Chinglish by David Henry Hwang
Lost in Translation
By: Charles Giuliano - Oct 27, 2011
Chinglish
By David Henry Hwang
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Scenic Design, David Korins, Costume Design, Anita Yavich, Lighting Design, Brian MacDevitt, Sound Design, Darron L. West, Projection Design, Jeff Sugg, Shawn Duan
Cast: Gary Wilmes (Daniel Cavanaugh), Stephen Tucci (Peter Timms), Minister Cai Guoliang Larry Lei Zhang (Minister Cai Guoliang), Jennifer Lim (Xi Yan), Angela Lin (Miss Qian/ Prosecutor Li), Christine Lin (Miss Zhao), Johnny Wu (Bing/ Judge Xu Geming)
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
New York, New York
It’s been some 27 years since playwright David Henry Hwang won a Tony Award for M Butterfly which was also made into a movie. We saw the road production of that play in Boston as well as the film.
After a successful run at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago Hwang returns to Broadway, this time with a comedy. For a play, which is hard to earn back investments without Hollywood stars on the marquee, this has been given a lavish and impressive production. It is reported to have cost some $3.5 million compared to the average budget for a non musical at around $2 million. Risky as it does not feature bankable stars.
In previews, however, Chinglish, has created buzz as a fun show and snappy evening of theatre.
Daniel Cavanaugh (Gary Wilmes) is a down on his luck, no make that desperate, business man who runs a failing sign company in Cleveland. As the play evolves we learn that he was a minor executive of Enron. He was just a notch low enough on the corporate totem pole to stay out of jail. In the U.S. it stigmatizes him as a persona non grata.
He has come to China and the provincial city of Guiyang to pitch a contract to create signs in Chinese with proper English translations. We are bombarded with hilarious translations and malaprops. The rural city is about to open its cultural center which is a potential lure for business and tourism. It is assumed that an increment will be English speaking.
The assumption on Cavanaugh’s part is that he will land the contract and the local community will avoid the embarrassment of projects in other cities.
In his first visit and business venture in China he is approached by Peter Timms (Stephen Tucci) a long term resident in China who is fluent in the language. He is knowledgeable about the complex and demanding protocols of doing business. Or, so he says. He will handle everything for a percentage of the contract.
The key, as Peter informs Daniel, is to have your own translator during all business meetings.
This becomes hilariously obvious during a series of meetings in the office of the local cultural minister. There is deceptive good will and negotiations appear to be going well. But as it turns out the official intends to award the contract to a relative and the bidding with a foreigner is just for show.
The minister has an assistant minister Xi Yan (Jennifer Lim) who initially undermines his efforts with mean spirited asides. They arrange to meet in the lobby of his hotel. Quickly sparks fly and after some deception for watchful eyes they end up in his room as lovers.
Daniel soon falls in love. In a confrontation with Xi it seems there is so much he does not understand about Chinese romance with a married woman. It evolves that she is actually scheming for the advancement of her husband. Indeed this gets quite complicated to follow.
In no way does she love this foreigner and businessman. She is taking one for the team. And, if that is fun for her and the audience, so much the better.
There are enough sub plots to keep it interesting. Plus amazingly swift and adept scene changes as we bounce between the office meetings, restaurants and bars, the hotel lobby and bedroom. All of this has been managed deftly in the wonderfully fluid design by David Korins.
The two faced minister has some quirky pet peeves. He can’t stand the traditional and popular Chinese Acrobats. Of course in the denouement, when he is disgraced for corruption, it is just one of a number of points against him. We see him slink off to jail in his old Mao Army costume.
Several years ago we visited Shanghai as curators for an exchange with two German artists. So we have first hand experience of dealing with Machiavellian officials. People whom we expected to help had their hands in our pockets. You pay up front and then may or may not get cooperation.
Our capsule experience is just a tiny insight into the many international businessmen in China. So this hilarious play provided understanding of how negotiations can go terribly wrong.
In a particularly tough meeting when things are not going well Peter blows up at the minister. A direct confrontation is totally out of line. It turns out that he has been a sham. He is a failed English teacher trying to morph into a business consultant. Daniel is actually better on his own and has a duplicitous ally in Xi.
In Chinese culture there is a great tradition of gambling. The whales and high rollers are respected. Even when they loose.
When it is revealed that Daniel has been an executive with Enron, what is an impediment in the U.S., earns him status in China. In an over the top meeting he morphs from a minor criminal in the U.S. to a big shot.
Daniel gets the contract. It launches an ongoing business and contracts in bigger cities. When the corrupt official is sent to jail Xi and her husband, a judge, move up to a higher positions.
The premise of the play is a kind of gag about Chinglish which is the scrambled syntax of conflating two very different languages. There are projections of running translations, in hilarious English, of what is being spoken in Mandarin during the gonzo business meetings. Over two acts it wears thin.
While this is a fun and lively play, with spirited performances by an enthusiastic and gifted cast, it does not reach beyond an amusing evening of theatre. For an escape from day to day cares and woes, however, this is a thoroughly satisfying comedy.