M. Butterfly

Let me start by saying that I loved this play. I thought it was a perfect melding of the best elements of the plays we have read this semester. To write about everything I liked about this play would take too long, so instead ill pick just one thing to talk about.

The thing I probably liked most about the play was the secret of Song's gender and how it was revealed, both to the characters and the audience. I thought it was a perfect blend of subtle clues and fairly obvious ones, finalized in the without-a-doubt revelation when he strips. Though I figured it out pretty quickly, and I hadn't read the back of the book, I could see how Rene might not figure it out. First of all, he did not have the benefit of characters like Chin more or less spelling it out. Second, he was in love and he was knowingly passing along secrets. To believe that Song was not a girl would mean betraying his country and himself. In that time there is no way he could admit to loving a man, yet he needed that love. If Rene had known of the betrayal by Song he probably wouldn't have been able to live with himself, as shown by his suicide at the end of the play. I loved that this was clearly portrayed while still showing the audience, or at least those paying attention, early enough in the play for everything to make sense. 

There is so much more I could say about this play, and I'm sure we will touch on much of it in class.  The reveal of the secret is easily my favorite part but the whole play is really good. I only wish I was planning on working somewhere where i could direct this show, but I don't think it would be appropriate for a high school!