Chinglish (TCG Edition)

David Henry Hwang

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781559364102
• eBook ISBN: 9781559364263
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

"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 language—and ways of communicating—are 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 Award–winning M. Butterfly, the Pulitzer Prize–finalist 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.

Act One

Scene 1

Daniel Cavanaugh, a white American, forties, speaks to us at a podium, wireless clicker in hand. Images from his presentation appear upstage.

First image: a photograph of a sign, in both English and Chinese. The Chinese reads:

The English reads: “To Take Notice of Safe: The Slippery Are Very Crafty.”

DANIEL: “To take notice of safe: The slippery are very crafty.” The proper translation should be: “Slippery Slopes Ahead.”

(Click: second image. The Chinese reads:

The English reads: “Financial Affairs
Is Everywhere Long.”)

What does this one mean? Believe it or not: “Chief Financial Officer.” Likely the result of a bad computer translation program.

(Click: third image. The Chinese reads:

The English reads: “Fuck the Certain Price of Goods.”)

Surprisingly, this sign does not have anything to do with a sale. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to walk into, say, Barneys and find a sign reading: “Fuck the Certain Price of Goods”? But it should actually read: “Dry Goods Pricing Department.” Unfortunately.

(Pause.)

You see, after the Communist government came to power, Chairman Mao ordered that the centuries-old system of writing Chinese characters—beautiful, arcane, devilishly complicated—be simplified for the “masses”—or, as we would call them today, “consumers.” In so doing, the ideographs for “dry” and “to do” were merged. And “to do” is also slang for, well, to “do” someone. Once you know that, it all makes sense.

(Pause.)

Thank you to the Commerce League of Ohio for inviting me to talk about doing business in China. The greatest pool of untapped consumers...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• PRODUCTION HISTORY
• CHARACTERS
• EDITOR’S NOTE ON LANGUAGE
• Act One
• Act Two
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR