‘Unbroken Blossoms’ reaches back to silent film era to find dark side of American cinema history

East West Players presents "Unbroken Blossoms," a glimpse into the Asian American struggles of the silent film era.

From a revered Little Tokyo stage, “Unbroken Blossoms” explores the Asian American experience of the silent film era, revealing dark truths about American film history — truths that resonate today.

Its world premier run continues until July 21 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, home to the historic Asian American theater organization East West Players, where it opened on June 27 to the communities of Little Tokyo and beyond.

Written by Philip W. Chung and directed by Jeff Liu, “Unbroken Blossoms” tells the story of two Chinese American men who were hired as consultants to director D.W. Griffith’s controversial 1919 film “Broken Blossoms.”

“Broken Blossoms,” a product of the silent film era based on Thomas Burke’s 1916 short story, “The Chink and the Child,” was “Hollywood’s first onscreen interracial love story between a white actress and a white actor in yellowface makeup,” according to East West Players.

The film centers on the relationship between an abused girl and a Chinese immigrant. The girl, played by actress Lillian Gish, is referred to as the “White Blossom” by the Chinese man, Cheng Huan.

In its historical reimagining of the making of “Broken Blossoms,” “Unbroken Blossoms” highlights the experiences of these real-life consultants, the optimistic Moon Kwan and cynical, aspiring filmmaker James Leong.

The play navigates their relationship with D.W. Griffith, especially after the release of his previous controversial 1915 film “The Birth of a Nation,” a film known for its racist depictions of Black people and its valorization of the Ku Klux Klan.

Chung, the playwright of “Unbroken Blossoms,” is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer who has worked in theater, film and television.

He worked with “Fast and Furious” director Justin Lin, and was the consulting producer on the PBS docu-series “Artbound” episode on East West Players.

Chung said he was inspired to write the play after seeing James Leong’s story mentioned in a documentary some years prior.

“The fact that someone like him, someone that looked like me, existed back then and was a real filmmaker,” he said. “Obviously, it was much tougher back then. That was really inspirational.”

The inspiration behind Chung’s theatrical pursuits began when he saw David Henry Hwang’s play, “M. Butterfly,” while he was in college.

Chung took his first playwriting class at East West Players, as he had always been interested in Hollywood/film history and its intersection with Asian-American history.

“[East West Players] is an Asian American theater and to be able to tell this story, which is about the legacy of Asian Americans in performing arts, at a theater that was founded by Asian American performing artists in 1965, it’s great,” said Chung. “It’s the perfect home for [this story].”

According to Chung, the information on consultants Kwan and Leong was limited, which further inspired him to create this re-imagination of an important part of history. He said the limited information gave him more freedom as a writer.

In “Unbroken Blossoms,” the consultants represent two different perspectives as Asian American men working in White-dominated spaces during the early 1900s.

Kwan, a family man, is introduced in the play as someone optimistic and excited to work on a film featuring a “Chinese” character. On the other hand, Leong is more cynical, advising Kwan that while at work, the only thing to do is just “nod and smile.”

“I wanted to have two characters that embodied those two points of views, and throw them together into this situation where those views are challenged,” said Chung. “It was really a way for me to explore that conflict of optimism versus pessimism and what that must have been like back then, and what that says about our times now.”

According to Chung, another important element to the play is the concept of “nod and smile.”

“There’s kind of this thread that goes through the play of these two Asian men working in Hollywood in 1919, that you really can’t do much more other than nod and smile,” said Chung. “And what does that mean to go through your career just nodding and smiling when there are more ambitions underneath?”

Jeff Liu, the director of the “Unbroken Blossoms,” was previously the literary manager at East West Players. This is his sixth main stage at East West Players.

“I think in many ways this show is a tribute to the ones who went before and on whose shoulders we stand,” said Liu.  “It’s a reminder of how powerful stories are and how even being able to tell their story is not something we should take for granted.”

Liu said that while there are uncomfortable elements to the play, such as having a White actor portray a Chinese man, the history is what is important.

“We have this long history of how we have dealt with being othered in this country,” he said. “And how do we deal with our need to represent ourselves and to have our stories be relevant?”

Liu said that “Unbroken Blossoms” highlights the struggles of artists, but also the struggle of humanity. Within these struggles lie the intersections of race, gender, and how Asian Americans navigate those concepts.

“I hope it is a real play of ideas that will provoke conversation about history, about the past, about the present,” he said. “Also, what is it like to go through these different kinds of journeys of how you grin and bear it, of how you endure, and what do you do with the rage?”

Liu said that this play touches on many aspects of the Asian American experience, from solidarity, to struggle to assimilation.

He said that “Unbroken Blossoms”, and East West Players, serve as reminders of the power of stories.

“There’s nothing quite like it,” he said. “It’s part of our embrace of the power of the arts, to make differences small and large.”

Actor Ron Song, who plays the role of consultant Moon Kwan, said he feels “blessed” to have joined East West Players.

Moon Kwan is Song’s first professional theater role, as he didn’t begin acting professionally until 2021. He also played a supporting role in the Amazon Prime comedy series, “Jury Duty.”

Song said that the struggles portrayed in the play are still relevant today.

“To see the relevance of a story that is set in that time and understanding where we are now, it gives us a great reflection point,” he said. “To see how far we have come and how far yet we have to go.”

Song said that his intention behind Kwan’s character was to provide a continued sense of hope.

“There’s optimism to Moon,” he said. “That kind of optimism is reflected, because it’s necessary. Otherwise, you can’t progress, you can’t go forward.”

Song hopes people leave the theater feeling hopeful, while still recognizing the historical challenges these characters faced.

“The racism for this play is kind of a character in and of itself,” he said. “You can see the different power struggles, the different plays, the hierarchies that exist, the ways in which racism rears its head. From ignorance, to power, to violence, to dismissal, it’s intricate and multifaceted.”

Chung, the playwright, hopes that people become curious about not just Leong and Kwan, but other marginalized filmmakers.

“Despite the obstacles, they went after their dream, and however people want to interpret if they achieved it or not, the fact is they never gave up,” said Chung.

“Unbroken Blossoms” is running until July 21 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles. For more information, visit, https://www.eastwestplayers.org/unbroken.