David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, and

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in New York City. He has won three

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

s for his plays '' FOB'', '' Golden Child'', and '' Yellow Face''. Three of his works—''

M. Butterfly ''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. T ...

'', ''Yellow Face'', and ''

Soft Power In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (contrast hard power). In other words, soft power involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. A defin ...

''—have been finalists for the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

Early life

He was born in 1957 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, to Henry Yuan Hwang, the founder of

Far East National Bank Far East National Bank (FENB; ) was founded in 1974 by Henry Y. Hwang as the first federally chartered Asian American bank in the United States. FENB has over 600 employees and total assets exceeding US$1.7 billion. It became a wholly owned subsid ...

, and Dorothy Hwang, a piano teacher. The oldest of three children, he has two younger sisters. He received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in English from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1979 and attended the

Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...

between 1980 and 1981, taking literature classes. He left once workshopping of new plays began, since he already had a play being produced in New York. His first play was produced at the Okada House dormitory (named Junipero House at the time) at

after he briefly studied playwriting with

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

and

María Irene Fornés María Irene Fornés (May 14, 1930 – October 30, 2018) was a Cuban-American playwright, theater director, and teacher who worked in off-Broadway and experimental theater venues in the last four decades of the twentieth century. Her plays range ...

. In summer 1978, he studied playwriting with

and attended Padua Hills Playwrights Festival, both of which led him to write his first plays such as ''FOB''.

Career

Trilogy of Chinese America

Hwang's early plays concerned the role of the

Chinese American Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...

and

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

in the contemporary world. His first play, '' FOB'', explores the contrasts and conflicts between established Asian Americans and "

Fresh Off the Boat The phrase fresh off the boat ''(FOB)'', off the boat ''(OTB)'', are sometimes-derogatory terms used to describe immigrants who have arrived from a foreign nation and have yet to assimilate into the host nation's culture, language, and behavior ...

" new immigrants. The play was developed by the National Playwrights Conference at the

Eugene O'Neill Theater Center The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company founded in 1964 by George C. White. It is commonly referred to as The O'Neill. The center has received two Tony Awards, the 1979 Special Awa ...

and premiered in 1980

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the

Joseph Papp Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

. It won an

. Papp produced four more of Hwang's plays, including two in 1981: ''

The Dance and the Railroad ''The Dance and the Railroad'' is a 1981 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. His second play, it depicts a strike in a coolie railroad labor camp in the mid-nineteenth century American West. The play premiered as part of a commission by ...

'', which tells the story of a former

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

star working as a

coolie A coolie (also spelled koelie, kuli, khuli, khulie, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a term for a low-wage labourer, typically of South Asian or East Asian descent. The word ''coolie'' was first popularized in the 16th century by European traders acros ...

laborer in the 19th-century American West, and '' Family Devotions'', a darkly comic take on the effects of Western religion on a Chinese-American family. This was nominated for the Drama Desk Award. Those three plays added up to what the author described as a "Trilogy of Chinese America."

Branching out / national success

After this, Papp also produced the show ''

Sound and Beauty ''Sound and Beauty'' is the omnibus title of two plays by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's fourth play, ''The House of Sleeping Beauties ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'' is a 1983 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwa ...

'', the omnibus title to two Hwang one-act plays set in Japan. At this time, Hwang started to work on projects for the small screen. A television movie, '' Blind Alleys'', written by Hwang and Frederic Kimball and starring

Pat Morita Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on ''Happy Days'', Mr. Miyagi in ''The Karate Kid'' film series, Captain Sam Pak on the sitco ...

and

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomin ...

, was produced in 1985 and followed a television version of ''The Dance and the Railroad''. His next play '' Rich Relations'', was his first full-length to feature non-Asian characters. It premiered at the

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

in New York. Hwang's best-known play was ''

'', which premiered on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1988. The play is a deconstruction of

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...

's opera ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...

