Before Chinglish and Yellow Face, there was M. Butterfly, David Henry Hwang's breakout show, which in 1988 ran for almost two years on Broadway. Then, the show's gender-bending dramatic core was eye-opening. It seemed at least plausible that a French diplomat could enter a sexual relationship with a Chinese opera singer and maintain that relationship for twenty years without ever realizing the woman he idolized was actually a man.
What? Well, you know, the French.
In San Francisco Playhouse's 2026 production, directed and choreographed by Bridgette Loriaux, the emphasis has shifted. Our sensibilities now show Rene Gallimard, played by Dean Linnard, to most likely be bisexual. His gender fluidity is propped up by his friendship with Marc (Andre Amarotico), a clearly heterosexual ass-bandit who continually but unsuccessfully tries to pair up Rene with easily-conquerable women. It never quite works.
We, in the audience, are asked to believe that Song Ling, Gallimard's Butterfly, played by the excellent Edric Young, who on stage is about as feminine as a drag queen with a voice to match, has somehow duped the foolish Frenchman into believing he is a woman, and not only that, but Gallimard doesn't realize Butterfly is a spy for the Chinese government who is passing along every piece of information that she can gather.
This production of M. Butterfly is visibly brilliant. Randy Wong-Westbrooke's set is stunning and Michael Oesch's lighting adds all the correct emotional touches. We are big Stacy Ross fans, and her turns onstage as M. Toulon, Gallimard's boss, are all scene-grabbers. Edric Young has a nice ass and his explanation as to how he managed to fool Gallimard all those years is, shall we say, fascinating, when you think carefully about it.
The moral of this story is that we are all capable of self-delusion, in the service of fulfilling our fantasies, both personal and, at times, international.
RATINGS: ★★ BANG
The San Francisco Theater Blog grants "M. Butterfly" Two Stars with a Bangle of Praise. Thirty-eight years ago M. Butterfly packed a Wow! Really! punch. Now, maybe not so much. And without it, we have a drama that is lovely to look at but not as involving as we would like.
We are adding a Bangle of Praise for Keiko Carreiro's costumes. Butterfly has an excellent eye for color.
"M. Butterfly"
San Francisco Playhouse
450 Post St. (2d floor of Kensington Park Hotel)
Through March 14, 2026
$52-$145
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