Golden Child
Written by David Henry Hwang
Directed by James Lapine
Drawn from stories told to Hwang as a child by his grandmother about their family history, Golden Child tells of a wealthy and polygamous Chinese merchant in 1918, who embraces the new religion of Christianity. In so doing, he sets off a power struggle between his three wives, and forever changes the lives of his succeeding generations.
Golden Child
Off-Broadway at The Newman at The Joseph Papp Public Theater
November 19, 1996 - December 8, 1996
Photos by Michal Daniels
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David Henry Hwang, Playwright
James Lapine, Director
Public Theater, Producer
George C. Wolfe, Producer
Rosemarie Tichler, Artistic Producer
Wiley Hausam, Associate Producer
Bonnie Metzgar, Associate Producer
South Coast Repertory, Associate Producer
Kevin Kline, Artistic Associate
Brian Kulick, Artistic Associate
Tony Straiges, Set Designer
Martin Pakledinaz, Costume Designer
David Lander, Lighting Designer
Richard Nelson (Lighting Designer), Lighting Designer
Dan Moses Schreier, Sound Designer
Wendall K. Harrington, Projections Designer
Buzz Cohen, Production Stage Manager
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Tsai Chin: Eng Siu-Yond
Stan Egi: Andrew Kwong/Eng Tieng-Bin
John Christopher Jones: Rev Baines
Jodi Long: Eng Luan
Liana Pai: Eng Eling
Julyana Soelistyo: Eng Ahn
Golden Child
On Broadway at The Longacre Theatre
March 23, 1998 - May 31, 1998
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Written by David Henry Hwang
Directed by James Lapine
Theatre Owned / Operated by The Shubert Organization (Gerald Schoenfeld: Chairman; Philip J. Smith: President; Robert E. Wankel: Executive Vice President)
Produced by Benjamin Mordecai, Dori Berinstein, John Kao, Talia Shire and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Produced in association with South Coast Repertory (David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director, Martin Benson, Artistic Director), The Joseph Papp Public Theater / New York Shakespeare Festival (George C. Wolfe, Producer) and American Conservatory Theatre of San Francisco; Associate Producer: The Singapore Repertory Theater
Originally produced in New York by The Joseph Papp Public Theater / New York Shakespeare Festival (George C. Wolfe, Producer)
Incidental music by Lucia Hwong
Assistant Director: Tim Vasen
Scenic Design by Tony Straiges
Costume Design by Martin Pakledinaz
Lighting Design by David J. Lander
Sound Design by Dan Moses Schreier
Hair and Wig Design by Judy Chin
Make-Up Design by Judy Chin
General Manager: Kathryn Frawley
Company Manager: Heather Hamilton
Technical Supervisor: Unitech II, Corp
Production Stage Manager: Allison Sommers
Stage Manager: Brendan Smith
Property Master: Lonnie Gaddy
Casting: Jay Binder
NYSF Casting: Jordan Thaler and Heidi Griffiths
Movement Consultant: Jamie H. J. Guan
South Coast Repertory Casting Director: Joanne DeNaut
Press Representative: Richard Kornberg & Associates
Marketing: The Richards Group
Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.
Commissioned by South Coast Repertory (David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director, Martin Benson, Artistic Director)
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Tsai Chin: Eng Siu-Yong (First Wife)
Randall Duk Kim: Andrew Kwong, Eng Tieng-Bin
Ming-Na Wen: Elizabeth Kwong, Eng Eling (Third Wife)
John Horton: Reverend Anthony Baines
Julienne Hanzelka Kim: Servant, Ghost
Lisa Li: Servant, Ghost
Kim Miyori: Eng Luan (Second Wife)
James Saito: Servant, Ghost
Julyana Soelistyo: Ma, Eng Ahn (mother of Andrew Kwong & daughter of Tieng-Bin & Siu-Young)
Understudies: Jonathan Bustle (Reverend Anthony Baines), Julienne Hanzelka Kim (Elizabeth Kwong, Eng Ahn, Eng Eling, Ma), Lisa Li (Eng Luan, Eng Siu-Yong), James Salto (Andrew Kwong, Eng Tieng-Bin)
Awards, Reviews & Features
1996-1997 Obie Awards
Winner for Playwriting (Hwang) and Performance (Tsai Chin)
1998 Tony Awards
Nominated for Best Play
Nominated for Best Costume Design and Featured Actress in a Play (Julyana Soelistyo)
“According to both Hwang and Lapine, the play has grown tighter, clearer, more focused. One major scene -- now the central event in Act I -- has been added, and there are many more subtle changes in the writing. During the play's most recent stop, in San Francisco, Lapine incorporated some ghost figures and stage craft inspired by Chinese theatre techniques. ‘I avoided that initially because it seemed a little cliche,’ he says. "But now I think it gives the play an ambience that's priceless…'”
Feature on Golden Child’s Journey to Broadway in Playbill, 1998