Thursday evening I attended a screening of a theatrical performance of the play Chinglish by David Henry Hwang. I was interested in checking out this comedic examination of cultural and linguistic barriers between the US and China because I relate to the problem–in my visits to India, I go through a lot of goofy exploits trying to adapt to the different culture. I’m happy to say I enjoyed the play very much. The entire audience was in uproar, laughing at a show full of great performances inspired by a stellar script.
This production could not have been possible without support from multiple on-campus departments and groups: the Confucius institute, the Department of Theatre & Drama, The School of Music, Theatre and Dance: Collaborative Student Assembly, The International Institute, The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Center of Chinese Studies, MESA/Trotter Multiethnic Student Affairs, Basement Arts.
Ching’lish is the story of a small time Cleveland businessman trying to weasel his company in as the head of Chinese-English signage translations for major Chinese buildings, but this businessman speaks no Chinese, making negotiation particularly difficult. He relies on a talented translator who helps to avoid some major translation errors. These dialogues are a comedic goldmine. Failing to recognize the importance of enunciation while speaking Chinese, the businessman accidentally makes several lewd comments during his meetings. Fortunately, his translator navigates through these goofy gaffes and business relations start.
The acting in throughout the play, but particularly in the comedic scenes, was excellent. The comic timing was spot on, each actor carefully tiptoeing the line between believable and farcical. The protagonist’s role as an earnest businessman in an absurd predicament is both sympathetic and humorous. His translator’s devotion to Chinese culture was clear in the performance–he spoke in flawless, unaccented Chinese. The Chinese developers and politicians embodied the distinct cultural character of the country–I could feel a cultural difference between American and Chinese business tactics through body language alone.
I think the performances were so successful in large part because of great writing. The writing centers around idea of communication gap due to linguistic and cultural barriers. The story’s dramatic problem relates directly to its theme–you have two parties who want to start a business translating each other’s languages. In order for them to start this business, they need to translate each other’s language successfully. The stakes of every scene are compelling for this very reason–if translation in a single business deal goes awry, it is a bad omen for the businessman’s long term goals. Moreover, the source of tension is also the source of comedy–this is a comedy of communication error. A common pitfall in writing humor is succumbing to gags over plot and character development. Hwang avoids this pitfall with his clever subject matter–the more ridiculous a scene, the more characters are growing as they learn to avoid repeating their mistakes.
I believe treading the line between comedy and drama serves to enrich as much as entertain. The first step towards problem solving can only begin when we stop running away from the problem and start to face it. Humor is a good coping mechanism for reason, as it exposes flaws while keeping things light.
Watch and maybe even contribute to this show.
