YELLOW FACE by David Henry Hwang

TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA

Robert Kelley, Dir

Cast: Thomas Azar, Pun Bandhu, Tina Chilip, Robert Ernst, Francis Jue, Amy Resnick, Howard Swain.

About the Play: Yellow Face is David Henry Hwang’s self-mocking drama about his reaction to the casting of caucasian actor Jonathan Pryce as a Eurasian character in his Broadway play, M. Butterfly. Hwang was loudly critical of the casting choice, and he decides to write a play about the experience. He finds the perfect actor, “Marcus G. Dahlman“ to play the lead Eurasian role, only he doesn’t realize that Marcus is not Asian. When Hwang discovers that Marcus is white, he invents a story that Marcus has Siberian Jewish ancestry. Meanwhile, Hwang’s father, HYH, is caught in a political contribution scandal, and the two of them are forced to examine their relationship and heritage. Yellow Face is a sideways look at Hwang’s common themes of race and assimilation. Almost all actors play multiple roles, many of them real people in politics, the media and theatre. (taken from StageAgent.com)

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Reviews

Top Ten Bay Area Productions of the Year! “DHH is played

with engaging angst by Pun Bandhu. A laugh-packed and

provocative evening.”

Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

“DHH [is] played wonderfully by Pun Bandhu. Bandhu has 

tremendous stage charisma. The audience wants to 

watch him, wants to see what he will do next.”

John Orr, Mercury News

“So full of excellent acting, crackling sharp wit and an

intriguing story line that one walks away thinking, ‘You know

something? I think I’ve just witnessed an important work.’ Pun

Bandhu, who looks very much like Hwang, does such a

bang-up job of representing him that, at the intermission,

some audience members were thinking it might be the

playwright himself.”

Keith Kreitman, San Mateo Daily Journal

“The acting is strong. Francis Jue and Pun Bandhu were

crowd favorites. Pun zigged and zagged across the stage,

pulling his spiky hair. His expressions were priceless,

especially when accused of being a “fake Asian.”

Cliinton Stark, Stark Insider

“Robert Kelly has assembled a brilliant cast of actors to

play various roles. Pun Bandhu gives an excellent portrayal

of the playwright, DHH.  He ardently embraces the character

who becomes ideologically conflicted as an American Asian

writer.”

Richard Connema, Talkin’Broadway.com

“Pun Bandhu is an angst ridden D.H.H. In one sequence

D.H.H. is ripping on the hardships and subconscious racism

that the Chinese community faces; the next, he’s in a guffaw-

inducing scene being recognized while renting Asian porn.”

Jessica Fromm, Metro Active