A Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant in an undisclosed European country is the setting for Studio Theatre’s American premiere of Roland Schimmelpfennig’s The Golden Dragon. In many ways, the restaurant and its surrounding neighborhood is an appropriate setting for this German play, which explores the force of globalization and how there are increasingly fewer hard boundaries between nation-states, social groups, and communities. Largely a presentational and intellectual exercise, five stellar actors are provided an opportunity to sink their teeth into a myriad of roles- from a young Chinese boy, to a grocer, a flight attendant and many more.
Amir Darvish, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Sarah Marshall, KK Moggie, and Chris Myers in The Golden Dragon. Photo by Scott Suchman.
Though this particular play is oft produced across the Atlantic, it’s clear that in the hands of a less capable cast, it is likely to fall flat. At its core, its success relies not on production values or even plot, but the actors’ ability to, at the drop of a hat, assume a character and, in a few short minutes, make the audience care about his/her plight. Luckily, the Studio cast under the commendable direction of Serge Seiden is more than ready to face this formidable challenge.
The ensemble of actors (Amir Davish, Joseph Anthony Foronda, DC theatre regular Sarah Marshall, KK Moggie, and Chris Myers) is uniformly strong, though Sarah Marshall and KK Moggie, in particular, have more than their share of shining acting moments. Marshall once again displays why she is a mainstay on the stages in our fair city as she seamlessly moves from character to character, regardless of gender or station in life. Moggie is particularly heart-breaking as the young Chinese boy who is perhaps the most compelling symbol of the transient nature of today’s world in the play.
Though not a political play by any means, Mr. Schimmelpfennig’s play portends to, in part, explore the plight of undocumented workers and the harsh realities they face as they search for better lives for themselves. He largely accomplishes this goal using the restaurant setting as a plot device. However, because his play has descriptive, presentational, and non-linear qualities, it can be difficult for the audience to become invested in thinking about this important issue as the action or non-action unfolds. There are some exceptions, however. The scenes involving the young Chinese boy are compelling, emotional, and uncomfortable.
The playwright’s decision to occasionally have the actors tell the audience about an incident before or rather than acting it out, and, at key points, note the stage directions, is also sometimes problematic. The inclusion of the stage directions is an interesting choice though certainly not completely novel or original. The Studio Theatre audiences have seen this device in past seasons with Tarell Alvin McCraney’s trilogy (The Brothers Size, Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, and In the Red and Brown Water) where it very much added value to the plays. However, in this particular play it can be distracting, increase the distance between the cast and the audience, and take focus away from the characters. If this device was used more sparingly, it would be more effective.
Despite my misgivings about the use of stage directions, I will say that the language in the play (translated by David Tushingham) is beautiful yet brutal. Poetic at times, it’s quite easy for the audience to get swept away by it. The plot or non-plot, because of the non-linear structure, can sometimes get muddled, but if one focuses on the language rather than the action, it’s much easier to see how the various vignettes are connected. The Studio cast handles the language with great ease and clearly connects with it which makes it all the more effective.
Production-wise, the Studio Theatre creative team uses a very minimalist approach to present the play. Debra Booth has designed a very basic set consisting of a white platform and a white backdrop with an attached bench, on which the actors sit when not taking part in a particular scene. Using a nearly non-existent set is a good choice because it’s clear this play can take place anywhere, but just happens to take place in Location X in Country Y. The white backdrop also allows the actors to create shadows, which add beautiful touches to several scenes as does Michael Giannitti’s lighting. Evan Rogers’ sound design, incorporating some beautiful Asian-inspired music, also creates a mysterious mood. Most interesting, however, are Helen Huang’s costume selections. Each actor is dressed in basic tan pants and a white shirt though various other pieces of clothing are added (on stage), depending on the scene and the character involved. With this choice, it’s clear that the characters are all of us, at their core human, and citizens of the world.
I recommend The Golden Dragon for those looking to stretch their minds and ask questions about the effect of globalization on humankind.
Running Time: 75 minutes without an intermission.
The Golden Dragon plays through December 11, 2011, at The Studio Theatre – 1501 14th St, NW, in Washington, DC. For tickets, call (202) 332-3300/1187, or purchase them online.
Jennifer Perry has been a DC resident for over 10 years having moved from Upstate New York to attend graduate school at American University's School of International Service. When not attending countless theatrical performances in Washington, DC and New York, she works for the US Federal Government as an analyst. She enjoys leveraging her writing and analytic skills, honed in the international affairs and sociology fields, to examine local theatrical works and the perspectives that they offer on the world.
