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Overview
Synopsis
M. Butterfly tells the story of a French diplomat posted in China, Rene Gallimard, who is brought to ruin and, eventually, convicted for espionage, after a twenty-year affair with a Beijing Opera diva. The diva, citing her Chinese modesty, manages to never appear naked in front of Gallimard. Thus, not only had Gallimard failed to recognize that this lover was a spy; he'd also failed to recognize that "she" was, in fact a he. The singer spies on Gallimard for the Chinese government, using Gallimard's own fantasies of submissive oriental femininity to deceive and manipulate him. Loosely based on the real-life relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and male Peking opera singer Shi Pei Pu, David Henry Hwang's award-winning drama also draws inspiration from Puccini's opera, Madama Butterfly.
Show Information
- Book
- David Henry Hwang
- Based On Book By
- Giacomo Puccini
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1988
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Contemporary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Paris prison, present day, Beijing, 1960s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
In 1986, playwright David Henry Hwang heard the story of Bernard Boursicot, a French diplomat convicted of espionage, who believed that his lover Shi Pei Pu (a Peking Opera singer) was a woman. Hwang was fascinated: How could someone not know their lover’s gender? As Hwang stated in his afterward to M. Butterfly: “I therefore concluded that the diplomat must have fallen in love not with a person, but with a fantasy stereotype.”
Using this fantasy stereotype layered with Puccini’s opera
to read the context for M. Butterfly and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
It is present day, a Paris prison. In his cell, Rene Gallimard remembers Song Liling, whom he remembers as his “Butterfly.” Song dances, first to a traditional song from Peking Opera, then the music transitions to Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Gallimard turns to the audience and describes his cell, acknowledging the tape recorder in front of him so that he might record his story. He ironically notes that now he is a celebrity, that he is discussed worldwide at cocktail parties.
to read the plot for M. Butterfly and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Countertenor, Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Non-singer |
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
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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