It remains difficult to believe, but David Henry Hwang's famous play M. Butterfy is in fact based on a true story. In 1986, the New York Times reported that
"a former French diplomat and a Chinese opera singer have been sentenced to six years in jail for spying for China after a two-day trial that traced a story of clandestine love and mistaken sexual identity...Mr. Bouriscot was accused of passing information to China after he fell in love with Mr. Shi, whom he believed for twenty years to be a woman."
Mr. Hwang saw in the outlines of this story an opportunity to explore themes of colonialism, racism, homophobia, truth, and love. Using Puccini's Madame Butterfly as inspiration, he produced an undisputed American classic.
Classic it may be, but it is also a notoriously difficult play to cast, making unusual demands upon the actors, in particular the necessarily asian male actor playing Song Liling, who must convince as both an opera star and a woman. With Sean Fenton as Song Liling and Rik Lopes as Rene Gallimard, along with excellent supporting actors, Director Stuart Bousel has sucessfully met this challenge.
Mr. Fenton is a strikingly beautiful Song and when he reveals his male personality late in the play he surprises and delights us with the range of his characterization. Rik Lopes' confused, naive and utterly sincere Rene convinces throughout.
In the scenes among Gallimard's diplomatic colleagues, director Bousel takes a fascinating risk. The style of acting is phony, exaggerated, amateurish. Watching these scenes, I wondered if I was being subjected to bad acting. Gradually, I realized it was the characters themselves who were bad actors, phonies, utterly lacking in sincerity and authenticity. By contrast, the love affair between Song and Rene seemed to be the only real relationship, the only one that counted. This tactic brilliantly seduced the audience into experiencing Rene's perspective of events, and led us to understand how he allows himself to be duped for so many years.
The direction, performance and design of this M. Butterfly are satisfying throughout. Highly recommended. The run of the production has been extended through this weekend (April 30). Catch it before it's too late! Click here for further information.
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