'', alluding to news reports of the 20th-century relationship between French diplomat

Bernard Boursicot Bernard Boursicot (born on 12 August 1944) is a French diplomat who was caught in a honeypot trap (seducing him to participate in Chinese espionage) by Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer who performed female roles, whom Boursicot believed to ...

and

Shi Pei Pu Shi Pei Pu (; December 21, 1938 – June 30, 2009)
''

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

(which Hwang was the first Asian American to win), the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

, the John Gassner Award, and the

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

. It was the first of three of his works to become a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Work post-''Butterfly''

The success of ''M. Butterfly'' prompted Hwang's interests in many other different directions, including work for

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, and the

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

. Hwang became a frequent collaborator as a librettist with the world-renowned composer

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

. One of ''M. Butterflys Broadway producers,

David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 199 ...

, oversaw a

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

of the play, which was directed by

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

. Hwang also wrote an original script, ''

Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by th ...

'', which was produced by

American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Overview It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever an ...

. Hwang wrote an early draft of a screenplay based upon A. S. Byatt's

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

-winning novel ''

Possession Possession may refer to: Law * Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance * Drug possession, a crime * Ownership * ...

'', which was originally scheduled to be directed by

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film ''Out ...

. Years later, director/playwright

Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best-known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Fi ...

and Laura Jones would collaborate on the script for a 2002 film. Throughout the 1990s, Hwang continued to write for the stage, including short plays for the famed

Humana Festival Humana Festival of New American Plays is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this festival showcases new theatrica ...

at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. His full-length '' Golden Child'', received its world premiere at

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

in 1996. '' Golden Child'' was later produced in New York City. It won a 1997

for playwriting for Hwang's 1996 off-Broadway production. In 1998 it was produced on Broadway, and was nominated that year for a Tony Award for Best Play.

Return to Broadway

In the new millennium, Hwang had two Broadway successes back-to-back. He was asked by director

Robert Falls Robert Falls (born March 2, 1954) is an American theater director and the current artistic director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Biography Early years Falls was born in Ashland, Illinois to Arthur Joseph Falls and Nancy (Stribl ...

to help co-write the book for the musical ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December ...

'' (based upon the opera by

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

). In an earlier version, it had failed in regional theatre tryouts. Hwang and Falls re-wrote a significant portion of the book (by

Linda Woolverton Linda Woolverton (born December 19, 1952) is an American screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, whose most prominent works include the screenplays and books of several acclaimed Disney films and stage musicals. She is the first woman to have wr ...

). ''Aida'' (with music and lyrics by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ' ...

) opened in 2000 and proved highly profitable. His next project was a radical revision of

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

Oscar Hammerstein, II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight To ...

, and

Joseph Fields Joseph Albert Fields (February 21, 1895 – March 4, 1966)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, Californiaancestry.com/ ...

' musical ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and was then performed in the ...

''. Although successful when introduced in the 1950s and early 1960s, it had become dated. The

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

and other cultural changes had disrupted continuing stereotypical portrayals of Asian American communities. Though it had never been a full critical success, the work inspired another generation of Asian Americans to re-imagine this musical. It was adapted from the novel ''The Flower Drum Song'' by C. Y. Lee, and tells the culture clash encountered by a Chinese family living in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization allowed Hwang to significantly rework the plot, while retaining character names and songs. His 2002 version —both an homage to the original and a modern re-thinking— won him his third Tony nomination. Though ''Flower Drum Song'' is often called the first musical with an all-Asian cast, the original production had cast many non-Asians in leading roles, including Caucasians and an African-American (

Juanita Hall Juanita Hall (née Long, November 6, 1901 – February 29, 1968) was an American musical theatre and film actress. She is remembered for her roles in the original stage and screen versions of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''South Pacific'' ...

). But the 2002 revival was produced with an all-Asian cast of actor-singers, and it toured nationally.

Back to The Public

David Henry Hwang in NY Photo Credit Lia Chang

Hwang's 2007 play '' Yellow Face'' relates to his play ''

Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Howe ...

'', which closed in previews on Broadway in the early 1990s. He wrote it in response to a controversy about the casting of

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he wa ...

in a Eurasian role in ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...

''. ''

'', which included music and lyrics for a musical-within-a-play by Hwang, lost millions of dollars. It was a stumbling block in the careers of Hwang and producer

Stuart Ostrow Stuart Ostrow (born February 8, 1932) is an American theatrical producer and theatre director, director, professor, and author. Early life Stuart Ostrow was born in 1932 in New York City to Abe and Anna Ostrow. He attended The High School of Music ...

