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Overview

Synopsis

Family Devotions, set in contemporary Los Angeles, is a farce that explores the notions of cultural authenticity. Ama and Popo are two devoutly Christian sisters living in luxury in contemporary L.A. They eagerly await the visit of their brother, Di Gou, whom they haven't seen in thirty years. They assume that he is a Christian as well, since they were all converted as children by the legendary Chinese evangelist, See-goh-poo. Instead, Di Gou is a good Communist: he is offended by the materialistic values of his sisters' families, and he no longer believes in a Christian God. Their conflict leads to a bizarre worship service/exorcism, staged in front of a neon and Lucite altar, during which the sisters try to force Di Gou to re-embrace their religion. He reveals in a vision that See-goh-poo was a fraud; she gave birth to an illegitimate child whose birth she passed off as immaculate. The sisters die of shock when they hear this, and the family breaks apart.

Show Information

Book
David Henry Hwang
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
Genres
Drama
Cast Size
medium
Ideal For
Mostly Female Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Elderly, Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Ama

Lead

Female

Spoken

Popo

Lead

Female

Spoken

Di Gou

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Hannah

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Joanne

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Chester

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Wilbur

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Jenny

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Robert

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

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Quizzes

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Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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