| That TMI aspect I wrestled with. Am I being unfair to Hwang's efforts to be clearer, more accurate? But for me, the play's haunting mystery, which the Dexter production (and original text) amplified just feels somewhat MIA. This iteration is more terse, at least in places, and tighter (two acts rather than three). Yet it's not necessarily more focused in addressing the very issues that Hwang elucidates in all of his annotating forwards and afterwards. We got it the first time, the metaphors about western aggression and dominance. Western projection of passivity on Asian women. The mythology necessarily tied to Western exploitation, the sexual fantasy both a literal illustration and a metaphor. Knowing the precise nature of the genitalia adjusting deception, which is still the biggest change, doesn't really impact an appreciation of the thematic elements. For me, anyway. |
