Why, in the Peking Opera, are women's roles played by men?...Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act. David Henry Hwang More Quotes by David Henry Hwang More Quotes From David Henry Hwang I'm happy. Which often looks like crazy. David Henry Hwang crazy looks . . . I felt I was finally in a position to affect not only the artistic content of the American theatre, but also its institutional structures. This has been an important goal of mine, as there have always been a variety of issues - artistic freedom, author's rights, access by minority groups - which have concerned me and even influenced my decision to become a playwright in the first place. David Henry Hwang issues goal rights To me to write well is to battle stereotypes. To write well is to create three-dimensional characters that seem human. David Henry Hwang battle writing character It's the stories that make my heart beat faster ...those are the ones to write about David Henry Hwang stories heart writing I define the American dream as the ability to imagine a way that you want your life to turn out, and have a reasonable hope that you can achieve that. David Henry Hwang dream want way Now I see -- we are always most revolted by the things hidden within us. David Henry Hwang Yes, I am one of those people who feels that most of my work is adaptation of one sort or another. For me, it's a way to jump-start the engine. For example, some people use the technique of basing a character on a friend. They start writing with his or her voice, then at a certain point, the character takes off on his or her own. It probably no longer resembles the model, but it helped the author to get going. I find that's true of form, too. For every play I've written, I know what play I was trying to imitate. That helps me get going. David Henry Hwang play writing character Consider it this way: what would you say if a blond homecoming queen fell in love with a short Japanese businessman? He treats her cruelly, then goes home for three years, during which time she prays to his picture and turns down marriage from a young Kennedy. Then, when she learns he has remarried, she kills herself. Now I believe you should consider this girl to be a deranged idiot, correct? But because it's an Oriental who kills herself for a Westerner–ah!–you find it beautiful. David Henry Hwang queens girl beautiful I knew I was Chinese, but growing up, it never occurred to me that that had any particular implication or that it should differentiate me in any way. I thought it was a minor detail, like having red hair. David Henry Hwang chinese growing-up hair The West believes the East, deep down, wants to be dominated, because a woman can’t think for herself David Henry Hwang east believe thinking Yellow Face marks my summation of multiculturalism. David Henry Hwang mark faces yellow Sometimes I hate you, sometimes I hate myself, but always I miss you David Henry Hwang hate missing sometimes I've never quite understood the idea of a "season." Whenever an artistic director says to me, 'I have this slot,' I always start to feel we're parking cars or something. David Henry Hwang car theatre ideas Chinese culture in general is not very religious. Confucianism is more a code of ethics than a religion, and ancestor worship is a way for parents to control you even after theyre dead. David Henry Hwang chinese parent religious Originally the structure was . . . a modern narrator who would appear intermittently and talk about his memories of his grandmother, which would then be juxtaposed against scenes from the past. But the stories from the past were always more interesting that the things in the present. I find this almost endemic to modern plays that veer between past and present. . . . So as we've gone on developing GOLDEN CHILD, the scenes from the past have become more dominant, and all that remains of the present are these two little bookends that frame the action. David Henry Hwang grandmother memories children I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must interpret the past without falling into either demonizing or unquestioning acceptance. . . . As a playwright, what I object to right now is any form of fundamentalism, whether it's nationalistic, religious or ethnic. . . . I think it is ridiculous - and fundamentalist, by the way - to say that I am not changed by the culture around me. David Henry Hwang acceptance religious fall Ive studied Chinese in college, but basically, Im not bilingual. David Henry Hwang chinese college Well, there's no guarantee of failure in life like happiness in high school. David Henry Hwang wells guarantees school Death with honor is better than life... life with dishonor. David Henry Hwang dishonor honor There's a reason why the form was originally silent David Henry Hwang silent reason reason-why
