DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

A History of Asian American Theatre

Esther Kim Lee author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:12th Oct '06

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This hardback is available in another edition too:

A History of Asian American Theatre cover

This book surveys the history of Asian American theatre from 1965 to 2005.

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, and B. D. Wong. Based on over seventy interviews, this 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 actor's activism to Asian Diaspora, the book documents how Asian American theatre has become an indispensable part of American culture.

  • Winner of Research Award for Outstanding Booklength Study in Theatre Practice and Pedagogy given by ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) 2007

ISBN: 9780521850513

Dimensions: 235mm x 160mm x 25mm

Weight: 550g

284 pages