, 2012
Saw the production in Chicago and was heartily amused.
The use of the Mandarin Chinese, poor translation and English titles makes for a funny night out at the theatre.
The script conveys the humor quite well and you can appreciate his writing even more than when you see it on stage.
Is this as challenging as some of his earlier work? No, it's commercial theatre at its best, but he is tapping into an area of interest not yet explored by other theatre folks. He is, as always, on the cutting edge with his material. He really is five to ten years ahead of the rest of us when it comes to issues of race.
Play has been optioned for a film, which is not a surprise.
The use of the Mandarin Chinese, poor translation and English titles makes for a funny night out at the theatre.
The script conveys the humor quite well and you can appreciate his writing even more than when you see it on stage.
Is this as challenging as some of his earlier work? No, it's commercial theatre at its best, but he is tapping into an area of interest not yet explored by other theatre folks. He is, as always, on the cutting edge with his material. He really is five to ten years ahead of the rest of us when it comes to issues of race.
Play has been optioned for a film, which is not a surprise.
May 19, 2013
This play is positioned atop a global fault line and dances on it like a crazy jester. The situations are current and highly political, but the drama remains as ancient and personal as love. The twists of this script not only keep the narrative zooming forward, but they help to keep the reader/viewer off balance, bringing us to unexpected places. This may be Hwang's best work since M. Butterfly, and like that play it creates a dynamic between audience and production that is clever, engaging, and alive. (I saw the Goodman staging in Chicago before the book, which I later read, was published.)
June 12, 2016
This is a fun party, and it's unfortunate that a lot of smaller towns in the US will never be able to perform it as it requires much of the dialog to bed performed in Chinese. That is not a criticism of the writing, however, but much of the fun comes from nothing the difference between the spoken text and how the translators choose to convey, shade, or distort the meaning.
Very entertaining, though technically challenging to perform.
Very entertaining, though technically challenging to perform.
April 25, 2018
Out of all the plays Ive read, Chinglish is by far my favorite. Hwang successfully incorporates poorly translated Chinese and unapologetic vulgarity into the world of foreign businessThe Office, anyone? Its a quick read that will make you stupidly smile to yourself and possibly even laugh out loud at certain parts. I definitely recommend Chinglish to those interested in learning more about the Chinese social culture (and also to those who arent afraid of LOLing).
June 27, 2012
Odd to have read this just after Dave Eggers's Hologram for the King. Similar subject matter of a business deal, global competition, etc. I bet this play works very well onstage, I'm sure the timing of the translations slides is the key to the comedy. In the end, it's pretty light, no deeper passion to really compel me, but I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing it.
September 22, 2016
This is one of the best plays that I have read in a long, long time. The confusion between language barriers is so rich for comedic opportunity that I can't believe this hasn't been written before! I really want to see a production of Chinglish, because if it reads this well it must be even better to see.
January 4, 2016
I laughed throughout my reading of this play, but I suspect it would be even funnier if I had a better grasp of Mandarin. As a Westerner living in Asia, there are moments that really hit home--sort of a Lost in Translation aged and reset in China, with a little more focus on the humor and the mis-translating and a little less development of characters. Still, a quick and enjoyable read.
November 18, 2014
Read thIs in anticipation of authors visit to Buffalo tomorrow evening. Compact scene, dialogue & concepts of cultural misunderstanding & basic commonalities of behaviors & feelings shared by all humans. Bravo! For a story well told.
February 10, 2015
Read this to prepare for author visit. Always a bit hard to read a play and get all the nuances. Great story, but a bit hard to read due to multi-language format. Look forward to seeing it performed.
June 18, 2017
The story focuses on an ex enron higher up. I read this and found it to be "meh" script. The production I saw had a white actor in the lead role. A likely scenario. I'd see the show again if a company cast a non-white American/Americanized actor - - it'd add a lot of nuance to the script.
February 25, 2014
A comic passage on cultures in translation :)
June 30, 2013
Plays are an easy way to up your book count! But Chinglish is almost as funny to read as it is to see, perhaps because so much of the humor is word-play and seeing what's lost in translation.
October 2, 2014
A very funny, quick play that was named 2011's Beat American play of the year by Time Magazine.
September 4, 2015
Funny, deep, disgusting. I like this play. Short but able to show the truth.
November 12, 2015
A nice play about the tension between signification and meaning and the problem of deciphering the true intention of badly translated signs (literally).
September 19, 2017
Moral of the story: always bring your own translator.
November 5, 2018
Very funny and enjoyable, if not the deepest thing in the world. Would be exciting to see in production with its intermixing of Mandarin and English.
January 12, 2019
David Henry Hwang wrote this for... white people who want to be validated that they can be "Chinese on the inside"
January 7, 2025
Not at all the uproarious or incisive comedy promised by the blurb on the back cover. The formatting is laborious to read but helpfully fastidious for someone trying to stage the play. The characters are all unlikable and there is little redeeming or worthwhile about the plot. The most clever that the dialogue gets is an occasional chuckle-worthy mistranslation-based joke (which are remarkably sparse, considering the premise) and a brief contemplation of the nature of fidelity (mused about, of course, only by characters who cheat on their spouses with absolutely no qualms or consequences). The humor didnt land, though I fully understand that this is merely a script, and a well-acted delivery could make all the difference. The only component that I enjoyed is the presence of an English translation long with traditional Chinese characters and pinyin for much of the dialogue. For that reason, Chinglish earns two stars; it has limited utility as an exercise book for those of us learning Mandarin. For anyone else, skip it.
August 23, 2021
An American businessman, a British con, and several Chinese officials caught up in scheme that becomes far more complicated than it first appears--I'm guessing this play probably would make a bigger impact in person since it goes for laughs. Lot's of sentiment lost in translation, and I like that Hwang puts both the Mandarin and the English speakers into foolish positions. Nobody is really at fault, but because the various motivations of certain characters are withheld for later reveals, I found it hard to be invested in their stories. Xi was definitely my favourite character--she has the most depth, and also, monologue! (Gosh I love monologues). We get her perspective both on a personal, professional, and cultural level. The others seem fairly surface level until almost the end of the play. I have another one from Hwang out from the library, hoping I might like that one more.
January 29, 2022
I imagine this is more entertaining on stage, but this was just alright to me. It felt too much of the same haha Chinese translated into English sounds funny joke repeated over and over again, coupled with some commentary on US-China relations and business. I didnt really feel a distinct voice or character motivation for any of the characters other than to find other ways to create more lost in translation jokes.
July 1, 2023
Admittedly.....I did not read this, I saw it performed. I wasn't a huge fan of the storyline, found the relationships relatively flat and unearned and the protagonist extremely uninteresting. However, it did strike a true chord with western vs Chinese interpretations of the idea of love and marriage, making me think a little bit deeper and for that alone I bumped it a star.
October 20, 2019
Its infuriating that a man so nice and humble and generous can be so talented the way he plays with mistranslations? Genius.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
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