. In ''Yellow Face'', Hwang wrote a semi-autobiographical play, featuring him as the main character in a media farce about mistaken racial identity. This had been also an important element in ''

''. '' Yellow Face'' premiered in Los Angeles in 2007 at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

as a co-production with

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give v ...

. It moved Off-Broadway to the

, an important venue for Hwang's earlier work. It enjoyed an extended run at the Papp, and won Hwang his third Obie Award for Playwriting. The play was a finalist for the

. Hwang also wrote a new short play, '' The Great Helmsman'' for the Papp's night of plays: ''Ten''.

Opera

Hwang has continued to work steadily in the world of opera and musical theatre, and has written for children's theatre as well. Hwang co-wrote the English-language libretto for an operatic adaptation of

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...

's ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' with music (and part of the libretto) by the Korean composer

Unsuk Chin Unsuk Chin ( ko, 진은숙 ; born July 14, 1961) is a South Korean composer of contemporary classical music, who is based in Berlin, Germany. Chin was self-taught piano from a young age and studied composition at Seoul National University as w ...

. It received its world premiere at the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

in 2007 and was released on DVD in 2008. Hwang wrote the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Howard Shore Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' film trilogies. ...

'' The Fly'', based on

's 1986 film of the same name. The opera premiered on July 2, 2008, at the

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a s ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France, with Cronenberg as director and

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

conducting. Hwang wrote the libretto for ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'', a musical based on a film by Walt Disney Pictures, which was produced on Broadway. Hwang also collaborated on the multi-media event ''

Icarus at the Edge of Time ''Icarus at the Edge of Time'' is a 2008 children's book written by the physicist Brian Greene and illustrated by Chip Kidd with images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Plot introduction The book is a science fiction retelling of Icarus' tale. I ...

'', adapted from

Brian Greene Brian Randolph Greene (born February 9, 1963) is a American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist. Greene was a physics professor at Cornell University from 19901995, and has been a professor at Columbia University since 1 ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

of the same name. It featured music by

and a film by "Al and Al." The piece premiered as part of the

World Science Festival The World Science Festival is an annual science festival produced by the World Science Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in New York City. There is also an Asia-Pacific event held in Brisbane, Australia. The foun ...

. After its major success at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Hwang's play, ''

Chinglish Chinglish is slang for spoken or written English language that is either influenced by a Chinese language, or is poorly translated. In Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong and Guangxi, the term "Chinglish" refers mainly to Cantonese-influenced English. ...

'', quickly made its way to Broadway in October 2011. It won the

Joseph Jefferson Award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater sta ...

. ''Chinglish'' was largely inspired by Hwang's frequent visits to China and his observations of interactions between Chinese and American people. Ticket sales of ''Chinglish'' were conservative. Hwang's short play '' A Very DNA Reunion'' was written for the evening of plays ''The DNA Trail'', which was conceived by Jamil Khoury and premiered at the historic Chicago Temple Building. Loz alleg2

Since 2010

Hwang worked on a theatrical commission for the

Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...

and

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

in Washington, DC. This was a musical version of

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

's album ''

The Forgotten Arm ''The Forgotten Arm'' is the fifth album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, with illustrations by artist Owen Smith. It was released by SuperEgo Records on May 3, 2005. It is a concept album, telling the story of two characters who run off with e ...

'', with Mann and Paul Bryant. He also worked on screenplays for

DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...

and directors

Justin Lin Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese Americans, Taiwanese-American film director. His films have grossed US$2.3 billion worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002), the ...

and

Jonathan Caouette Jonathan Caouette (born November 26, 1972) is an American film director, writer, editor and actor. Film career Caouette is the director and editor of '' Tarnation'' (2003), an autobiographical documentary, that premiered at the Sundance and Ca ...

. In 2013, a production of ''Yellow Face'' premiered on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

. It was directed and adapted by

Jeff Liu Jeff Liu is an American writer, screenwriter, theater director, composer, and film director. His theatrical productions include the world premieres of: ''Texas'', ''Solve for X'' by Judy Soo Hoo, ''Murderabilia'', ''Terminus Americana'' (Ovation ...

