Asian American Theatre - Alternative Theatre and Performance

Alternative Theatre and Performance

One of the pioneers of Asian-American alternative theatre is Ping Chong, a Chinese American multimedia artist who has created avant-garde theatre since the early 1970s. He has used visual effects, sound control, dance, mime, spectacle, and other methods based on the sensibilities of Cantonese opera. Another form of alternative theatre is solo performance. Often written, directed, and acted by one performer, solo performance has provided many Asian-American artists with the opportunity to voice their experiences. Solo performers, such as Dan Kwong, Denise Uyehara, Jude Narita, and Lane Nishikawa, have toured with their shows and have introduced Asian-American theatre to audiences in all parts of the country. Group performances have also toured, especially to colleges and universities. Often comedic, group performances, such as Slant Performance Group and the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, have been popular amongst college students, many of who saw Asian-American performers onstage for the first time. Recently, spoken word groups have become the newest form of Asian-American theatre and performance.