Arts & Entertainment - CBC News: David Henry Hwang, the American playwright of Tony-award winning play M. Butterfly and Chinglish, remains fascinated by cross-cultural identity in his writing.
When he first set out to be a playwright, Hwang says he wasn’t interested in his Chinese background. However, when he sat down to write, his subconscious brought the theme of immigration and of the immigrant experience to the fore.
2 comments:
It's true, there aren't a lot of opportunities for Asian actors in most shows unless they're highly stereotypical and/or comedic or in a remounting of a traditional Asian-style show. I think what Hwang is doing is a great thing in giving Asian actors an outlet for showcasing talent in a way other playwrights haven't really done. There's a diverse community of acting talent, and it's not fair that it happens to be indirectly discriminatory. Plays like the ones Hwang writes can also speak to a diverse American audience, since we are after all a melting pot of different cultures brought to us by immigrants.
I have always found that cross cultural and interracial shows and traditions really fascinating. Growing up in a cross cultural environment, I enjoy learning the way other cultures mix. I think that the theatre is a great place for that everyone to be exposed to how others live. 'In the Heights' is an example of a show that I have seen that I think does accurately represent the barrio scene all over the states, my grandparents still live in one.
Regarding not casting racially appropriate characters in the roles is tricky. Because on the one hand a white person playing an Asian role over an actual Asian actor is not right. But what do you say when the white actor is better? Its still not fair, but in my mind, the best person should get the job/part what have you. I know that that is not always the case since we do not live in a perfect world, but it is nice to hope.
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