In a crisp clean office, Chinese movie producer Xue Xing (Conrad Ricamora) meets Chinese-American playwright DHH (Francis Jue, playing a version of David Henry Hwang) to discuss his idea for a new sitcom based in Shanghai. What Sex and the City did for New York, he exclaims, and so, a debate ensues about whether to leave in Shanghai’s flaws or leave them out. In a matter of minutes, Soft Power has deconstructed every stereotype and cliche about Asia and what it means to be Asian-American.
By chance, there’s a campaign fundraiser for Hillary Clinton that night (played later by Alyse Alan Louise), and Xue Xing invites DHH to attend with him and meet his blond American girlfriend (also played by Louise).
The encounter leaves DHH questioning his identity as an Asian-American and the legacy he wants to leave behind. As election night approaches, DHH experiences a traumatic event that launches him into Soft Power, the musical. It’s part mockery of the genre, part political satire, and a bit of a twist on The King and I and the white savior. Except this time, it’s the East that makes his way to the West. Xue Xing leaves the comforts of his home in Shanghai to explore the rough streets of Hollywood. Where he meets Hillary… and produces his legacy, Soft Power.
Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, Soft Power gives us a repertoire of clever song and dance numbers that take a brutal look at the stark reality of our election process, and the ways politics intersects our lives.
David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) collaborate to bring a message of inclusion in tumultuous times. DHH’s struggle with his identity is one that resonates strongly. “I am American; I am Chinese,” he sings in a heartbreaking solo. Xue Xing and DHH change each other’s lives as they each face their traumas head on. Their journey becomes powerful commentary on artists using their voices to create meaningful work.
And there’s no hypocrisy here, as the cast is composed almost entirely of Asian-American actors. They hilariously don blond wigs as they play Hollywood hooligans and American politicians. Like much of Soft Power, it is fun, but also a sharp throwback to the depiction of Asian-Americans in films and plays of the past. Soft Power has a lot to say, and says it really well, all while staying thoroughly entertaining.
Soft Power is playing at the Curran Theatre now through July 8. For tickets and information visit https://sfcurran.com/shows/soft-power/
