Yellow Face

ACT ONE

As a traditional song of the Dong people plays in the background, former celebrated actor Marcus G. Dahlman reads an email he sent to playwright David Henry Hwang (DHH), describing his incredible experience in the Guizhou Province in China. This email, sent on January 30, 2006, is the first communication DHH has received from Marcus after cutting off contact. DHH reminisces on the scandal he and Marcus found themselves in and reflects on how quickly it all faded from the news cycle, sending the audience back in time to 1990 to experience the story for themselves.

DHH has celebrated a new level of success after his play, M. Butterfly, won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1988. DHH has taken his win as a reflection of success for all Asian-Americans. A phone rings, and B.D. Wong, the Tony Award-winning star of M. Butterfly calls to tell DHH that Jonathan Pryce, a white actor, is playing the role of The Engineer (a Eurasian pimp) in the West End production of Miss Saigon. DHH is