M. Butterfly is inspired by a true story of a French diplomat who carried on a twenty year affair with a Chinese opera singer and spy, without realizing the true gender of his lover.
M. Butterfly is one of the most celebrated American plays, and the first by an Asian-American to open on Broadway. Premiering in 1988 in a production directed by John Dexter, it won numerous awards, including the Tony Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Broadway play, and the John Gassner Award for the season’s outstanding new playwright. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
M. Butterfly ran for two years on Broadway, a year on London’s West End, and has been produced in over three dozen countries. It will be revived in Fall 2017 on Broadway, in a new production directed by Julie Taymor.
![[2614]_Jin Ha in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685908189-390LWQBPJ4PJJLQWGROK/%5B2614%5D_Jin+Ha+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![[2130]_Clive Owen in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685929890-44504JT1KCE5HLGNB6IB/%5B2130%5D_Clive+Owen+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![[0184]_Jin Ha, Clive Owen and Company in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matthew Murphy 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685942022-NI47XUZVXQ9OUJFYTD9J/%5B0184%5D_Jin+Ha%2C+Clive+Owen+and+Company+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy+2017.jpg)
![[0463]_Jin Ha and Company in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685951068-PT46AI3NLEPEF2BIT3UB/%5B0463%5D_Jin+Ha+and+Company+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![[0016]_Clive Owen in M. BUTTERFLY. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685972400-TRVO8SIIF0FQJ36KWMFM/%5B0016%5D_Clive+Owen+in+M.+BUTTERFLY.+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![4585_Company in M BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matt Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559685992098-AYP0WTKORC4TNPPM678Q/4585_Company+in+M+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matt+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![[2675]_Scott Weber, Jin Ha in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686001038-4J149GI3CKD8KHA4SOOM/%5B2675%5D_Scott+Weber%2C+Jin+Ha+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matthew+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![0047_Clive Owen, Jin Ha in M. BUTTERFLY, Photo by Josef Astor, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686024985-9JCN1NJIRGB5ZVRBIR4C/0047_Clive+Owen%2C+Jin+Ha+in+M.+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Josef+Astor%2C+2017.jpg)
![4148_Jin Ha in M BUTTERFLY, Photo by Matt Murphy, 2017.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686011533-U3ETLXJUFHE6M1PXHJPP/4148_Jin+Ha+in+M+BUTTERFLY%2C+Photo+by+Matt+Murphy%2C+2017.jpg)
![Clive Owen, credit Gerhard Kassner.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686050820-NZ1XGJL52WZWCJ1Q8GJW/Clive+Owen%2C+credit+Gerhard+Kassner.jpg)
![Julie Taymor, credit Marco Grob.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686061025-9LSPNA2SYYC1ZP57960T/Julie+Taymor%2C+credit+Marco+Grob.jpg)
![David Henry Hwang, credit Lia Chang.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686056220-Q28K4YL4WZMFTEDK4R4N/David+Henry+Hwang%2C+credit+Lia+Chang.jpg)
![M.BUTTERFLY_ARTWORK-WITH BILLING.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5650c08ce4b0d0315338fd6a/1559686087371-9C4JCJ7F3KKH4YY2BYPA/M.BUTTERFLY_ARTWORK-WITH+BILLING.jpg)
David Henry Hwang, Clive Owen and Julie Taymor introduce M. Butterfly.