M. Butterfly

M. Butterfly
M. Butterfly
Written by	David Henry Hwang
Characters	Rene Gallimard ; Song Liling; Marc; Helga; M. Toulon; Comrade Chin; Renee and others
Date premiered	February 10, 1988
Place premiered	National Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Original language	English
Subject	East/West cultural stereotypes
Genre	Drama
Setting	A Paris prison, 1988; recollections of Beijing and Paris

M. Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera Madama Butterfly, is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Beijing opera singer. The play premiered on Broadway in 1988 and won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play. In addition to this, it was a Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist in 1989.