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Overview
Synopsis
In a feudal Chinese village in the winter of 1918, Tieng-Bin returns from three years abroad. Waiting for him are his three wives (Siu-Yong, Luan, and Eling) and his favorite child, 10-year-old Ahn (the “Golden Child”). Tieng-Bin is drawn to the possibilities of the modern world--including Christianity--and invites an English missionary to his home. Faced with the prospect of losing their traditional and ancestral practices, the three wives try to negotiate how to be in the modern world with Tieng-Bin. Framing the story of Tieng-Bin is that of present-day Andrew Kwong and his mother, now 80-year-old Ahn. Inspired by David Henry Hwang’s own family, Golden Child is an exploration of how modernity meets tradition, west meets east, and family finds hope from tragedy.
Show Information
- Book
- David Henry Hwang
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1996
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Manhattan, present day, Chinese village, 1918-19
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Child, Early Teen, Elderly Characters, Small Cast
Context
Inspired by the stories of his grandmother, David Henry Hwang first drafted the subject matter of Golden Child when he himself was still a child. He recorded stories from his grandmother, and used the tapes to create a family history and biography that he refers to as a way to “recontextualize myself.” While the story of Golden Child is based on his family (his great-grandfather did have three wives and did introduce Christianity to the family), the specific events surrounding these family
to read the context for Golden Child and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
It is late, past midnight in Andrew Kwong’s Manhattan apartment. His pregnant wife Elizabeth is asleep next to him, and he is suddenly woken up by the presence of his mother Ahn, an 80-year-old Chinese woman who speaks in broken English. Andrew admits to her that he never wanted the pregnancy, worried about the past tragedies of the family. But the Ghosts of the past appear, asking for remembrance. Ahn begins to tell a story of her childhood, and takes them back to the winter of
to read the plot for Golden Child and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Silent |
Songs
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
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress