"Chinglish" and More: A Hwang Whirlwind

Honorary Producers S.L. and Betty Huang, David Henry Hwang, and Honorary Producer Damien Jordan

Peg E Rollans and David Henry Hwang

S.L Huang, John Glore and Barbara Roberts

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David Henry Hwang and Maria Hall-Brown

Since arriving in California for the opening of Chinglish, playwright David Henry Hwang has found himself in the middle of a whirlwind of activity, with so many events scheduled that the theatre created a document to keep track of them.

Audiences at preview performances on Jan. 29 and 30 received unexpected treats: after each show, David participated in a “Talkback” with Literary Director Kelly Miller.  One surprised playgoer, Jan Wilcox, said, “I loved the opportunity to hear directly from the playwright after the show.  It provided insight into his vision and made the experience even more intimate and meaningful.”

Another surprise is in store.  Instead of jetting home to New York after First Night of Chinglish, David will stay around for a “Talkback” the next day—Feb. 2, following the matinee performance.

In his “free” time, David was interviewed by Paul Hodgins of the Orange County Register (read it here) and David Ng of the Los Angeles Times (watch for it in an upcoming issue).  On Jan. 30 he recorded a PBS So Cal segment with Maria Hall-Brown (“Real Orange” will air at 5 p.m. on Feb. 4 and 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 5).

After the recording session, David rushed back to SCR for a “Salon” in the Nicholas Studio.  The champagne reception with members of SCR’s Playwrights Circle was followed by a lively discussion moderated by Associate Artistic Director John Glore.

On the afternoon of opening night, Marie Hall-Brown joined David at SCR to record another PBS SoCal segment for “LAaRT,” which will be seen at a future date.  As soon as the video wrapped, he was off to Pinot Provence for a private dinner party with the Honorary Producers, followed by First Night of Chinglish and the Cast Party afterwards, co-sponsored by The Center Club.  Look for those photos in “Party Play” on Feb. 7.