Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays of David Henry Hwang Read online

  (Silence.)

  CHESTER: Di-gou, why did you come here?

  DI-GOU: My wife has died, I’m old. I’ve come for my sisters.

  CHESTER: Well, I hope you’re not disappointed to come here and see your sisters, your family, carry on like this.

  DI-GOU: They are still my sisters.

  CHESTER: I’m leaving here. Like you did.

  DI-GOU: But, Chester, I’ve found that I cannot leave the family. Today—look!—I follow them across an ocean.

  CHESTER: You know, they’re gonna start bringing you to church.

  DI-GOU: No. My sisters and their religion are two different things.

  CHESTER: No, they’re not. You’ve been away. You’ve forgotten. This family breathes for God. Ever since your aunt, See-goh-poh.

  DI-GOU: See-goh-poh is not the first member of this family.

  CHESTER: She’s the first Christian.

  DI-GOU: There are faces back further than you can see. Faces long before the white missionaries arrived in China. Here. (He holds Chester’s violin so that its back is facing Chester, and uses it like a mirror) Look here. At your face. Study your face and you will see—the shape of your face is the shape of faces back many generations—across an ocean, in another soil. You must become one with your family before you can hope to live away from it.

  CHESTER: Oh, sure, there’re faces. But they don’t matter here. See-goh-poh’s face is the only one that has any meaning here.

  DI-GOU: No. The stories written on your face are the ones you must believe.

  CHESTER: Stories? I see stories, Di-gou. All around me. This house tells a story. The days of the week tell a story—Sunday is a service, Wednesday and Friday are fellowship, Thursday is visitation. Even the furniture tells stories. Look around. See-goh-poh is sitting in every chair. There’s nothing for me here.

  DI-GOU: I am here.

  CHESTER: You? All right. Here. (He turns the back of the violin toward Di-gou, again using it like a mirror) You look. You wanna know what I see? I see the shape of your face changing. And with it, a mind, a will, as different as the face. If you stay with them, your old self will go, and in its place will come a new man, an old man, a man who’ll pray.

  DI-GOU: Chester, you are in America. If you deny those who share your blood, what do you have in this country?

  AMA (From offstage): All right? Ready?

  CHESTER: Your face is changing, Di-gou. Before you know it, you’ll be praying and speaking in tongues.

  AMA (Still offstage): One, two, three, four!

  (The sounds of a choir singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Then, the choir, consisting of Wilbur, Joanne, Robert, Hannah and Popo, enters. They are led by Ama, who stands on the base of a movable podium which is being pushed into the room by Robert and Wilbur. The choir heads for the center of the room, where the podium comes to rest, with Ama still on it, and the “Hallelujah Chorus” ends. Robert begins singing the tenor aria “Every Valley Shall Be Exalted” from Handel’s Messiah.)

  ROBERT: “Every valley, every valley . . .”

  HANNAH: Quiet, Robert!

  ROBERT: But I want my solo!

  JOANNE (To Robert): Ssssh! We already decided this.

  ROBERT (Continuing to sing): “. . . shall be exalted . . .”

  JOANNE (Yelling offstage): Jenny!

  AMA (To Robert): Time for Family Devotions! Set up room!

  (Everyone, except Di-gou, begins to arrange the room like a congregation hall, with the pulpit up front.)

  ROBERT: But it’s a chance to hear my beautiful voice.

  JENNY (From offstage): Yeah! What?

  POPO (To Robert): Hear at home, hear in car. Now set up room.

  JOANNE (Yelling offstage): Jenny! Devotions!

  JENNY (From offstage): Aw, Mom.

  JOANNE (Yelling offstage): Devotions!

  JENNY (Entering): All right.

  ROBERT (To Hannah): You know what this is? This is the breakdown of family authority.

  HANNAH (To Robert): You have all the authority, dear. Now shut up.

  (Jenny goes over to Chester.)

  JENNY: Hey, you still here? I thought for sure you’d have split by now.

  CHESTER: I will.

  JENNY: You gotta take it easier. Do like me. I act all lotus blossom for them. I say, “Hi, uncle this and auntie that.” It’s easy.

  ROBERT: Look—all this free time. (Sings) “Every valley . . .”

  POPO: Shoot him!

  (The room is set up.)

  AMA: We begin! Family Devotions!

