M. Butterfly
by David Henry Hwang

Name: M. Butterfly
Brand: David Henry Hwang
SKU: 9780822207122
Rating: 3.93 (14386 reviews)

BroadwayWest End

M. Butterfly Book Cover — M. Butterfly Cover

Highlights

Medium Cast

Female

Male

120 mins1980sRole(s) for Asian Actor(s)Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)Unit Set/Multiple SettingsPeriod CostumesAmerican

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk AwardOuter Critics CirclePulitzer PrizeTony Award

Finalist: 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner! Three 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Play Winner! Three 1988 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding New Play Winner! Three 1988 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play

What readers are saying

Readers find M. Butterfly to be a provocative and thought-provoking exploration of gender, race, and power dynamics. Many appreciate the play's ability to intertwine heavy themes with an engaging narrative, while others laud its cultural commentary and unexpected twists. The characters and their relationships captivate audiences, though some note moments of confusion and explicitness in the latter half of the play.

Engaging and thought-provokingStrong character developmentCritique of gender and raceUnique narrative structureSome confusion in the latter half

Synopsis

THE STORY: Bored with his routine posting in Beijing, and awkward with women, Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat, is easy prey for the subtle, delicate charms of Song Liling, a Chinese opera star who personifies Gallimard's fantasy vision of submiss

ThemesAmerican Drama

Press Reviews

"With M. Butterfly, David Henry Hwang joins the first string of American playwrights. This is an audaciously imaginative play, big in conception and theme, and a satisfying instance of a talented writer hitting full stride."
— Variety

"Of all the young dramatists at work in America today, none is more audacious, imaginative, or gifted than David Henry Hwang."
— The New Yorker

"It will move you, it will thrill you, it may even surprise you. It is a play not to be missed, and it is a play once caught that will never be forgotten."
— New York Post

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Song Liling	—	—	—
Marc	—	—	—
Man #2	—	—	—
Consul Sharpless	—	—	—
Renee	—	—	—
Woman At Party	—	—	—
Girl In Magazine	—	—	—
Comrade Chin	—	—	—
Suzuki	—	—	—
Shu-Fang	—	—	—
Helga	—	—	—
M. Toulon	—	—	—
Man #1	—	—	—
Judge	—	—	—
Kurogo Dancers	—	—	—
René Gallimard	—	—	—