Film and TV star Daniel Dae Kim will lead an audio production of David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face for Audible Studios. Kim will star as Hwang, with Leigh Silverman returning to direct after helming the work's 2007 world premiere productions.
The semi-autobiographical work follows Hwang as he becomes a major voice in the controversy surrounding white actor Jonathan Pryce's casting in Miss Saigon on Broadway. The playwright pens a satirical play in response to the situation, and then unwittingly casts a white actor in the Asian lead role. The work premiered at Mark Taper Forum in a co-production with East West Players in 2007, and played an Off-Broadway run at The Public the same year.
"I’ve been a fan of David Henry Hwang, Leigh Silverman, and Audible’s for a very long time, so teaming up all together is something I’m truly excited by, especially to work on Yellow Face," says Kim in a statement. "It has always been a special play, and now to be able to bring it new life in an audio format represents an opportunity that’s both unique and innovative."
The project is part of a larger, multi-project development deal between Kim and Audible. Kim's production company 3AD will co-produce Yellow Face with Audible Studios. Yellow Face will be part of Audible Theatre, an initiative from the formerly audiobooks-only company that has seen Audible bring works Off-Broadway for brief runs and then later release recordings of them as audio plays and concerts.
Yellow Face is also a return to Kim's theatrical roots. The actor was a theatre major in college and made his Broadway debut in 2016 starring as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of The King and I, opposite the late Marin Mazzie.
