Interview: Lou Okell of M. BUTTERFLY at Brookfield Theatre

When David Henry Hwang’s 1988 play M. Butterfly premiered at the National Theater in Washington D.C. and then produced on Broadway, it was truly visionary, compelling, thought-provoking, and outright shocking. Revised in 2017 to incorporate information that was released after the original play was produced, more people’s acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, and China’s growth as a superpower.

The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts is presenting M. Butterfly through October 4, and it’s even more relevant now because of today’s incendiary global political climate.

“I wanted to do this show for many years, first reading the original version of the script ad discarding as difficult to produce,” says director Lou Okell. “After it had the 2017 revival, I read the updated script and loved the story even more.” As president and artistic director of The Brookfield Theater, she reviews the proposals they receive for plays and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, which then “debates and deliberates until a season is agreed upon…. We like to create a season with wide appeal, and it's always been important to include at least one show per season that is challenging.”

This is definitely it. Okell notes, “The story discusses love, gender, and sexuality and shows how it is fluid and unpredictable. Our search for love and happiness can often lead us to do irrational things. The play is set in the 1960s through 1980s when laws and societal norms were much more strict than they are today, so anyone who did not conform would have to be secretive.

“We also discussed the pressure Bouriscot experienced to have a relationship with a woman and how the political forces of the time used societal expectation to control both Shi and Bouriscot. And we talked about current events that related to the play including Gisele Pelicot and French attitudes toward women, the rising anti-LGBT rhetoric around the world, and the demonization and misunderstanding of the trans community.

“The people the play is based upon, Bernard Bouriscot and Shi Pei Pu, both experienced love outside of the mainstream,” notes Okell. “In 1988, it was easy to simply think of Gallimard as gay and Song Liling as a man in drag, but this would not be true to the people the script is based upon.

“In creating the revival, David Henry Hwang took the opportunity to keep the story relevant by including our more evolved understanding of both Bariscot and Shi. Bariscot was possibly bi-sexual, attracted to both men and women. Shi was neither a drag performer nor a transgender person but was intersex, which is more complicated. There is still so much we don't understand about gender and sexuality, partly since it is such a taboo topic for many.” She notes that the intersex community still faces immense discrimination.

Okell adds that “a second topic is fame vs. infamy: Gallimard is famous for negative reasons, yet he still thrives on the attention. It is always surprising to see what people might do for a bit of fame.” Sound familiar and timely? Oh, yes.

“I knew that the play could never be performed without a strong actor of Asian descent and, of course, Todd Santa Maria is the perfect actor for the role [of Song Liling],” she maintains. “Not only are his acting skills considerable, but he also has an intense passion for theatre arts and is willing to make bold choices. I had worked with Todd on several shows in the past, some as an actor, but also as a director and have great affection and appreciation for him as an artist.” Miles Everett plays the equally demanding role of René Gallimard.

It took six months to get the show on stage, which meant that the actors had to commit to this time period. Although M. Butterfly is not a musical, Okell’s vision for the production integrates a lot of dance throughout the show. The rest of the cast includes strong dancers and character actors. Tony Benedetti plays Manuel Toulon, the French ambassador to China and Gallimard’s superior. Andrés Idrovo who plays Marc, the loveable/hateable friend and confidant who guides Gallimard to his final destiny.  Rick Steward plays the judge. Playwright Hwang has stated that while the character of Song must be Asian, the casting of the other characters can be more flexible as long as it serves the script. Thus, the role of the authoritative villain Comrade Chin is played by Aranka Vitarius, who has an extensive background in dance, including Chinese dance. “Her portrayal of Chin is chilling and nuance – we love to hate Chin but we never forget that they are human.”

Vincent Chistoni, who has a strong background in musical theater and was recently seen in Camelot at Brookfield, “has the most complicated role switching from character to character and creating the pivot point for the dances. Sandy Vallati is a belly dancer which made the Pin Up Girl sequence so much better than I ever imagined it could be. Kristin Aug is just wonderful in everything she does and creates great chemistry in the role of Agnes along with the dances. Rachel Ames has a martial arts background which really helped in understanding the Chinese dance moves and she's delightful as the college student René.” Nell Walton is the choreographer and integrates several different styles of dancing in the show. Pippa  Walton is the stage manager and intimacy choreographer.

If you are still on the fence about seeing it, keep in mind Okell’s take on the play. “At its core, it is great storytelling. I hope audiences come in with open minds and enjoy the show. Sometimes, it's good to have clearly defined "good guys" and "bad guys" but this is not that story. Life is complicated and there is so much to discover in this show. I hope audiences find something that speaks to them and moves them in a surprising way. I am so grateful for the level of commitment each of the actors and team members have made in creating something really remarkable on a community theater stage.”

M. Butterfly runs through Oct. 4. Performance times are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Please note the show contains brief nudity and depiction of suicide. It is not intended for young audiences. The Brookfield Theatre is located at 184 Whisconier Road in Brookfield, adjacent to the Brookfield Library. Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $20.00 for students and seniors. Visit www.brookfieldtheatre.org.

Photo by Stephen Cihanek.