Golden Shield

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Golden Shield

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  4w, 4m

From international playwright Anchuli Felicia King comes a riveting work about loyalties, intrigue and the delicate art of translation. In this tense drama, two Chinese-American sisters lead a class action lawsuit to expose an American tech giant's involvement with the Chinese government's firewall, Golden Shield.

Image: 2022 Manhattan Theatre Club Production (Julieta Cervantes)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Suggested Use
    • Monologues
    • Scene Work
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Finalist: 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Playwriting.

Details

Summary

Tenacious young lawyer Julie Chen is leading a class action lawsuit against an American tech giant for its involvement in the Chinese government's internet firewall Golden Shield. When Julie brings her sister Eva on board as a Mandarin-English translator for the proceedings, the sisters' buried trauma threatens to undermine the case. Golden Shield is a whirlwind tour of social and political locales ranging from American courtrooms to Chinese boardrooms to Beijing dive bars, and the play's transnational events are supported by The Translator, who bridges the gap between Mandarin, English and everything in between.

History
Golden Shield first premiered in Australia in 2019 at Melbourne Theatre Company's Southbank Theatre, under the direction of Sarah Goodes. The play's American premiere, produced by Manhattan Theatre Club, took place at New York City Center — Stage I in May 2022, under the direction of May Adrales, with voice and dialect coaching by Ka-Ling Cheung.

JULIE CHEN, managing partner of Chen & Warren PLLC. Chinese-American.
RICHARD WARREN, managing partner of Chen & Warren PLLC. Caucasian American.
EVA CHEN, Julie’s younger sister and translator. Chinese-American.
MARSHALL MCLAREN, President of China Operations, ONYS Systems, Inc. Caucasian American.
LARRY MURDOCH, VP of China Operations, ONYS Systems, Inc. Caucasian American.
LI DAO, professor at Beijing Institute of Science and Technology. Chinese.
HUANG MEI, Li’s wife. Chinese.
DEPUTY MINISTER GAO SHENGWEI, Ministry of Public Security. Chinese.
AMANDA CARLSON, International Project Manager, Digital Freedom Fund. Caucasian Australian.
JANE BOLLMAN, Chief Legal Officer, ONYS Systems. Caucasian English.
THE TRANSLATOR, an intermediary between the audience and the action. They intervene only when their presence becomes essential. They are otherwise engaged in an act of self-abnegation.

Doubling:
Julie
Eva
Li
Marshall
Richard / Larry
Amanda / Jane
Mei / Deputy Minister Gao Shengwei
The Translator

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting Washington D.C., Beijing, Yingcheng, Dallas, Palo Alto, Sydney.
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A legal drama, a romance, a story of sibling estrangement, and a cautionary tale about technology and the cost of political activism.” – The New York Times

“The Translator may be the best narrator of a play since Thornton Wilder gave us the Stage Manager.” – The Wrap

“King offers a myriad of reasons for why the truth of life often escapes our grasp, including shame, pride, resentment, good intentions, and literal mistranslations from one language to another.” – Theatre Pizzazz

“The play asks whether it's even possible to truly translate from one language to another, the nuances that get lost in translation, how language can be weaponized to misdirect or obfuscate, and whether it's truly possible to communicate with another person (even if you speak the same language).” – New York Theatre Guide

“Anchuli Felicia King['s] show belongs to multiple genres all at once: It is a legal drama, a romance, a story of sibling estrangement, and a cautionary tale about technology and the cost of political activism.” – The New York Times

“Just about everyone, it seems, needs a translator. Such is the richness and nuance of Golden Shield: riveting and deeply thought-provoking, it draws lines—parallel, intersectional—between people who in some ways couldn't be more opposite; it reminds us that each decision has far-reaching ripple effects; and it urges us to fight so that our most cherished relationships don't get lost in translation.” – Stage Buddy

Photos

  • Golden Shield

    Image: 2022 Manhattan Theatre Club Production (Julieta Cervantes)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Anchuli Felicia King

Anchuli Felicia King is a playwright, screenwriter and multidisciplinary artist of Thai-Australian descent. King’s plays have been produced by the Royal Court Theatre (London), Manhattan Theater Club (New York), Studio Theatre (Washington D.C.), American Shakespeare Center (S ...

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