, and featured Sab Shimono among other actors. In 2014 two new Hwang plays were premiered. The first, ''Kung Fu'', about the life of

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...

, premiered as part of his residency at the Signature Theatre

. The play opened February 24, 2014 in a production directed by Leigh Silverman, and featuring Cole Horibe, who had gained fame in the TV series, ''

So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...

''. The second was ''Cain and Abel'', one of many plays included in ''The Mysteries'', a re-telling of Bible stories. Conceived by Ed Sylvanus Iskander, ''The Mysteries'' also featured the work of playwrights

Craig Lucas Craig Lucas (born April 30, 1951) is an American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director. Biography Born on April 30, 1951, he was found abandoned in a car in Atlanta, Georgia. Lucas was adopted when he wa ...

Dael Orlandersmith Dael Orlandersmith (born Donna Brown, 1960–) is an American actress, poet and playwright. She is known for her Obie Award-winning ''Beauty's Daughter'' and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama, ''Yellowman (play), Yellowman''. Early life Or ...

, Jose Rivera, and

Jeff Whitty Jeffrey Daniel Whitty (born September 30, 1971) is an American playwright, actor, and screenwriter. For the stage musical ''Avenue Q'', he won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. For his work on the Fox Searchlight film '' Can You Ever F ...

. In 2014, Hwang joined the Playwriting Faculty of the

Columbia University School of the Arts The Columbia University School of the Arts, (also known as School of the Arts or SoA) is the fine arts graduate school of Columbia University in Morningside Heights, New York. It offers Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Film, Visual Arts, ...

Theatre Program. He was appointed the director of the Playwriting Concentration and will serve as an Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting.

Hilton Als Hilton Als (born 1960) is an American writer and theater critic. He is a teaching professor at the University of California, Berkeley, an associate professor of writing at Columbia University and a staff writer and theater critic for ''The New Yor ...

of the ''New Yorker'' has described him as "the most successful Chinese American playwright this country has produced." In 2016, Hwang became a writer and consulting producer of the

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

-winning television series '' The Affair'' and in 1993 wrote a song "Solo" in association with

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

. In the fall of 2016, the San Francisco Opera premiered ''

Dream of the Red Chamber ''Dream of the Red Chamber'' (''Honglou Meng'') or ''The Story of the Stone'' (''Shitou Ji'') is a novel composed by Cao Xueqin in the middle of the 18th century. One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it is known for ...

,'' an opera by Hwang and Bright Sheng, based on the eighteenth-century Chinese novel of the same name. In the summer of 2016, Hwang became the chair of the board of the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

. In the Spring of 2018, Hwang's ''

'' premiered at the

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings an ...

in Los Angeles, California. The music and additional lyrics are by

Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori (known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson) is an American composer and musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway mu ...

. Its cast is largely Asian. It transferred to Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in September 2019 (previews). In May 2020, it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, making Hwang the first person to be a three-time finalist without winning.

Works

Plays

*'' FOB'' *''

'' *'' Family Devotions'' *''

The House of Sleeping Beauties ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'' is a 1983 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's fourth play, it is an adaptation of Yasunari Kawabata's novella '' House of the Sleeping Beauties''. The play depicts Kawabata and how he might have ...

'' (based on

Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal an ...

's novella '' House of the Sleeping Beauties'') *'' The Sound of a Voice'' *''

As the Crow Flies __NOTOC__ The expression ''as the crow flies'' is an idiom for the most direct path between two points, rather similar to "in a beeline". This meaning is attested from the early 19th century, and appeared in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliv ...

'' *'' Rich Relations'' *''

'' *'' Bondage'' *''

'' *'' Trying to Find Chinatown'' *'' Bang Kok'' *'' Golden Child'' *''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

'' (based on the play by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, co-written with Stephan Muller) *''

Merchandising Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more i ...

'' (

T xtShirt play) *''

Jade Flowerpots and Bound Feet ''Jade Flowerpots and Bound Feet'' is a 2001 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. It deals with a Caucasian woman passing herself off as a minority for a book sell to a major publishing company. The play premiered as part of the produc ...

