Chinglish is the latest offering from playwright David Henry Hwang, best known for his Tony Award winning play M. Butterfly. Chinglish is the expression used for the rather confusing and sometimes amusing amalgam of English and Chinese which is spoken throughout much of Asia, and by immigrants here in the U.S.
In the attempt to communicate in these two very disparate languages, mistranslations result in misunderstandings. The plot revolves around the efforts of Ohio businessman Daniel Cavanaugh (Gary Wilmes) to save his sign company by creating signs for the burgeoning Chinese market. In a meeting with the Minister (Larry Lei Zhang) of Guiyang, a small and unimportant city of “only four million,” Cavanaugh tries to explain why his company’s work is worth the price he’s demanding; instead, the smiling but incompetent translator (Angela Lin) announces he’ll tell them why he spends money so recklessly.
Fortunately, also present in the room is Xi Yan (Jennifer Lim), a beautiful and influential Chinese woman who works for the minister, and who understands English much better. At first, she finds the American something of a buffoon. Lim has excellent comic timing, and the scene in a bar where she attempts to communicate with him is truly funny. Soon, the two characters form a bond.
Cavanaugh falls head over heels, and prepares to leave his wife. Xi Yan tries to explain to him the concept of “qingyi,” the idea of marriage as an obligation and partnership, quite different from the passionate relationship the two have shared. Together with “guanxi,” the standard governing Chinese business relationships, words become an education for the businessman.
Everyone has an agenda, and no one is quite what he or she appears to be. Cavanaugh’s business is not quite as he describes it; Xi Yan has her own best interests at heart; and even the hapless minister is grappling with the issue of nepotism.
The best, and broadest, scene in the play comes in the second act. Cavanaugh and Xi Yan teem up to present his proposal to another civic group, let by Judge Xu Geming (Johnny Wu). While the businessman is earnestly pitching his credentials, his cohort is spinning a lurid tale for the benefit of the committee. The fact that they are fascinated by the idea of associating with someone notorious is not so far-fetched when we consider our own fascination with celebrity.
Director Leigh Silverman has handled both the comedy and the inherent life lessons with a deft touch. The cast, particularly Jennifer Lim, is accomplished. And once again, playwright Hwang has graced the stage with an evening full of the richness of his Asian culture and the vigor of his American homeland.
Photos by Michael McCabe, from top:
1. Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes.
2. From left to right, Stephen Pucci, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Larry Lei Zhang
3. Stephen Pucci, Jennifer Lim.
4. Gary Wilmes.
5. From left to right, Johnny Wu, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Gary Wilmes, Jennifer Lim.
Chinglish
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
212-239-6200
Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. She is a voting member of Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association, and International Association of Theatre Critics.
