Asian Plays for the Stage
As Asians continue to dominate the film and television industries, it would be nice to see more Asian plays get a wider exposure. However, even with shows like ER and The Big Bang Theory receiving multiple big-budget film treatments, there is still a reluctance to show these types of stories on the stage. The reason is that, unlike those two shows which have garnered massive popularity and success, the asian play has yet to gain a reputation comparable in magnitude.
But it is important to remember that the theatre is a wonderful tool for teaching about Asian history and culture. Especially with the emergence of modernism in Asia, dramas became a way to explore conceptions of culture and society. By putting actors on a stage, theatres were able to demonstrate how people in their respective societies stood, sat, talked and interacted with one another, as well as their philosophy and religion.
One of the earliest classics in Asian American theatre, Edward Sakamoto’s AND THE SOUL SHALL DANCE tells the story of a Japanese family as they struggle to survive in California during The Great Depression. It explores the ideas of assimilation, immigration and how to deal with oppression. This is an excellent choice for a teen or college classroom because it deals with issues that many Americans are not familiar with, yet are relevant to the current political climate. For more details please visit asiaplay88
YELLOW FEVER is another of the earliest classics in Asian American Theatre. It is about the love and obsession of a woman, Bibi, for a man she married off to the Communist Party. It is also a commentary on America’s reaction to the Vietnam War and a call for racial justice. It is a perfect play to use in high school and college classrooms because it illustrates the effects of prejudice and racism.
RAUNCHY ASIAN WOMEN is a play about the experiences of Asian women in modern times. It tackles stereotypes of Asian women, ranging from the exotic geisha to the suicidal Miss Saigon. By using dance, music and spoken word, this play is a unique way to expose the many facets of Asian women. This is a fantastic choice for any college or high school classroom because it allows students to examine the stereotypes of Asian women in a different way than through movies and television shows, which tend to paint a broad picture of an entire culture. It is an important piece of contemporary Asian American theatre because it reflects the true experiences of young women in our culture. This is a play that all audiences should be able to appreciate and understand.
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