'' *'' Tibet Through the Red Box'' (based on Peter Sis' book) *'' The Great Helmsman'' *'' Yellow Face'' *'' A Very DNA Reunion'' *''

'' *''Kung Fu'' *''Cain and Abel''

Musical theater

*Book for ''

'' (music by

, lyrics by

; libretto co-written by

and

, based on the opera by

) *Revised book for a revival of ''

'' (music by

, lyrics by

, based upon the novel by C. Y. Lee and original book by

) *Book for ''

'' (music and lyrics by

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

, based on the novel by

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

and the

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...

film) *Book and lyrics for ''

'' (music and additional lyrics by

)

Opera libretti

*'' 1000 Airplanes on the Roof'' (music by

) *'' The Voyage'' (music by

, libretto n English, Latin, and Spanishbased on Glass' story) *''

The Silver River ''The Silver River'' (1997) is an American chamber opera in one act, with music composed by Bright Sheng, and a libretto by the playwright David Henry Hwang. It was first performed at the Santa Fe, New Mexico Chamber Music Festival in 1997. It ...

'' (music by

Bright Sheng Bright Sheng ( Chinese: 盛宗亮 pinyin: ''Shèng Zōngliàng''; born December 6, 1955) is a Chinese-born American composer, pianist and conductor. Sheng has earned many honors for his music and compositions, including a MacArthur Fellowship in ...

) *'' The Sound of a Voice'' (music by

, based on Hwang's plays) *''

Ainadamar ''Ainadamar'' (Arabic for 'Fountain of Tears') is the first opera by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. The libretto was written by American playwright David Henry Hwang and translated from English into Spanish by the composer. It premiered in ...

'' (music by

Osvaldo Golijov Osvaldo Noé Golijov (; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor, known for his vocal and orchestral work. Biography Osvaldo Golijov was born in and grew up in La Plata, Argentina, in a Jewish family ...

, libretto in Spanish) *''

'' (music by

, libretto co-written by Chin, based on the books by

) *'' The Fly'' (music by

, based on the film by

) *'' An American Soldier'' (music by

Huang Ruo Huang Ruo (黃若, born 1976) is a Chinese-born composer, pianist and vocalist who now lives in the United States. Biography Born on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China in 1976, Huang was taught piano and composition from the age o ...

)

Film/television

*''The Dance and the Railroad ''(Source of Adaptation only) *'' Blind Alleys'' (with Frederic Kimball) *''Forbidden City, U. S. A.'' (Assistant only) *''

Forbidden Nights ''Forbidden Nights'' is a 1990 American made-for-television drama film directed by Waris Hussein and based on the article ''The Rocky Course of Love in China'' written by Judith Shapiro. The film was shot in Hong Kong and stars Melissa Gilbert, Rob ...

'' (story, with Tristine Rainer, based on

Judith Shapiro Judith R. Shapiro (born January 24, 1942) is a former President of Barnard College, a liberal arts college for women at Columbia University; as President of Barnard, she was also an academic dean within the university. She was also a professor ...

's article "The Rocky Course of Love in China") *''

'' (based on Hwang's play) *''

'' *''

Picture Bride The term picture bride refers to the practice in the early 20th century of immigrant workers (chiefly Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean) in Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States and Canada, as well as Brazil selecting brides from their nat ...

'' (Script Advisor only) *'' The Monkey King'' (more commonly known as ''The Lost Empire'') *''

'' (with Laura Jones and

, based on the novel by A. S. Byatt) *'' Sound of a Voice'' (Source of Adaptation only) *''

White Frog ''White Frog'' is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Quentin Lee and written by Fabienne Wen. The film's plot follows neglected 16-year-old Nick Young, played by Booboo Stewart, a teenager with autism spectrum disorder whose life is chan ...

'' (Executive Producer and Actor only) *'' The Affair'' (Consulting Producer, Writer of episode "206")

Other

*''Yellow Punk Dolls'' (live dance; choreography by Ruby Shang, music by

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

) *''Dances in Exile'' (dance film; choreography by Ruby Shang, film by Howard Silver, music by

David Torn David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping. Background Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse ...

