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Whither Asian-American Actors?
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19662 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
9 / 1991 |
1,332 Words |
| Author
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Scarlet Cheng
Scarlet Cheng, based in Los Angeles, is a contributing editor
to the arts section of The World & I. |
In the heated controversy over the casting of Miss Saigon last summer, the battle often seemed to be between the highly visible British producer Cameron Mackintosh and a rather amorphous group of Asian-American actors. Actors' Equity was caught in between, first acting as spokesman for the actors. Then, in a dramatic about-face, it capitulated point-by-point to the demands of the powerful producer.
Though such celebrated Asian-American artists as playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and writer Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) spoke out for the Asian-American actors, few of the actors themselves were identifiable, leading one to wonder about their actual number and professional standing.
While it may have seemed questionable to be fighting for parts in a musical like the triple Tony Award-winner Miss Saigon, one issue got buried in the melee--that a slew of Asian-American actors were out there, ready, willing, and able to take on roles on the professional stage.
The producers of the recent Broadway musical Shogun, for example, decided up front to find Asian-American actors to play its Japanese roles. Thus, it employed some two dozen Asian cast members, including leading players June Angela and Francis Ruivivar, who were both critically praised for their performances.
But big-budget productions featuring Asia Americans are rare, and although nontraditional casting is an emerging trend, Asian-American actors still feel their opportunities are constricted by typecasting in the industry. Often they have turned to some of the dozen Asian-American theaters around the country to develop their skills, to practice their craft, and, quite simply, to work. Two of the foremost venues are the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City and the East West Players in Los Angeles.
No Jobs
As Ann Tauji, an actress with Pan Asian Rep and cochair of the Asian Pacific Alliance for Creative Equality (APACE), explains, "The reason why Pan Asian Repertory and many other ethnic theaters started was because there were no jobs for us--other than walk-ons, prostitutes, and gangsters. Pan Asian Rep has been in there pushing for Asian actors--and not only actors but also playwrights, designers, and so on."
Asian-American theater in the United States was pioneered by
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