Stephen Pucci and Jennifer Lim in "Chinglish." Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich.

David Henry Hwang’s new play Chinglish deals with communication and loyalty in today’s world, two large aspects of doing business. Thus, the hapless Midwestern businessman Daniel Cavanaugh (Gary Wilmes) opens the play with an explanation of chinglish, which describes the loss in translation of words between Chinese and English. He is trying to revitalize his failing signage company by finding a new market in a smaller Chinese city; he is convincing Minister Cai Guoliang and Vice Minister Xi Yan, Larry Lei Zhang and Jennifer Lim respectively, to contract him. To this end, he hires Peter Timms, an english teacher/business associate played by Stephen Pucci, to both translate and coach him. Here we learn the important concept of guanxi which describes the interpersonal relationships, social debts and capitol, and human networks in China. Guanxi forms the basis for business in China and remains an important theme throughout the play.

As business meetings are played through with comedic mistranslation and enthusiastic Chinese dialogue, we can see subtitles projected onto the wall above the actors. The enthusiasm and dynamic of the Chinese actors are the source of a lot of the humor in the scenes, providing a contrast to Cavanaugh’s confusion and Timm’s slickness. Xi and Cavanaugh’s attempt to communicate in broken English is a verbal and linguistic exercise that first leaves the audience just as confused and frustrated as the characters, then gives us collective respite when the breakthrough in understanding happens. Their great dynamic, first as business associates, then as lovers, shows us the level of relationships in China. Timm’s role and his personal connection to Minister Cai demonstrates the back-handedness that shows us when guanxi allows debts and loyalty to control the actions of the characters.

Gary Wilmes plays his part well, acting as the affable, plucky American the audience identifies with. Larry Zhang acts like a character from a sitcom throughout most of the play, but he also shows emotion well, especially in his last scene. However, most of the play is comedic and light in character. It does bring on a lot of laughs, which contrasts with the ending and makes it feel abrupt and sudden. However, the themes of the play show strongly, right up to the end.