Autumn's End

I’m really happy that we were able to meet up yesterday and enjoy a show together.

Somehow, it felt appropriate to see a small, personal play written by an acclaimed asian-american playwright whose body of work I don’t know at all.

It was a nice introduction to him.

Because of this play, for me, Hwang isn’t on some sort of pedestal anymore. He’s vulnerable and can make fun of himself. I’m sure we all can relate. He’s a guy who reveres yet pokes his dad and feels an exasperated affection towards him. Children of immigrants relate.

Later, after our trek home, we found out that D.H. Hwang’s wife was the Caucasian lady that played D.H. Hwang’s mom at one point. Apparently, she was also the nurse in Doogie Howser but this fact didn’t affect me as much as it affected Croptop.

It also felt appropriate to watch each of the club members enjoy their ice cream on the first snowfall of this winter season. Ice Cream – Snowfall. The ice cream shop looked like something from a glossy magazine.

Before the NYU security guards came in, everybody in the shop was of asian descent. Coincidence?

A play by David H. Hwang (asian playwright), Japanese comfort food for dinner (asian food), ice cream made in the basement by asian child laborers (asian sweat). Coincidence?

Sheepish NYU security guards in uniform representing the establishment, standing shoulder to shoulder, trying to decide on an ice cream flavor together . . . coincidence?

How many coincidences does it take to believe someone from Nazareth actually walked on water? And does anybody else snicker when they hear, “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” around Christmas time? Questions.

Hyuncher mentioned that she thought Marcus’ character, an imaginary creation of narrator D.H. Hwang, was a trite literary device. I thought it was absolutely necessary.

My reasoning is too long, but in broad strokes, it is as follows:

1) Yellowface – Hwang needed a character like Marcus, a white person with yellowface, someone who “puts butter on the rice” to set up/juxtapose against the personal part of his story (second half of play)—esteemed Asian American playwright with his own yellowface, buying into the hype of what he’s supposed to represent.

2) At one point, while writing the play, I imagine Hwang looking over Marcus’ character and seeing that although he needs him, he’s written him with a bit too much cheese. The e-mail correspondences from China with that music in the background that is supposed to represent daga music from dong country were nacho.

So Hwang had to set up the scene where he exposes Marcus in a candid self-deprecating way to forgive the cheese. I’m glad he did because otherwise the correspondences from Marcus would have been blemishes on a great play.