, for ''

Alive from Off Center ''Alive from Off Center'', renamed ''Alive TV'' in 1992, was an American arts anthology television series aired by PBS between 1985 and 1996. Each week, the series featured experimental short films by a mixture of up-and-coming and established d ...

'') *''

Come Come may refer to: *Comè, a city and commune in Benin *Come (Tenos), an ancient town on Tenos island, Greece Music *Come (American band), an American indie rock band formed in 1990 *Come (UK band), a British noise project founded in 1979 **Come ...

'' (song "Solo;" co-written with

Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one ...

) *''After Eros'' (live dance; choreography by Maureen Fleming, music by

) *''

'' (multi-media presentation; music by

, film by Al+Al, co-written with

, based on Green's novel) *''Yellow Face'' (YouTube video; Source of Adaptation only)

Appearances

*''Maxine Hong Kingston: Talking Stories'' *''The Chinese Americans'' *''Literary Visions'' *''Asian Pride Porn'' *''Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde'' *''

Hollywood Chinese ''Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films'' is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Academy Award-nominated director Arthur Dong. From early films like the 1900s '' Beheading the Chinese Prisoner'' to Ang Lee's triumphant ...

'' *''Long Story Short'' *''Joe Papp in Five Acts'' *''Invitation to World Literature''

Forewords/introductions/other texts

*''Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution'' *''Asian American Drama: 9 Plays from the Multiethnic Landscape'' *''Robot Stories and More Screenplays'' *''The Flower Drum Song'' *''The State of Asian America: Activism and Resistance in the 1990s'' *''The Monkey King'' (Source of Adaptation Only) *''Murder in San Jose'' (Translation Adaptation Only)

Honors/recognition

Hwang has been awarded numerous grants, including fellowships from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996), ...

, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. He has been honored with awards from the

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is a New York-based national organization founded in 1974 that seeks to protect and promote the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organiz ...

, the Association for Asian Pacific American Artists, the

Museum of Chinese in the Americas The Museum of Chinese in America (; abbreviated MOCA) is a museum in New York City which exhibits Chinese American history. It is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit 501(c)(3) education and cultural institution that presents the living history, h ...

, the

, the Organization of Chinese Americans, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, the Center for Migration Studies, the Asian American Resource Workshop, the China Institute, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. In 1998, the nation's oldest

Asian American theatre Asian American theatre is theatre written, directed or acted by Asian Americans. From initial efforts by four theatre companies in the 1960s, Asian-American theatre has grown to around forty groups today. Early productions often had Asian themes ...

company, the East West Players, christened its new mainstage The David Henry Hwang Theatre. Hwang was featured in an autobiographical series by

Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...

with a summary of his early work, as part of the ''Western Writers Series'', written by Douglas Street. In 2011, Hwang received the

PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award The PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award, commonly referred to as the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award, is awarded by the PEN America (formerly PEN American Center). It annually recognizes two American playwrights. A medal is given ...

as a Grand Master of American Theater. In 2012, he was awarded the

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

Award for Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre, the

Asia Society The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States (Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and around the world (Hong Kong, Man ...

Cultural Achievement Award, the China Institute Blue Cloud Award, and the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award. In 2014, he received the Doris Duke Artist Award. In 2015, he received the 2015 ISPA Distinguished Artist Award. Mr. Hwang sits on the boards of the

Dramatists Guild The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Mem ...

, Young Playwrights Inc., and the Museum Of Chinese in the Americas (MOCA). He conducts interviews on arts-related topics for the national

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

cable television show ''Asian America''. From 1994 to 2001, he served by appointment of President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Hwang holds honorary degrees from

Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago is a Private college, private art college in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1890, it has 5,928https://about.colum.edu/effectiveness/pdf/spring-2021-student-profile.pdf students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergra ...

, the

American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The Ameri ...

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

and

State University of New York at Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase (commonly Purchase College or SUNY Purchase) is a public liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It was fo ...

. In 2012, Hwang was named a Fellow of

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

. In 2015, Hwang was named a

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

''Art of Change'' Fellow. In 2018, Hwang earned induction into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

Personal life

Hwang was married to Ophelia Chong from 1985 until their divorce in 1989. In 1993, he married actress Kathryn Layng. They have two children together. In November 2015, Hwang was the victim of a stabbing near his home in

Fort Greene, Brooklyn Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Flushing Avenue and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north, Flatbush Avenue Extension and Downtown Brooklyn to the west, ...

