When this rich, compelling drama debuted on Broadway, it became an instant sensation, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. A married French diplomat. A mysterious Chinese opera diva. A passionate 20-year affair. Inspired by true events, this break-out hit by the author of Chinglish and Golden Child proved much more than a steamy tale of seduction.
M. Butterfly
Reviews
Director Desdemona Chiang has found an excellent cast to tell this unusual story. Lucas Verbrugghe brilliantly plays unhappily married diplomat René Gallimard, who seems to spend more time drinking and ogling women with lusty old college friend Marc (Aaron Blakely) than at home with wife Agnes (Nike Doukas).
Playwright Hwang layers many nuanced themes in this beautifully written story, including sexual identity, male-female relationships, foreign policy during the Vietnam era, the puritanism of China’s Cultural Revolution, and the traditional Peking Opera. The acting, in whole, represents what every play should have, what every relationship should have—consummate concomitants, dedicated and true. In this case, the company of “M. Butterfly” exceeded every expectation, executing a masterful work of art, and has the ultimate recommendation!
Marked assuredly by powerful, gripping performances, this admirable OC staging---directed with clarifying precision by Desdemona Chiang---keeps you at the edge of your seat, as it unpacks a story filled with wobbly uncertainties and vague declarations...
A beautifully complex production that echoes sentiments of gender conformity/fluidity crossed with geopolitical issues that still resonate in today's ever-changing world, M. BUTTERFLY---particularly with this strong new update instituted by the original playwright himself---is definitely worth seeing.
Unfortunately, I found the intimacy, struggles and tensions between the two men lacking in chemistry. The relationships when intimate were cautious and reserved at best. Where was the passion?
As flavorful as the tastiest sweet-and-salty Chinese dish, M. Butterfly brings South Coast Repertory’s 2018-2019 season to a richly seasoned close.
Desdemona Chiang directs a beautiful looking if occasionally dry production, anchored by two solid performances: Lucas Verbrugghe as the hapless Frenchman, Rene Gallimard, and Jake Manabat as his paramour, Song Liling.
This production has style but it’s not stylized, which makes M. Butterfly feel like a plain old complicated romantic espionage. The attempts to shock at the end — with Song stripping naked in court — feel gratuitous instead of shocking.
Now M. Butterfly graces South Coast Rep’s Segerstrom Stage through June 8, and under the colorfully stylized direction of Desdemona Chiang, Butterfly is a complex take by playwright Hwang on the phantasmagoric tale of French diplomat Rene Gallimard’s obsession with Song Liling (Lucas Verbrugghe performing as Gallimard with boyish naivety).
I give away no secrets here, all this is exposed in the first minutes of this extraordinary play being given an excellent production at South Coast Repertory.
You’ve seen the movie, why bother with the play? In the case of David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly” (through June 8 at South Coast Repertory), you’ll want to make the time to catch this revival—especially if you missed it on Broadway. The play exemplifies what live theatre does best, bringing this Tony Award-winning show to vivid life with an electricity the film adaptation—fine as it was—failed to capture.
Chiang’s production allows the conflicts between the characters to play out as a troubled dreamscape. Wielding tableaux that blend traditional Chinese culture with sleek Western modernity, Chiang turns Ralph Funicello’s swift and strategic set into a canvas for Josh Epstein’s brushstroke lighting, Annie Yee’s frolicsome choreography and Andre J. Pluess’ buoyant sound design and original music.
Director Desdemona Chiang has found an excellent cast to tell this unusual story. Lucas Verbrugghe brilliantly plays unhappily married diplomat René Gallimard, who seems to spend more time drinking and ogling women with lusty old college friend Marc (Aaron Blakely) than at home with wife Agnes (Nike Doukas).
Playwright Hwang layers many nuanced themes in this beautifully written story, including sexual identity, male-female relationships, foreign policy during the Vietnam era, the puritanism of China’s Cultural Revolution, and the traditional Peking Opera. The acting, in whole, represents what every play should have, what every relationship should have—consummate concomitants, dedicated and true. In this case, the company of “M. Butterfly” exceeded every expectation, executing a masterful work of art, and has the ultimate recommendation!
Marked assuredly by powerful, gripping performances, this admirable OC staging---directed with clarifying precision by Desdemona Chiang---keeps you at the edge of your seat, as it unpacks a story filled with wobbly uncertainties and vague declarations...
A beautifully complex production that echoes sentiments of gender conformity/fluidity crossed with geopolitical issues that still resonate in today's ever-changing world, M. BUTTERFLY---particularly with this strong new update instituted by the original playwright himself---is definitely worth seeing.
Unfortunately, I found the intimacy, struggles and tensions between the two men lacking in chemistry. The relationships when intimate were cautious and reserved at best. Where was the passion?
As flavorful as the tastiest sweet-and-salty Chinese dish, M. Butterfly brings South Coast Repertory’s 2018-2019 season to a richly seasoned close.
Desdemona Chiang directs a beautiful looking if occasionally dry production, anchored by two solid performances: Lucas Verbrugghe as the hapless Frenchman, Rene Gallimard, and Jake Manabat as his paramour, Song Liling.
This production has style but it’s not stylized, which makes M. Butterfly feel like a plain old complicated romantic espionage. The attempts to shock at the end — with Song stripping naked in court — feel gratuitous instead of shocking.
Now M. Butterfly graces South Coast Rep’s Segerstrom Stage through June 8, and under the colorfully stylized direction of Desdemona Chiang, Butterfly is a complex take by playwright Hwang on the phantasmagoric tale of French diplomat Rene Gallimard’s obsession with Song Liling (Lucas Verbrugghe performing as Gallimard with boyish naivety).
I give away no secrets here, all this is exposed in the first minutes of this extraordinary play being given an excellent production at South Coast Repertory.
You’ve seen the movie, why bother with the play? In the case of David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly” (through June 8 at South Coast Repertory), you’ll want to make the time to catch this revival—especially if you missed it on Broadway. The play exemplifies what live theatre does best, bringing this Tony Award-winning show to vivid life with an electricity the film adaptation—fine as it was—failed to capture.
Chiang’s production allows the conflicts between the characters to play out as a troubled dreamscape. Wielding tableaux that blend traditional Chinese culture with sleek Western modernity, Chiang turns Ralph Funicello’s swift and strategic set into a canvas for Josh Epstein’s brushstroke lighting, Annie Yee’s frolicsome choreography and Andre J. Pluess’ buoyant sound design and original music.