  (Ama flips a switch. A neon cross lights up.)

  JENNY (To Chester): Looks like a disco.

  (Everyone sits down except Di-gou. The rest of the family waits for him. He walks over and sits down. Ama bows down to pray. Everyone bows except Chester and Di-gou, but since all other eyes are closed, no one notices their noncompliance. Ama begins to pray.)

  AMA: Dear Father, when we think of your great mercy to this family, we can only feel so grateful, privilege to be family chose for your work. You claim us to be yours, put your mark on our heart.

  (Chester gets up, picks up his violin, gets Di-gou’s attention.)

  Your blessing begin many year ago in China.

  (Chester begins playing; his music serves as underscoring to Ama’s prayer.)

  See-goh-poh, she hear your word—from missionary. Your spirit, it touch her heart, she accept you, she speak in tongue of fire.

  (Chester begins to move out of the room as he plays.)

  You continue, bless See-goh-poh. She become agent of God, bring light to whole family, until we are convert, we become shining light for you all through Amoy.

  (Chester stops playing, looks at Di-gou, waves good-bye and exits. Di-gou gets up, walks to where Chester was standing before he left and waves good-bye.)

  Let us praise your victory over Satan. Praise your power over demon. Praise miracle over our own sinful will. Praise your victory over even our very hearts. Amen.

  (Ama conducts the choir in the ending of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” As they sing, she notices Di-gou’s chair is empty. She turns and sees him waving. Ama and Di-gou look at each other as the “Hallelujah Chorus” continues.)

  ACT II

  A moment later. As the curtain rises, all are in the same positions they occupied at the end of Act I. Ama and Di-Gou are looking at each other. The choir ends the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Di-gou walks back toward his chair and sits. Ama notices that Chester’s seat is empty.

  AMA: Where is Chester?

  HANNAH: I heard his violin.

  AMA: This is Family Devotions.

  ROBERT: The kid’s got a mind of his own.

  HANNAH: He probably went home to pack, Auntie. He’s really in a hurry.

  JENNY: Can I go look?

  AMA: Why everyone want to go?

  JENNY: But he forgot his suitcase. (She points to the green suitcase, which Chester has left behind)

  POPO (To Jenny): Di-gou . . . he will want to hear you give testimony.

  (Jenny sits back down.)

  AMA: Now—Special Testimony. Let us tell of God’s blessing! Who will have privilege? Special Testimony! Who will be first to praise?

  (Silence.)

  He is in our presence! Open His arms to us!

  (Silence.)

  He is not going to wait forever—you know this! He is very busy!

  (Robert stands up, starts to head for podium. Popo notices that Robert has risen, points to him.)

  POPO: No! Not him!

  AMA (To Robert): He is very bored with certain people who say same thing over and over again.

  WILBUR: Why don’t we sit down, Robert?

  JENNY: C’mon, Uncle Robert.

  HANNAH: Dear, forget it, all right?

  ROBERT: But she needed someone to start. I just—

  POPO (To Robert): She did not include you.

  WILBUR: Can’t you see how bored they are with that, Robert?

  ROBERT: Bored?

 
WILBUR: Everybody else has forgotten it.

  ROBERT: Forgotten it? They can’t.

  JOANNE: We could if you’d stop talking about it.

  ROBERT: But there’s something new!

  WILBUR: Of course. There always is.

  ROBERT: There is!

  JOANNE (To Wilbur): Don’t pay attention, dear. It just encourages him.

  WILBUR (To Joanne): Honey, are you trying to advise me on how to be diplomatic?

  JOANNE: I’m only saying, if you let Hannah—

  WILBUR: You’re a real stitch, you know that? You really are.

  JOANNE: Hannah’s good at keeping him quiet.

  ROBERT: Quiet?

  WILBUR (To Joanne): Look, who was voted “Mr. Congeniality” at the club last week—you or me?

  ROBERT: Hannah, who are you telling to be quiet?

  HANNAH: Quiet, Robert.

  WILBUR (To Joanne): Afraid to answer? Huh? Who? Who was “Mr. Congeniality”? Tell me—were you “Mr. Congeniality”?

  JENNY (To Wilbur): I don’t think she stood a chance, Dad.

  WILBUR (To Jenny): Who asked you, huh?

  JENNY: “Mr. Congeniality,” I think.

  WILBUR: Don’t be disrespectful.

