Introduction & Overview of The Teahouse of the August Moon by John Patrick

The Teahouse of the August Moon Introduction

The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953), by John Patrick, is a comedy about the process of the Americanization of Japanese citizens on the island of Okinawa during the American Occupation of Japan following World War II. A hit Broadway production, Patrick's play won many awards, including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play of the Year, the Pulitzer Prize in drama, and the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award. Although extremely popular in the 1950s, this play became outdated by the 1970s when increased awareness of racial issues led audiences to recognize the offensive stereotypes of Asian people in the play.

A young military officer, Captain Fisby, is assigned to carry out "Plan B" in a tiny Okmawan village, to begin the process of Americanization by instituting a local democratic government, establishing a capitalist economy, and building a school-house in which the village children will be...
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