"David Henry Hwang's masterpiece, part political thriller, part intimate tragedy, offers a rare lens through which we can examine the cultural misunderstandings, projections and power dynamics that continue to plague global relations today, said SF Playhouse Artistic Director Bill English. The play invites us to confront the seductive myths that nations and individuals cling to, misconceptions about gender and identity, and the dangerous allure of seeing only what we want to see."
"We're expanding the opening sequence and rather than acrobats, we're focusing on Song and making it a more traditional moment from Peking Opera's Drunken Beauty.' Loriaux opens Act II with an operatic sequence featuring highly theatrical dance-like movements. I've added little glints throughout the show that lift the language, Loriaux said. I think these images these dreams are keeping him [Gallimard] alive in his cell."
SF Playhouse presents M. Butterfly from Feb. 5 through March 14, telling the story of French diplomat Rene Gallimard and his 20-year affair with Beijing opera performer Song Liling. The narrative draws on Puccini's Madama Butterfly and the real-life relationship of Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, and opens with Gallimard in a cell recounting his memories. The production foregrounds themes of cultural misunderstanding, projection, power dynamics, gender misconception, and the danger of seeing only what one wants to see. Director and choreographer Bridgette Loriaux expands movement throughout, adds Peking Opera elements including Drunken Beauty, and stages an operatic Act II sequence to emphasize Gallimard's dreams and memories.
Read at www.eastbaytimes.com
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