David Henry Hwang’s Tragicomedy Exposes Erotic & Sexual Politics

by Mary Lou Herlihy & Barry David Horwitz

In a glittering spectacle skewering toxic masculinity, “M. Butterfly” exposes arrogant men who subjugate women and drag US into endless wars. In stark contrast to the stunning artistry onstage, David Henry Hwang’s witty, groundbreaking, and confrontational play is full of elites like Trump and Musk, who believe the world is theirs to exploit.

Through a clouded lens of memories, dreams, and imaginings, French diplomat Rene Gallimard (brilliant Dean Linnard) recounts his romance with Peking Opera star Song Liling (breathtaking Edric Young). Linnard unspools Gallimard’s self-delusions from a prison cell in France, as a spotlight falls on his slumped body.

In glorious silk costumes as the delicate Song, Young transforms himself into a seductive and complex woman—another riddle to unravel. His every movement attracts and confounds.

Song becomes Rene’s obsession, appearing first in full operatic regalia, in the death scene from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Based on a shocking true story, the diplomat in China pursues his torturous love affair with Song for twenty years. He claims he did not know “she” was a “he.”

Hwang explores the depths to which ignorance, denial, and a desire to DOMINATE, poison relationships—both Gallimard’s inscrutable relationship with Song AND Westerners’ fragile relations with Southeast Asia. Rene’s position as a low-ranking French diplomat is caught up in trickery between France and the US, vying for control of Vietnam. As a disposal diplomat, Rene grasps for power but desperation makes him an easy pawn.

Director Bridgette Loriaux fills the stage with graceful movement and sly humor. The stunning courtroom scene, with hundreds of roses still strewn about the stage, presses the outstanding supporting cast into dramatic service. They sway, slump, and turn their backs as the two lost lovers muck through their past.

The delightful Andre Amarotico plays Gallimard’s womanizing sidekick, winning laughs and groans as he brags about bedding 300 women. Hilariously, he tries to talk shy Rene into seductions. It’s like he’s describing a trip to Epstein’s Island: “We don’t have to be respectful, we’re foreign devils.” The abhorrent ways in which he treats women, particularly Asian women, mirrors Western arrogance.

After meeting Rene, Song says to him: “It’s one of your favorite fantasies, isn’t it? The submissive Oriental woman and the cruel white man.” As Song, Young wears colorful, layered costumes until he reveals his true self.

Magnificent gold and black lacquer arches provide rich operatic apertures through which to focus the delusional ignorance of Western Men. In a perceptive dig, Song asserts, “Education has always been undervalued in the West.”

The extraordinary supporting cast shines. Amanda Pulcini and Elena Wright bring humor and humanity to their roles. As M. Toulon, the French ambassador, Stacy Ross perfectly embodies the Oriental/Occidental dichotomy of the play. She is simultaneously yin and yang, male and female, shadow and sun—and hilarious.

In SF Playhouse’s production of the 1988 Tony Award-winning play, pacing slows at times but Hwang’s insightful critique of Western arrogance cuts deeply. All these consummate actors deliver a dreamy, erotic, and profound evening of theater that lingers long after the rousing ovations.

“M. Butterfly” by David Henry Hwang, directed & choreographed by Bridgette Loriaux, scenic design by Randy Wong-Westbrooke, costumes by Keiko Carreiro, lighting by Michael Oesch, sound by James Ard, at San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco.

Info: sfplayhouse.org – to March 14, 2026.

Cast: Andre Amarotico, Anthony Doan, Dean Linnard, Catherin Luedtke, Amanda Le Nguyen, Amanda Pulcini, Stacy Ross, Adria Swan, Storm White, Elena Wright, and Edric Young.