. The assailant stabbed Hwang in the neck, severing his

vertebral artery The vertebral arteries are major arteries An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry o ...

, before running from the scene. Hwang was seriously injured and underwent surgery before being discharged from the hospital. The attack appeared to be random, as nothing was taken; the assailant was never found. Hwang wrote about the experience in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''.Andy Mai, Greg B. Smith, Joe Dziemianowicz & Joseph Stepansky
'M. Butterfly' playwright David Henry Hwang slashed in neck near Brooklyn home
''New York Daily News'' (December 3, 2015). Retrieved February 27, 2019. The stabbing also inspired a semi-autobiographical portion of ''

'', in which the lead character, also named David Henry Hwang, is the victim of a random stabbing.

Selected published work

*''Broken Promises'', New York: Avon, 1983. (out-of-print; includes ''FOB'', ''The Dance and the Railroad'', ''Family Devotions'', and ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'') *''M. Butterfly'', New York: Plume, 1988. (Acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.; audio version available from L. A. Theatre Works; film version available from Warner Bros.) *''1,000 Airplanes on the Roof'', Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith, 1989. (Original Music Recording available from Virgin Records) *''Between Worlds: Contemporary Asian-American Plays'', New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1990. (includes Hwang's ''As the Crow Flies'' and ''The Sound of a Voice'') *''FOB and Other Plays'', New York: New American Library, 1990. (out-of-print; includes ''FOB'', ''The Dance and the Railroad'', ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'', ''The Sound of a Voice'', ''Rich Relations'' and ''1,000 Airplanes on the Roof'') *''On a Bed of Rice: An Asian American Erotic Feast'', New York: Anchor Books, 1995. (includes Hwang and

's ''

'') *''Golden Child'', New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1998. (Acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.) *''Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays'', New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1999. (includes ''FOB'', ''The Dance and the Railroad'', ''Family Devotions'', ''The Sound of a Voice'', ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'', ''Bondage'', ''The Voyage'', and ''Trying to Find Chinatown'') *''Humana Festival 1999: The Complete Plays'', New Hampshire: Smith and Kraus, 1999. (include Hwang's ''Merchandising'') *''Rich Relations'', New York: Playscripts, Inc., 2002. *''Flower Drum Song'', music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by David Henry Hwang; based upon the libretto by Oscar Hammerstein, II and Joseph Fields and the novel ''The Flower Drum Song'' by C. Y. Lee; New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2003. (Broadway Cast Recording available from DRG) *''2004: The Best Ten-Minute Plays for Two Actors'', New Hampshire: Smith and Kraus, 2003. (includes Hwang's ''Jade Flowerpots and Bound Feet'') *''Peer Gynt'' (with Stephan Muller), based upon the play by Henrik Ibsen; New York: Playscripts, Inc., 2006. *''Tibet Through the Red Box'', based upon the book by Peter Sis; New York: Playscripts, Inc., 2006. *''2007: The Best Ten-Minute Plays for Three or More Actors,'' New Hampshire: Smith and Kraus, 2008. (includes Hwang's ''The Great Helmsman'') *''Yellow Face''; Theatre Communications Group, 2009. (Acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.) *''Chinglish''; Theatre Communications Group, 2012. (Acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

References

External links

* *
David Henry Hwang
at Playscripts, Inc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hwang, David Henry 1957 births American dramatists and playwrights of Chinese descent Living people Obie Award recipients Stanford University alumni Members of Committee of 100 Yale School of Drama alumni Columbia University faculty American writers of Chinese descent Writers from Los Angeles 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights Stabbing survivors Stabbing attacks in the United States People from Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Early life

Career

Trilogy of Chinese America

Branching out / national success

Work post-''Butterfly''

Return to Broadway

Back to The Public

Opera

Since 2010

Works

Plays

Musical theater

Opera libretti

Film/television

Other

Appearances

Forewords/introductions/other texts

Honors/recognition

Personal life

Selected published work

References

Further reading

External links