When M. Butterfly was first performed in 1988 in Washington D.C. and then on Broadway, reviews were decidedly mixed. Most critics acknowledged that Hwang was a playwright of great talent, but praise for the play was often tempered by some harsh criticism. On the positive side, Frank Rich in the New York Times described M. Butterfly as "a visionary work that bridges the history and culture of two worlds" and "as intricate as an infinity of Chinese boxes." He added that "one must [be] grateful that a play of this ambition has made it to Broadway." But Rich had some serious reservations also, writing that the play did not rise to its full power until the final act; it was marred by repetition and "its overly explicit bouts of thesis mongering" (the dramatist's tendency to pursue.....
