| M. Butterfly | |
|---|---|
| Written by | David Henry Hwang |
| Characters | Rene Gallimard Song Liling Marc Helga M. Toulon Comrade Chin Renee and others |
| Date premiered | February 10, 1988 |
| Place premiered | National Theatre, Washington, D.C. |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | East/West cultural stereotypes |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | A Paris prison, 1988; recollections of Beijing and Paris |
M. Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera Madama Butterfly, is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Beijing opera singer. The play premiered on Broadway in 1988 and won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play. In addition to this, it was a Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist in 1989.