Chinglish

Act One, Scene 1

Daniel Cavanaugh is in Ohio giving a presentation about doing business in China. We meet him as he’s beginning his introduction where he gives examples of mistranslated signs (he owns a sign-making company), and then gives some history about how Chinese characters were simplified for the masses after the Communist government came to power. He ends his intro with what he believes is the most important thing to remember when doing business in China: always bring your own translator.

Act One, Scene 2

Three years earlier in Guiyang, China, Daniel is at dinner with an American man named Peter Timms, a consultant who is considering helping Daniel sell his signs. Peter educates Daniel on how business is run in China--it’s all about Guanxi. Guanxi, by Peter’s definition, is about building actual relationships with the people you want to do business with. He claims that there is no actual law or justice in China, so contracts and rules mean nothing, the only things that