The Dance and the Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Dance and the Railroad is a 1981 play by American
playwright
David Henry Hwang
. Hwang's second play, it depicts a strike in a coolie
railroad labor camp in the mid-nineteenth century. The play premiered as part of a commission by the New Federal Theatre in 1981. It had its professional debut on July 16, 1981 Off-Broadway
at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. It was directed by John Lone
, with Lone and Tzi Ma
in the cast. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award
.
The play was produced on television by the ABC Arts channel under the direction of Emile Ardolino
. This production won a CINE Golden Eagle Award.
It is published as part of Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays by Theatre Communications Group and also in an acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
. Hwang's second play, it depicts a strike in a coolie
Coolie
Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...
railroad labor camp in the mid-nineteenth century. The play premiered as part of a commission by the New Federal Theatre in 1981. It had its professional debut on July 16, 1981 Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. It was directed by John Lone
John Lone
John "Johnny" Lone is a Hong Kong born American actor of Chinese and English descent. Lone has played roles as diverse as a caveman in Iceman , the last Emperor of China in The Last Emperor , and an apparently female opera performer in M. Butterfly .-Personal life:Lone was born as Ng Kwok-leung...
, with Lone and Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
in the cast. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
.
The play was produced on television by the ABC Arts channel under the direction of Emile Ardolino
Emile Ardolino
Emile Ardolino was an American film director, choreographer, and producer, best known for his films Dirty Dancing and Sister Act .-Biography:...
. This production won a CINE Golden Eagle Award.
It is published as part of Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays by Theatre Communications Group and also in an acting edition published by Dramatists Play Service.