Asian American Theater

(4 Credits)

This course acts as both an introduction to the genre of Asian American theatre and an interrogation into how this genre has been constituted. Through a combination of play analysis and historical discussion?starting with Frank Chen?s The Chickencoop Chinaman, the first Asian American play produced in a mainstream venue?the class looks at the ways Asian American drama and performance intersect with a burgeoning Asian American consciousness. We review the construction of Asian American history through such plays as Genny Lim?s Paper Angels and more recent works such as Chay Yew?s A Language of Their Own. We also read theoretical and historical texts that provide the basis for a critical examination of the issues surrounding Asian American theatre. Orientalism, media representation, and theories of genealogy inform our discussion.