Free Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays of David Henry Hwang by David Henry Hwang

and I call him Chicken-Laying-an-Egg.
    MA: He said we can make our fortunes on the Gold Mountain, where work is play and the sun scares off snow.
    LONE: Don’t listen to chicken-brains.
    MA: Why not? He said gold grows like weeds.
    LONE: I have heard that it is slavery.
    MA: Slavery? What do you know, Fleaman? Who told you? The fleas? Yes, I will go to Gold Mountain.
    (Sound of gongs. Ma strikes a submissive pose to Lone.)
     
    LONE: “The one-hundred-twenty-five-dollars passage money is to be paid to the said head of said Hong, who will make arrangements with the coolies that their wages shall be deducted until the debt is absorbed.”
    (Ma bows to Lone. Sound of gongs. They pick up fighting sticks and do a water-crossing dance, using their sticks to imitate oars. Dance ends. They stoop next to each other and rock.)
     
    MA: I have been in the bottom of this boat for thirty-six days now. Tang, how many have died?
    LONE: Not me. I’ll live through this ride.
    MA: I didn’t ask how you are.
    LONE: But why’s the Gold Mountain so far?
    MA: We left with three hundred and three.
    LONE: My family’s depending on me.
    MA: So tell me, how many have died?
    LONE: I’ll be the last one alive.
    MA: That’s not what I wanted to know.
    LONE: I’ll find some fresh air in this hole.
    MA: I asked, how many have died.
    LONE: Is that a crack in the side?
    MA: Are you listening to me?
    LONE: If I had some air—
    MA: I asked, don’t you see—?
    LONE: The crack—over there—
    MA: Will you answer me, please?
    LONE: I need to get out.
    MA: The rest here agree—
    LONE: I can’t stand the smell.
    MA: That a hundred eighty—
    LONE: I can’t see the air—
    MA: Of us will not see—
    LONE: And I can’t die.
    MA: Our Gold Mountain dream.
    (Tang/Lone dies. Using the movement language of Chinese opera, they mime the following: Ma throws his body overboard. The boat docks. Ma exits, walks through the streets. He picks up one of the fighting sticks while Lone becomes the mountain.)
     
     
    I have been given my pickax. Now I will attack the mountain.
     
    (Ma does a dance of labor. Lone sings:)
    LONE:
    Hit your hardest
Pound out your tears
The more you try
The more you’ll cry
At how little I’ve moved
And how large I loom
By the time the sun goes down
     
    (Ma stops dancing.)
     
    MA: This mountain is clever. But why shouldn’t it be? It’s fighting for its life, like we fight for ours.
    (Lone/Mountain picks up a stick. Ma and Lone/Mountain do a battle dance. Dance ends.)
     
     
    This mountain not only defends itself—it also attacks. It turns our strength against us.
     
    (Lone does Ma’s labor dance while Ma plants explosives in midair. Dance ends.)
     
    This mountain has survived for millions of years. Its wisdom is immense.
     
    (Lone and Ma begin a second battle dance. This one ends with them dancing together: Ma has subdued the mountain. Lone breaks away, does a warrior strut.)
    LONE: I am a white devil! Listen to my stupid language: “Wha che doo doo blah blah.” Look at my wide eyes—like I have drunk seventy-two pots of tea. Look at my funny hair—twisting, turning, like a snake telling lies. (To Ma) Blah blah doo doo tee tee.
    MA: We don’t understand English.
    LONE (Angry) : Blah blah doo doo tee tee!
    MA (With Chinese accent) : Please you-ah speak-ah Chinese?
    LONE: Oh. Work—uh—one—two—more—work—two—
    MA: Two hours more? Stupid demons. As confused as your hair. We will strike!
    (Sound of gongs. Ma is on strike.)
     
     
    (In broken English) Eight hours day good for white man, all same good for Chinaman.
    LONE: The strike is over! We’ve won!
    MA: I knew we would.
    LONE: We forced the white devil to act civilized.
    MA: Tamed the barbarians!
    LONE: Did you think—
    MA: Who woulda thought?
    LONE:—it could be done?
    MA: Who?
    LONE: But who?
    MA: Who could tame them?
    MA AND LONE: Only a Chinaman!
    (They laugh.)
     
    LONE: Well, c’mon.
    MA: Let’s celebrate!
    LONE: We have.
    MA: Oh.
    LONE: Back to