Asian-American Theatre

It is first worth noting that the term "Asian-American" did not exist before the early 1960s, and therefore nor did "Asian-American Theatre." There were of course theatrical performances and activities by Asian immigrants and their descendants in the USA for many years. For example, the first Chinese theatrical performance was presented on stage at the American Theater on Sansome Street in San Francisco by the Tong Hook Tong Dramatic Company, a Cantonese opera troupe from the Guangdong Province. However, there remains no explicit consensus on exactly what Asian-American Theatre refers to today. Generally speaking, this guide will explore the theatre that developed out of the Asian-American movement of the 1960s, which aimed to raise the political and social consciousness of Asian-Americans and move away from the historically racist term “oriental.”

Key Dates, Events, & Genres

• 1965 - Foundation of the East West Players in Los Angeles.
• 1972 - Frank Chin’s The Chickencoop Chinaman premiered at the American Place Theatre in New York.
• 1973 - The Asian American Theatre Company was founded in San Francisco.
• 1977 - The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre opened in New York City.
• 1988 - M.Butterfly opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, becoming the first play to open on Broadway by an Asian-American playwright.
• 1992 - David Henry Hwang’s Bondage.
• 2006, Next Big Bang: The First Asian-American Theatre Conference was held in Los Angeles, spearheaded by East West Players.
• 2007 - David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face.
• 2011 - David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish.