David Henry Hwang is one of the most successful and prolific American dramatists at the end of the twentieth century. He challenges his audiences' notions of gender, race, and ethnicity and suggests the political implications of stereotypes and prejudice, integrating myth and history into his plays as a way to bridge differences and build understanding among audience members of all races. Hwang is the recipient of many honors, including the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for M. Butterfly ( 1988); two Obie Awards, for FOB (1979) and Golden Child (1996), which was also nominated for a Tony in 1998; and fellowships from the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Hwang's major themes and concerns are influenced by his biography. He is interested in the assimilation of the Asian American, whether recent immigrant or second generation, into American culture and...