Playwright Lucy Kirkwood was commissioned to write the play that would become Chimerica in 2006, seven years before it eventually premiered.[2][3]
The title of the play comes from the portmanteau Chimerica, coined by Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick, referring to the significance of the sociopolitical relationship between China and America, especially in the global economy.[4] Kirkwood has also cited the similarity in sound between 'Chimerica' and the word 'chimera' as a reason for the title.[2]
