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The "M" of M. Butterfly, Stands For Monsieur!

By George Walker
Published October 28, 2019 at 5:49 PM EDT

David Henry Hwang's play is inspired by Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly." In his revisioning it's a French civil servant instead of an American naval officer. It's China not Japan. The  involvement is passionate instead of convenient and the "lady" is a far more formidable figure.