  AMA: We must begin Special Testimony! Who is first?

  POPO: I talk.

  JOANNE: Good.

  POPO: Talk from here. (She stands) Long time since we all come here like this. I remember long ago, family leave China—the boat storm, storm, storm, storm, all around, Hannah cry. I think, “Aaah, why we have to leave China, go to Philippines?” But I remember Jonah, when he did not obey God, only then seas become—ah—dangerous. And ever after, after Jonah eaten by whale, God provide for him. So if God has plan for us, we live; if not (She looks at Di-gou) we die. (She sits) Okay. That’s all.

  (Everyone applauds.)

  AMA: Very good! Who is next?

  ROBERT: I said, I’d be happy to—

  HANNAH: How about Jenny?

  JENNY: Me?

  JOANNE: Sure, dear, c’mon.

  JENNY: Oh... well...

  POPO (To Di-gou): You see—she is so young, but her faith is old.

  JENNY: After I do this, can I go see what’s happened to Chester?

  POPO (To Jenny): First, serve God.

  ROBERT: Let her go.

  POPO: Then, you may see about Chester.

  JENNY: All right. (She walks to the podium)

  POPO (To Di-gou): I will tell you what each sentence meaning.

  DI-GOU: I can understand quite well.

  POPO: No. You are not Christian. You need someone—like announcer at baseball game—except announce for God.

  JENNY (At podium, she begins testimony): First, I want to say that I love you all very much. I really do.

  POPO (To Di-gou): That meaning is, she love God.

  JENNY: And I appreciate what you’ve done for me.

  POPO (To Di-gou): She love us because we show her God.

  JENNY: But I guess there are certain times when even love isn’t enough.

  POPO (To Di-gou): She does not have enough love for you. You are not Christian.

  JENNY: Sometimes, even love has its dark side.

  POPO (To Di-gou): That is you.

  JENNY: And when you find that side, sometimes you have to leave in order to come back in a better way.

  POPO (To Di-gou): She cannot stand to be around you.

  JENNY: Please. Remember what I said, and think about it later.

  POPO (To Di-gou): You hear? Think!

  JENNY: Thank you.

  (Everyone applauds.)

  AMA: Good, good.

  JENNY: Can I go now?

  ROBERT (To Hannah): What was she talking about?

  AMA (To Jenny): Soon, you can be best testifier—do testimony on TV.

  JENNY: Can I go now?

  JOANNE: All right, Jenny.

  JENNY: Thanks. (Exits)

  ROBERT (To Popo): Why don’t you interpret for me? I didn’t understand what she was talking about. Not a bit.

  POPO: Good.

  ROBERT: Good? Don’t you want me to be a better Christian?

  POPO: No. Not too good. Do not want to live in same part of Heaven as you.

  ROBERT: Why not? It’ll be great, Popo. We can tell stories, sing—

  POPO: In Heaven, hope you live in basement.

  ROBERT: Basement? C’mon, Popo, I’m a celebrity. They wouldn’t give me the basement. They’ll probably recognize my diplomacy ability, make me ambassador.

  JOANNE: To Hell?

  ROBERT: Well, if that’s the place they send ambassadors.

  POPO: Good. You be ambassador.

  AMA: Special Testimony! Who is next?

  ROBERT (Asking to be recognized): Ama?

  AMA (Ignoring him): Who is next?

  ROBERT: Not me. I think Wilbur should speak.

  AMA (Disgusted): Wilbur?

  WILBUR: Me?

  ROBERT: Yeah.

  WILBUR: Well, I don’t really . . .

  ROBERT: Tell them, Wilbur. Tell them what kind of big stuffs happen to you. Tell them how important you are.

  WILBUR: Well, I...

  AMA (Reluctantly): Would you . . . like to speak . . . Wilbur?

  WILBUR: Well, I’d be honored, but if anyone else would rather...

  ROBERT: We want to hear what you have to be proud of.

  WILBUR: All right.

  (Wilbur takes the podium; Ama scurries away.)

  Uh—well, it’s certainly nice to see this family reunion.

  Uh—last week, I was voted Mr. Congeniality at the club.

  ROBERT: What papers was it in?

  WILBUR: Huh?

  ROBERT: Was it in the L.A. Times? Front page? Otis Chandler’s paper?

  HANNAH (A rebuff): Robert!

