Faculty Snapshot: David Henry Hwang

Tell us about your work.
I write plays, musicals, opera libretti, screenplays, and for television. Some of my better-known works include the plays, "M. Butterfly," and "Yellow Face," the musicals, "Aida," "Flower Drum Song," and "Soft Power," and the TV show, "The Affair." I try to teach my students that there is not a single way to write a script and that the things which make them unique and weird are their superpower as an artist.

What are you looking forward to right now? What are you most excited about?
Of course, I'm excited about theatres around the country reopening. So many of my friends and colleagues have been out of work for over a year. However, the theatre needs to reinvent itself based on what we've learned over this break, to implement more humane and equitable working practices to transform our stages from institutions that center white supremacy into a vital and forward-thinking art form which tells all of our stories.

What’s in your Netflix queue?
I'm currently watching "Borgen," the Danish series about a female prime minister. Over the pandemic, some of my favorite movies and shows (on various platforms) have included "I May Destroy You", "Call My Agent," "The 40 Year-Old Version," "The White Tiger," "Minari," and "Succession."  I also finally caught up on "The Sopranos," which, in many ways, kicked off our current era of peak television.

To learn more about Professor Hwang's Work, please visit his faculty website or follow him on Twitter.