Goodman Theatre

Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls has announced the addition of the world premiere of Chinglish by Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) in Goodman Theatre's upcoming 2010/2011 season with performances begining in June 2011. Produced in association with The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director and Andrew D. Hamingson, Executive Director) of New York, Chinglish is directed by rising star Leigh Silverman (Broadway's Well ) - who last collaborated with Hwang on the world premiere of his play Yellow Face. The addition of Chinglish brings the total number of world premieres to four of six previously announced productions in the Goodman's upcoming season; two plays in the 2010/2011 season are still to be announced.

"When I finished writing Chinglish, my dream was to premiere it at the Goodman, one of America's flagship theaters, in Chicago, a theater city second to none in the world. I believe this story of an American businessman in contemporary China will resonate in the Midwest, whose economic and cultural ties to Asia have multiplied rapidly in recent decades," said Hwang. "Bob Falls and I have been friends and colleagues since we worked together on Aida a decade ago, and I couldn't be more excited that my dream has come true."

When American businessman Daniel arrives in China hoping to make an important deal, he finds himself enmeshed in a system that he doesn't understand- and is more complex than he ever imagined. Playwright David Henry Hwang- Tony Award winner (and three-time nominee), three-time Obie Award winner, and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize- once again teams up with director Leigh Silverman, who “has carved a niche for herself working with new plays" (New York Times).

Hwang's work includes the plays M. Butterfly, Golden Child, Yellow Face, and FOB; the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (coauthor), the revised Flower Drum Song, and Disney's Tarzan; and the operas The Voyage (music by Philip Glass), Ainadamar (music by Osvaldo Golijov and winner of two 2007 Grammy Awards), The Silver River (music by Bright Sheng), and The Fly (music by Howard Shore). His latest work, a short play entitled A Very DNA Reunion, currently appears at Silk Road Theatre Project as part of The DNA Trail (through April 4 at the Historic Chicago Temple Building, 77 W Washington St, Chicago).

Season subscriptions to the Goodman season are now on sale. Visit goodmantheatre.org or call 312-443-3800 for more information.