Chinglish

It may already be the name of a hit film but Lost in Translation would be a fitting title for David Henry Hwang’s latest play, Chinglish, currently playing at the Longacre Theatre. A comedy exploring the difficulty of bridging modern Chinese and American culture, Hwang’s play is an entertaining study that is resonates strongly both intellectually and culturally but fails to resonate on a personal level.Chinglish follows Ohio businessman Daniel Cavanaugh (Gary Wilmes), who has traveled to the small Chinese city of Guiyang, hoping to branch out his family-run signage firm into the Chinese market. He quickly collaborates with Peter Timms,, a British consultant who formerly worked as an English teacher and the two approach the city’s Minister (Larry Lei Zhang, very funny) to pitch him a contract for the upcoming construction of the city’s cultural center. As Daniel attempts to navigate the business world of China, he also finds himself lost in the murky personal relationships of the area, which are less than forthright.The majority of the entertainment in Hwang’s show comes from translating conversations between Chinese and English. Several members of the cast speak Mandarin fluently, and the English translations appear on a screen above the stage. While this technique clearly demonstrates the misunderstandings that can transpire between two languages, it also depicts how the truth can be communicated inadvertently. As Daniel says to the Minister that he runs a “small, family firm,” the translator informs the Minister that Daniel’s company is “tiny and insignificant.” And when Daniel confidently states, “Here’s why we’re worth the money,” the translator says, “He will explain why he spends money so recklessly.”These miscommunications may be entertaining in the scenes of business meetings, but they become dangerous when they carry over from the boardroom into the bedroom. Daniel begins an affair with the Vice Minister Xi Yan (Jennifer Lim, subdued and excellent), and as their relationship deepens, so does the danger of the two misunderstanding each other. She tells Daniel he is a “good” and “honest” man, and he begins to think that, with her help, he can be. But what Daniel does not know is that Xi has a motive for helping him with his business deal, and perhaps another motive behind that one. Wilmes and Lim share a sensual chemistry together onstage, but the drastic differences between their perceptions of love and personal responsibility make it clear from the start that this affair is not one to remember and suggest that the language of love may be nothing more than an extended conversation of miscommunications.Daniel and Xi’s relationship clearly personifies the gaps in culture between the East and West, but, despite strong performances by a very talented cast, the characters register as only that - examples. No one onstage feels like a real person; instead they are plot devices or tools to further conflict. Their choices, some of which are quite questionable, are never explained fully and it is difficult to comprehend their motives.Swiftly directed by Leigh Silverman and staged on David Korins’ impressively mobile, interlocking set, Chinglish features an extremely strong cast, each of whom does as much as they can with their thinly drawn characters. As Daniel, Wilmes gives an authentic vulnerability to a man who could have come across as weak or unlikeable. His subtly nuanced performance gives the character some much-needed depth and clarity. As Xi Yan, Lim gives a quietly beautiful performance filled with muted sexuality. She is the most fully formed character in the script and as a result, the most sympathetic. In a dual role as a less-than-stellar translator and an easily impressed prosecutor, Angela Lin steals each scene she is in. The Minister, played by Larry Lei Zhang, is quite entertaining as a selfish minister with a hidden agenda. Johnny Wu also doubles up as a judge and another minister, and is quite capable in both roles. Stephen Pucci’s Timms is heartfelt and conflicted as well as extremely charming. But despite the cast’s best efforts, Chinglish feels more like a lesson learned than an evening of entertainment. Do you know what I mean?