THE STORY: In a Los Angeles S&M parlor, a dominatrix and her client are clad head-to-toe in leather costumes that conceal their faces and ethnicities. These elaborate disguises allow them to play out fantasies based on racial stereotypes and sexual mythologies: She pretends to be an African-American woman to his white, liberal man; he transforms into an Asian-American and she into a blond WASP, etc. Exchanging biting social observations with stinging humor, they progress through their power games to expose the arbitrariness of racially minded thinking. All the while, however, they are haunted by an awareness that in spite of their efforts, they may be moving towards the most terrifying reality of all—a true intimacy that transcends the bounds of race.
A companion piece to
Trying to Find Chinatown.
“…the author of
M. Butterfly proves to be a wry observer of contemporary mores and racial stereotypes.” —The New York Times.
“BONDAGE is an intriguing piece of writing by one of the most intelligent and original new voices in the American theater.” —Detroit News.
