Last night, I made yet another trip to my home away from home, Signature Theatre, to see the revival of David Henry Hwang's The Dance and the Railroad. It was an extra-special treat to find out there would be a talkback with David and the creative team after the show! Super bonus! Golly, Signature makes me happy... ;)
I didn't know this play at all - I only knew it was an early piece in David's career, but I've never read or seen it before. I also didn't read any of the reviews, so it was nice to go in with no expectations or preconceived notions. Well, ok, of course I had preconceived notions. I generally love David's work, so I went in expecting to love it. I'm a big old optimist in that way.
And I did love it! It's a lovely, delicate rumination of sacrifice - for your family and for your art - and notions of identity and self, hope vs hopelessness. It's a young play, definitely, and maybe a little unformed (David was only 23 when he wrote it), but that doesn't negate its power. I think it takes a great deal of courage to write something so spare and honest; that there's so much fullness in a 70-minute piece is a terrific achievement.
The play is set in 1867, during the building of the transcontinental railroad in the U.S. Historically, the Chinese laborers did go on strike to demand better working conditions, and this play takes place during that strike. Two of the workers connect and build a relationship while the strike plays out.
The older of the workers, Lone, generally keeps to himself, heading up into the mountains to practice moves of the Chinese opera. The younger, Ma, has only been in America for a few weeks and he wants to learn and study the moves. The conflict between these two, and their very real differences that melt into similarities, is what drives the piece. The climactic mock opera the two perform, using their own stories as the text, is breathtaking. And what happens after is poignant and true. Watching their faces and bodies and attitudes completely change was just amazing.
Both actors, Yuekun Wu as Lone and Ruy Iskandar as Ma, are fantastic. Wu is all elegance and grace when he is performing his carefully choreographed opera steps, but is more jagged and rough when dealing with other people. Iskandar is more innocent and youthful, with a very sunny outlook that gradually begins to comprehend what his life in America is actually going to be. Tracking the rise and fall of each of these characters emotions is quite interesting, and both actors are wonderfully open and honest in their portrayals.
The physical production is outstanding as well (photo at left, by Joan Marcus, is from the Signature website. I will take it down if they ask). The set by Mimi Lien and the lights by Jiyoun Chang are realistic yet theatrical and provide a beautiful backdrop. The original music by Huang Ruo is gorgeous and beautifully used throughout. May Adrales has directed the piece seamlessly, threading the text and the story with the music and the dance. Really. Thumbs way up. The run has been extended so stop reading and go buy a ticket.
The talkback afterward was also fascinating. I had no idea that David had been commissioned to write this play by the Department of Education! Wow! Can you imagine that happening today? I can't. But hearing about the evolution of the piece was really interesting, as was seeing the real personalities of the actors. They were both quite charming. Yuekun Wu told us he was the third generation of his family to study with the Beijing Opera! Another wow. The director was very thoughtful in her answers to the audience questions (seriously though, does someone pay someone to ask 'how do you learn all those lines?' it is at every Q & A ever done. has an actor ever responded 'that's what I get paid to do'?) and it was exciting to hear they're going to be doing this production later this year in China! The first time this play of David's will play in mainland China. That is thrilling. I love talkbacks and this one was especially good. So it was a terrific evening at the Signature. Yet again. I think I need to get a second job so I can hang out there more often...
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