Comments on: Asians Playing Non-Asian Roles: The National Asian American Theater Company http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/ A blog for Asian Americans Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:44:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 8Asians.com » Previously This Week on 8Asians http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-129717 8Asians.com » Previously This Week on 8Asians Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:21:35 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-129717 [...] Also last year, Rob notices a theater production where Asian-Americans perform in non-Asian roles. [...] [...] Also last year, Rob notices a theater production where Asian-Americans perform in non-Asian roles. [...]

]]> By: Confuse-us http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-114259 Confuse-us Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:58:30 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-114259 <i>And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.</i> I know. How many white actors have missed the opportunity for stardom and prosperity by being overlooked by this discriminatory Asian theatre group? This is compelling evidence that white people are the real victims of unequal opportunity in this society. And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.

I know. How many white actors have missed the opportunity for stardom and prosperity by being overlooked by this discriminatory Asian theatre group? This is compelling evidence that white people are the real victims of unequal opportunity in this society.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-140273 Anonymous Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:58:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-140273 <i>And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.</i> I know. How many white actors have missed the opportunity for stardom and prosperity by being overlooked by this discriminatory Asian theatre group? This is compelling evidence that white people are the real victims of unequal opportunity in this society. And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.

I know. How many white actors have missed the opportunity for stardom and prosperity by being overlooked by this discriminatory Asian theatre group? This is compelling evidence that white people are the real victims of unequal opportunity in this society.

]]> By: number6 http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-114232 number6 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:28:45 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-114232 And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender. And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.

]]> By: number6 http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-140272 number6 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:28:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-140272 And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender. And they all get temporary amnesia for their indignance with Airbender.

]]> By: Ken Narasaki http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-114116 Ken Narasaki Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:35:49 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-114116 I agree with all of the above and certainly am in favor of anything that empowers Asian American actors and helps forward the cause of non-traditional casting. However, I can't help but think about all the great Asian American writing that doesn't get produced when an Asian American theatre produces work by non-Asian writers and wonder if there shouldn't be more compelling reasons to forsake them in favor of writers of other ethnicities. I'm all in favor of artists doing whatever moves them, and I often find myself falling on both sides of this particular conundrum, but I'm just saying...when Asian American theatres don't do Asian American writers, who will? I agree with all of the above and certainly am in favor of anything that empowers Asian American actors and helps forward the cause of non-traditional casting. However, I can’t help but think about all the great Asian American writing that doesn’t get produced when an Asian American theatre produces work by non-Asian writers and wonder if there shouldn’t be more compelling reasons to forsake them in favor of writers of other ethnicities. I’m all in favor of artists doing whatever moves them, and I often find myself falling on both sides of this particular conundrum, but I’m just saying…when Asian American theatres don’t do Asian American writers, who will?

]]> By: Ken Narasaki http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-140271 Ken Narasaki Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:35:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-140271 I agree with all of the above and certainly am in favor of anything that empowers Asian American actors and helps forward the cause of non-traditional casting. However, I can't help but think about all the great Asian American writing that doesn't get produced when an Asian American theatre produces work by non-Asian writers and wonder if there shouldn't be more compelling reasons to forsake them in favor of writers of other ethnicities. I'm all in favor of artists doing whatever moves them, and I often find myself falling on both sides of this particular conundrum, but I'm just saying...when Asian American theatres don't do Asian American writers, who will? I agree with all of the above and certainly am in favor of anything that empowers Asian American actors and helps forward the cause of non-traditional casting. However, I can’t help but think about all the great Asian American writing that doesn’t get produced when an Asian American theatre produces work by non-Asian writers and wonder if there shouldn’t be more compelling reasons to forsake them in favor of writers of other ethnicities. I’m all in favor of artists doing whatever moves them, and I often find myself falling on both sides of this particular conundrum, but I’m just saying…when Asian American theatres don’t do Asian American writers, who will?

]]> By: Jen http://www.8asians.com/2009/02/23/asians-playing-non-asian-roles-the-national-asian-american-theater-company/comment-page-1/#comment-114096 Jen Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:25:01 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2688#comment-114096 This is also beginning to change in ballet as well--Asian leads, rarely seen, is becoming more common, at least at the SF ballet it is. I wrote previously on how I loved watching Chinese ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan play the role of Giselle, a country girl in Europe somewhere that falls in love with a prince. Her mother wasn't Chinese, nor her partner--it was fantastic. I think people should be cast on their talent, not the way they look. It challenges our perceptions on what we expect to see on stage. Challenging peoples' perceptions seems to be a gamble on the director/executives part in the theater--audiences expect to see a certain archtype on stage (not only ethnicity, but height is a big deal too), but I think they should take a chance and show unique people on stage, it's more fun! This is also beginning to change in ballet as well–Asian leads, rarely seen, is becoming more common, at least at the SF ballet it is. I wrote previously on how I loved watching Chinese ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan play the role of Giselle, a country girl in Europe somewhere that falls in love with a prince. Her mother wasn’t Chinese, nor her partner–it was fantastic. I think people should be cast on their talent, not the way they look. It challenges our perceptions on what we expect to see on stage.

Challenging peoples’ perceptions seems to be a gamble on the director/executives part in the theater–audiences expect to see a certain archtype on stage (not only ethnicity, but height is a big deal too), but I think they should take a chance and show unique people on stage, it’s more fun!

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