  POPO (To Robert): Devotions is not question-and-answer for anyone except God.

  ROBERT: God sometimes speaks through people, doesn’t He?

  POPO: He has good taste. Would not speak through you.

  ROBERT (Undaunted, to Wilbur): Show me one newspaper clipping. Just one!

  WILBUR: Well, besides the Valley Green Sheet . . .

  ROBERT: The Valley Green Sheet? Who pays for that? Junk. People line their birdcages with it.

  WILBUR: Well, I suppose from a media standpoint, it’s not that big a deal.

  AMA (To Joanne): What means “congeniality”?

  JOANNE: It means “friendly,” sort of.

  ROBERT (To Wilbur): So why are you talking about it? Waste our time?

  WILBUR: Look, Robert, it’s obviously a token of their esteem.

  ROBERT: Junk stuffs. Little thing. Who cares?

  AMA (To herself): “Mr. Friendly”?

  ROBERT: It’s embarrassing. What if clients say to me, “You’re a bank president but your relative can only get into the Valley Green Sheet”? Makes me lose face. They think my relatives are bums.

  AMA (To Joanne): He is “Mr. Friendly”?

  WILBUR: Look, Robert, the business is doing real well. It’s not like that’s my greatest accomplishment.

  AMA (To Joanne): How can he be “Mr. Friendly”? He always kill and laugh.

  JOANNE: Mom!

  ROBERT (To Wilbur): Does your business get in the paper?

  WILBUR: Computer software happens to be one of the nation’s fastest-growing—

  ROBERT: So what? Lucky guess. Big deal.

  WILBUR: It was an educated choice, not luck!

  (Robert gets up, starts to head for the podium.)

  ROBERT: Anyone can make money in America. What’s hard is to become . . . a celebrity.

  WILBUR: You’re not a celebrity.

  ROBERT: Yes, I am. That’s the new thing. See, I just wanted to say that—

  (Robert nudges Wilbur off the podium, takes his place.)

  —when I was kidnapped, I didn’t know if I would live or die.

  POPO (Turns and sees Robert at the podium): Huh?

  JOANNE: Robert, forget it!


  POPO: How did he get up there?

  WILBUR (To Joanne): I’m perfectly capable of handling this myself.

  POPO: He sneak up there while we are bored!

  WILBUR (To Popo): I’m sorry you found my testimony boring.

  ROBERT (To Wilbur): It was. (To the assemblage) Now hear mine.

  JOANNE: We’ve all heard it before.

  HANNAH (To Robert): They’re tired, dear. Get down.

  ROBERT: Why? They listened to Wilbur’s stuff. Boring. Junk.

  JOANNE: “I didn’t know if I would live or die.” “I didn’t know if I would live or die.”

  ROBERT: Di-gou, he hasn’t heard. Have you, Di-gou?

  DI-GOU: Is this when you didn’t know if you would live or die?

  ROBERT: How did—? Who told him?

  POPO: I cannot think of enough ways to shoot him! Rifle! Arrows!

  HANNAH (To Robert): Sit down!

  ROBERT: But there’s something new!

  HANNAH: I think we better let him speak, or he’ll never shut up.

  ROBERT: She’s right. I won’t.

  JOANNE: All right. Make it quick, Robert.

  ROBERT: All right. As I was saying, I didn’t know if I would live or die.

  JOANNE: You lived.

  ROBERT: But the resulting publicity has made me a celebrity. Everyplace I go, people come up to me—“Aren’t you the one that got kidnapped?” When I tell them how much the ransom was, they can hardly believe it. They ask for my autograph. Now—here’s the new thing. I met these clients last week, told them my story. Now, these guys are big shots and they say it would make a great movie. Yeah. No kidding. They made movies before. Not just regular movie, that’s junk stuffs. We want to go where the big money is—we want to make a miniseries for TV. Like Shogun. I told them, they should take the story, spice it up a little, you know? Add some sex scenes—we were thinking that I could have some hanky-panky with one of my kidnappers—woman, of course—just for audience sake—like Patty Hearst. I told them I should be played by Marlon Brando. And I have the greatest title: Not a Chinaman’s Chance. Isn’t that a great title? Not a Chinaman’s Chance. Beautiful. I can see the beginning already: I’m walking out of my office. I stop to help a man fixing a flat tire.