Yellow Face, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through June 23. 617-585-5678 or lyricstage.com
Have Asian-American performers struggled to gain roles on New York stages? In 1990 David Henry Hwang—the Tony Award-winning playwright of "M. Butterfly''(1988)—protested the casting of a non-Asian actor (Jonathan Pryce) as the Engineer in the Broadway production of "Miss Saigon" and the use of yellow face make-up and prosthetics. Actors Equity initially agreed with the Asian-American dramatist's objection only to eventually reverse its stance—with Pryce winning a 1991 Tony for the role.
Inspired in part by the "Miss Saigon'' controversy, Hwang wrote a media farce dealing with race and identity entitled "Face Value"(1993) that received negative reviews in its pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial Theatre and closed after eight previews in New York. His insights and views really crystallized in his provocative 2007 play "Yellow Face" (a 2008 Obie Award winner). Now this timely work is resonating as much as ever in a riveting revival by the Lyric Stage Company of Boston.
Hwang has described "Yellow Face" as "a memoir—a kind of unreliable memoir." On the one hand, he identifies here as DHH—his own initials—and chronicles his "Miss Saigon" protest and "Face Value" challenges. At the same time, he has DHH examine his evolving relationship with his Shanghai-born CPA father Henry Yuan Hwang—here called HYH—the actual founder of the Far East National Bank in California.
There is also important attention to anti-Asian-American bias in Congress in the 1990's and outrageous unproven accusations (about arsenal secrets) against Taiwan-American nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee—who was actually detained for many months.
As for the 'unreliable' elements, they turn out to be as pivotal as the 'real' ones. The key here is a Pirandellian character identified as Marcus G. Dahlman. DHH casts Dahlman as one of the leads in "Face Value." Does Dahlman possess Eurasian ancestry? There is talk of his being a Jew with Siberian ancestry. There is even talk of one of the Jewish lost tribes ending up in Asia. Will DHH have to question his own consistency as an Asian-American as doubts about Dahlman's ancestry grow?
Later—as Dahlman takes on Asian roles—even the Thai ruler in "The King and I"—DHH will accuse him of being "an ethnic tourist." Is Dahlman—whom DHH will call Marcus Gee—"just another actor running around in yellow face"? Very intriguingly, Pirandellian Marcus will later ask DHH to give him a happy denouement with an ascent to a pagoda in a Chinese village.
Under Ted Hewlett's expert direction, DHH's complex and multifaceted odyssey as an Asian-American, thoughtful son and serious writer and activist and the world Hwang depicts are vividly acted by six very talented actors. Michael Hisamoto captures DHH's inner strength and principle as well as his self-doubts and vulnerability. Hisamoto's exchanges with J.B. Barricklo as a proud HYH is moving and revealing. Alexander Holden (originally from Japan) is a standout as Dahlman-charismatic as the King of Siam, alternately concerning and amusing as a self-styled Asian-American spokesperson and enigmatic with DHH. Jupiter Li has fine tenacity as NEOSOC.
Jenny S. Lee and Mei MacQuarrie move smoothly through a variety of roles in Hwang's fascinating memoir. Szu-Feng Chen keeps the title concern in theatergoers' minds with five rear side by side bulb-surrounded make-up stations. Megan Reilly's projection design provides an effective complement to Hwang's narrative—even including negative reviews of "Face Value '' in the Boston Globe and Phoenix.
At a time when TikTok and AI have become as potentially insidious and dangerous as prejudice and stereotyping, "Yellow Face" has a lot to say about integrity and understanding. The very principled Lyric Stage Company of Boston revival is a must see staging as Hwang prepares for the Broadway premiere this fall of his important play.