Asian American Theatre - Background

Background

Asian-American theatre emerged in the 1960s and the 1970s with the foundation of four theatre companies: East West Players in Los Angeles, Asian American Theatre Workshop (later renamed Asian American Theater Company) in San Francisco, Theatrical Ensemble of Asians (later renamed Northwest Asian American Theatre) in Seattle, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City. The four companies have provided the resources and opportunities to actors, writers, directors, designers, and producers to pursue and define Asian-American theatre for almost four decades. By the end of the 1990s, the number of Asian-American theatre companies and performance groups grew to about forty. Asian-American plays have appeared on Broadway and regional theatres and have received major awards both nationally and internationally. Asian-American actors have used Asian-American theatre companies as their artistic bases while pursuing careers in the mainstream theatre, film, and television. Alternative forms of theatre and performance such as multimedia performance, solo performance, and spoken word have also shaped Asian-American theatre. In the beginning, participants of Asian-American theatre were mostly of East Asian descent, but in the 1990s and the 21st century, more artists of Southeast Asian and South Asian backgrounds have joined the community and have made Asian-American theatre one of the fastest growing and changing sectors in American theatre.