Bondage
by David Henry Hwang

Name: Bondage
Brand: David Henry Hwang
SKU: 9780822215523
Rating: 3.84 (40 reviews)

Highlights

Female

Male

One Act30 minsUnit Set/Multiple Settings

What readers are saying

Readers have mixed opinions about Bondage, with some appreciating its complexity while others find it somewhat convoluted. Many enjoy the themes of identity explored in the play, seeing it as thought-provoking despite some narrative challenges. Overall, it seems to leave an impression, even if not all aspects resonate positively with every viewer.

Thought-provoking themesComplex character explorationConvoluted at times

Synopsis

THE STORY: In a Los Angeles S&M parlor, a dominatrix and her client are clad head-to-toe in leather costumes that conceal their faces and ethnicities.

These elaborate disguises allow them to play out fantasies based on racial stereotypes and sexual mythologies: She pretends to be an African-American woman to his white, liberal man; he transforms into an Asian-American and she into a blond WASP, etc. Exchanging biting social observations with stinging humor, they progress through their power games to expose the arbitrariness of racially minded thinking.

All the while, however, they are haunted by an awareness that in spite of their efforts, they may be moving towards the most terrifying reality of all—a true intimacy that transcends the bounds of race.