Dickinson College
M. Butterfly Author to Present Lecture
Throughout his 30-year career, Hwang has explored the complexities of forging Eastern and Western cultures in a contemporary America.
Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang will visit Dickinson this week as the recipient of The Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program award. Hwang will present a lecture, followed by a book signing, on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter (ATS) Auditorium, West Louther Street between College and Cherry streets. He will receive the award that evening.
Hwang is best known as the author of M. Butterfly, which ran for two years on Broadway, won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play and also was a finalist for the 1989 Pulitzer Prize. His off-Broadway plays Golden Child and FOB also garnered OBIE Awards along with 2008's Yellow Face, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Hwang's Broadway musicals include his new book for Roger's & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, which earned him his third Tony nomination in 2003. He co-wrote the book for Disney's international musical "Aida," with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, which won four 2000 Tony Awards and ran for more than four years on Broadway, and was the book writer of Disney's "Tarzan" with songs by Phil Collins. Hwang's newest play Chinglish recently opened on Broadway and he is serving as executive producer of the feature film White Frog, which is currently in production.
The Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program is a gift from Jean Louise Stellfox, a 1960 graduate of Dickinson who was inspired to become an English teacher after meeting Robert Frost during the poet's visit to the college in 1959. When Stellfox died in 2003, her estate provided $1.5 million to the college to continue her mission of inspiring students by bringing renowned literary figures to campus. Stellfox named the program in honor of her parents, Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox.
While in residency at Dickinson, the distinguished recipient visits classes, holds a seminar for aspiring writers, gives readings and presentations and shares meals with students and faculty. Previous Stellfox award recipients include Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee and Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Maxine Kumin and Rita Dove.
Published September 3, 2012