SF Playhouse Presents “Chinglish”, a Funny, Fast-Paced Insightful Comedy
A cultural commentary riddled with humor, insight, and clever dialog in two languages, San Francisco’s Playhouse’s production of the comedy “Chinglish” by Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang is a perfect example of how culture and customs can collide. In this fast-paced modern comedy, culture and customs do just that as a naïve American sign manufacturer travels to China in search of a lucrative contract. While there he discovers the complexities of the venture as he learns that some things aren’t so easily translated. Directed by Bay Area director Jeffrey Lo, “Chinglish” is currently performing through June 10, 2023 at San Francisco Playhouse (450 Post Street).
“Chinglish” is a brilliant two-act play performed in English, with one quarter of the dialogue in Mandarin with projected English supertitles. It is part social-political, part drama, and primarily a comedy of cultural misunderstanding.
The brilliant cast of seven takes this fast-paced, funny production on an unexpected ride to explore truth and lies, fidelity and infidelity, human desires and a search for ‘a good man’. Michael Barrett Austin plays the charming Daniel Cavanaugh, an American sign manufacturer, who arrives in China to convince the minister of culture to hire his company to create signage for the city’s arts center. So he hires Matthew Peter Timms (Matthew Bohrer), a British teacher who serves as a consultant, in an effort to convince Cai Guoliang, the minister of culture (Alex Hsu) to hire him. He is told that he needs to stay in China for a full eight weeks to understand the culture better. Cavanaugh agrees, and things get a little more complex from there.
Thus, a number of translators are hired. Sharon Shao returns to the Playhouse as translator Miss Qian and Prosecutor Li, Xun Zhang, and Phil Wong (who is hilarious in his dual roles as translater as well as Judge Xu Geming).
Also in the cast is Nicole Tung, making her Playhouse debut as Xi Yan, Vice Minister of Culture.
Through the frustration with language difficulties there are insults and misunderstandings, which translates into episodes of hilarity. Overall, it is truly a clash of cultures, but at the same time an impressive, fascinating journey. And in the end, everybody gets something, but nobody gets everything!
For tickets ($15-$100) and more information, the public may visit sfplayhouse.org or call the box office at 415-677-9596.
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Photo caption: Judge Xu Geming (Phil Wong), translator Zhao (Xun Zhang), prosecutor Li (Sharon Shao), American sign maker Daniel Cavanaugh (Michael Barrett Austin), and vice minister of culture Xi Yan (Nicole Tung) attempt to communicate about business in San Francisco Playhouse's "Chinglish," currently performing through June 10. (Photo Credit: Jessica Palopoli)