16 David Henry Hwang Quotes for You to Enjoy

David Henry Hwang

American Playwright

Born: Aug 11, 1957

Because Me Time White Work You

Related authors: Arthur Miller August Wilson George C. Wolfe Howard E. Koch Katori Hall Lorraine Hansberry Lynn Nottage Sam Shepard

You can't be a playwright without believing there's an audience for adventurous work. David Henry Hwang

Work You Playwright Adventurous Without Audience Believing

You aren't allowed to ask at auditions, legally, a person's race. David Henry Hwang

You Allowed Auditions Person Legally Race Ask

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 they're dead. David Henry Hwang

I felt pretty good growing up. I didn't feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to be a movie or a television show with Asian characters, I would go out of my way to avoid them, because they portrayed all Asians as either ridiculously good or ridiculously bad; you know, the whole Charlie Chan-Fu Manchu thing. David Henry Hwang

Good You Racism Remember Way Television Television Show Out Characters Bad Would Charlie Pretty Pretty Good Feel Know Because Felt Go Lot Up Going Movie Either Them Asian Asians Prejudice Show Avoid Whole Growing Ridiculously Growing Up Thing Portrayed

My first plays were amazingly bad, but I had a teacher who thought I had promise, and he kept working with me. I finally went to a summer workshop before my senior year with people like Sam Shepard and Maria Irene Fornes who encouraged me to write from my subconscious, and suddenly all this material about culture clash came out. David Henry Hwang

Teacher Me Culture People Thought First Year Subconscious Before Summer Finally Out Promise Bad Clash About Write Had He Like Material Came Were Amazingly Encouraged Sam Senior Senior Year Working Who Workshop Suddenly Maria Kept Plays

There's something about China and its rush to capitalism that I find confusing. At the same time, we live in an America where capitalists oppose any government interference with free markets, while in China you have a very controlled, state-planned market where economic growth is better than ours. David Henry Hwang

Government Time You Capitalism Better Free Oppose Live Market Markets Ours Find Rush About Something Economic Free Markets Economic Growth Very Than America Same Any Controlled Same Time Where While China Confusing Capitalists Interference Growth

I visited a new cultural center in Shanghai in 2005 that was pretty much perfect, except for the really badly translated Chinglish signs: a handicapped restroom that said 'Deformed Man's Toilet,' that kind of thing. David Henry Hwang

There was all this talk when Obama got elected about how we were living in a postracial world. But we're not. Until we get to the point where James Earl Jones can play, say, George Washington, race matters. You wouldn't put a white actor in blackface to play Othello. You shouldn't have a white actor in what amounts to yellowface to play Asian. David Henry Hwang

You World Matters White Living Othello Say Obama About Point Put Talk Until Got How George Were George Washington Get Where James Race Asian Elected Washington Actor Play Amount Earl

We all deal with failure. If you're lucky to have a long career, it's part of the experience. David Henry Hwang

Failure You Experience Long Long Career Part Deal Lucky Career

My new play 'Chinglish,' which will go to Broadway, is about a white American businessman who goes to a provincial capital in China, hoping to make a deal there. It's bilingual. And it's about trying to communicate across language and cultural barriers. David Henry Hwang

Communicate Language Will White Broadway Hoping About New Make Deal Go Cultural Provincial Trying American Goes Which China Capital Bilingual Across Who Businessman Barriers Play

As Asian-Americans, the charge that is often lobbed against us is sort of the least original: the idea that somehow we're perpetual foreigners, that we can't be trusted, and that even my father, who was patriotic to the point that it was kind of a joke among his children, would be accused of being disloyal to America. David Henry Hwang

Father Joke Kind Charge Would Would-Be Somehow Point Idea Sort Least Perpetual His Foreigners Trusted America Accused Often Being Children Patriotic Against Disloyal Us Who Original Even Among

There is something very unique in American iconography about this notion of the pursuit of happiness. David Henry Hwang

Happiness About Something Pursuit Pursuit Of Happiness Very American Iconography Notion Unique

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

Me Thought Hair Red Hair Way Detail Minor Having Never Had Knew Red Implication Particular Like Occurred Up Any Chinese Should Growing Growing Up Differentiate

My father has always been interested in discarding the past. He's never much liked China or the whole idea behind China or Chinese ways of thinking. He's always been much more attracted to American ways of thinking. He feels Americans are more open - they tell you what they think - and he's very much that way himself. David Henry Hwang

You Father Past Think Thinking Way Ways Tell More Never Open He Idea Feels Liked Attracted Himself Always Been Very American Behind China Interested Chinese Much Whole

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