A history of Asian American theatre / Esther Kim Lee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lee, Esther Kim.

Series:

Cambridge studies in American theatre and drama ; 26.

Cambridge studies in American theatre and drama ; 26

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Asian American theater--History.

Asian American theater.

History.

Physical Description:

xvii, 264 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Summary:

In 1965, the first Asian American theatre company, the East West Players, was founded by a group of actors who wanted to find better opportunities in the acting industry. Forty years later, Asian American theatre is one of the fastest growing theatre sectors with over thirty active theatre companies and numerous award-winning artists such as Frank chin, Jessica Hagedorn, Ping Chong, David Henry Hwang, Philip Kan Gotanda, Velina Hasu Houston, and B. D. Wong. Based on over seventy interviews, the book surveys the history of Asian American theatre from 1965 to 2005 with focus on actors, playwrights, companies, audiences, and communities. Emphasizing historical contexts, Esther Kim Lee examines how issues of cultural nationalism, interculturalism, and identity politics affect a racially defined theatre. Addressing issues ranging from actors' activism to Asian diaspora, the book documents how Asian American theatre has become an indispensable part of American culture.

Contents:

Select Chronology of Asian American theatre: 1965-2005 xiv

Introduction: The links and locations of Asian American theatre 1

1 Asian American theatre before 1965 7

2 Actors in the 1960s and 1970s 23

3 The first four theatre companies 42

4 Diversification of Asian American theatre 92

5 The second wave playwrights 124

6 Solo performance 155

7 The Miss Saigon controversy 177

8 Asian American theatre in the 1990s 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-254) and index.

ISBN:

0521850517

9780521850513

OCLC:

70173376