Journal 3 - Irish, Emmaleigh
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California State University, Fullerton *
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300
Subject
English
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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2
Uploaded by msemmaleighirish
Emmaleigh Irish THTR 300 Professor Sterling Journal: Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang Part 1: 1.
What did you think overall of the play/script? I enjoyed the overall conversational nature of the script. I thought that the moments of comedy were easier to pick up on in the filmed version of the play as opposed to reading the script, so I found that the comedic timing of certain moments relied heavily on the timing of the actors. 2.
Why do you think the playwright wrote the script? What was his intention? I think that the playwright wrote the script to reflect upon the controversy surrounding the “Miss Saigon” casting of 1990. His intention was to discuss his part in employing “face” when discussing racial identity and the hazards that surround political correctness. 3.
Did you relate to any of the characters? Why? I found myself somewhat relating to Leah in her struggles with understanding DHH’s point of view. I have had similar relationships to her and ask many of the same questions as her. 4.
Did the film/script raise any questions for you? What? I had similar questions to the characters of the play. Who is allowed to claim they are oppressed? What justifies that? How many people around me are “masking”? Each of these questions reflected the relevance of the play in our current society. 5.
What are some of the problems David (DHH) encounters in the play regarding race, ethnicity, and identity with both himself and Marcus? DHH encounters conflict when he realizes he has cast a White man as an Asian man in his play Face Value
, a casting decision similar to one he publicly criticized in the past. In addition to dealing with his own hypocrisy, DHH and Marcus both struggle with the idea of having a “mask”, what marks their own identities, and their position in telling others how to identify themselves.
6.
How does David (DHH) change over the course of the play? DHH begins the play by criticizing a casting decision that he eventually makes himself. In order to save his own reputation within the media, David cannot admit his mistake until Marcus Gee’s “Asian” identity begins resembling his own. He notices a white man identifying with an Asian identity that he has always lived. He questions if he is still “an Asian American role model”, he is accused of being a “fake Asian” and is even told that no one is Asian enough” for him. He begins the play taking a stand for an issue he eventually succumbs to, losing his identity in the process. Part 2: Early Life
David Henry Hwang was born on August 11
th
, 1957, in Los Angeles, California. He is the eldest son of three siblings. He grew up in San Gabriel. Hwang was brought to rehearsals for East-West Players productions that his mother (an accomplished pianist) participated in. Being exposed to theatrical artists who looked like him is said to have sparked his desire to take playwriting seriously. As a teenager, he went to the Philippines for a summer to record his family’s oral histories after discovering that his grandmother had fallen ill. Education Hwang attended San Gabriel High School as a teenager and went on to attend Stanford University, receiving his bachelor’s degree in English in 1979. He also attended the Yale School of Drama for literature classes between the years 1980 and 1981. Accomplishments -
Honorary degrees from Colombia College Chicago, American Conservatory Theater (ACT), Lehigh University, University of Southern California (USC), and State University of New York at Purchase -
First Asian American to win the Tony Award for Best Play (
M. Butterfly
) -
Drama Desk Award recipient -
Outer Critics Circle Award recipient -
1997 Obie Award for playwrighting (
Golden Child
) -
Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2018 -
Hwang is the most-produced living American opera librettist -
Grammy Award recipient for Ainadamar
Extras -
Hwang is currently writing the live-action musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for Disney Studios.
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