In the late nineteenth century, Asian American drama made its debut with the spotlight firmly on the lives and struggles of Asians in North America, rather than on the cultures and traditions of the Asian homeland. Today, Asian American playwrights continue to challenge the limitations of established theatrical conventions and direct popular attention toward issues and experiences that might otherwise be ignored or marginalized. While Asian American literature came into full bloom in the last 25 years, Asian American drama has yet to receive the kind of critical attention it warrants. This reference book serves as a versatile vehicle for exploring the field of Asian American drama from its recorded conception to its present stage.
Included are alphabetically arranged entries for 52 Asian American dramatists of origins from India, Pakistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. Each entry includes relevant biographical information that contextualizes the works of a playwright, an interpretive description of selected plays that spotlights recurring themes and plots, a summary of the playwright's critical reception, and a bibliography of primary and secondary works. The entries are written by expert contributors and reflect the ethnic diversity of the Asian American community. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography, which includes anthologies, scholarly studies, and periodicals.
| Preface | ||
| Brenda Wong Aoki | 1 | |
| Jeannie Barroga | 6 | |
| Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge | 14 | |
| Eugenie Chan | 18 | |
| Frank Chin | 24 | |
| Ping Chong | 33 | |
| Govindas Vishnudas Desani | 41 | |
| Louella Dizon | 45 | |
| Maura Nguyen Donohue | 49 | |
| Linda Faigao-Hall | 57 | |
| Alberto S. Florentino | 63 | |
| Philip Kan Gotanda | 69 | |
| Jessica Tarahata Hagedorn | 89 | |
| Amy Hill | 98 | |
| Velina Hasu Houston | 103 | |
| Shih-I Hsiung | 121 | |
| David Henry Hwang | 126 | |
| Momoko Iko | 145 | |
| Susan Kim | 151 | |
| Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl | 156 | |
| Dan Kwong | 162 | |
| le thi diem thuy | 170 | |
| Cherylene Lee | 175 | |
| Ling-Ai (Gladys) Li | 185 | |
| Genny Lim | 189 | |
| Paul Stephen Lim | 201 | |
| Sandra Tsing Loh | 212 | |
| Darrell H. Y. Lum | 218 | |
| Marlane Meyer | 227 | |
| Nobuko Miyamoto | 233 | |
| Milton Atsushi Murayama | 239 | |
| Jude Narita | 245 | |
| Lane Nishikawa | 251 | |
| Dwight Okita | 263 | |
| Han Ong | 271 | |
| Uma Parameswaran | 278 | |
| Ralph B. Pena | 283 | |
| Santha Rama Rau | 288 | |
| Sung Jung Rno | 292 | |
| Dmae Roberts | 298 | |
| Edward Sakamoto | 303 | |
| Bina Sharif | 310 | |
| R. A. Shiomi | 315 | |
| Diana Son | 321 | |
| Alice Tuan | 328 | |
| Denise Uyehara | 334 | |
| Ermena Marlene Vinluan | 340 | |
| Elizabeth Wong | 347 | |
| Merle Woo | 361 | |
| Wakako Yamauchi | 367 | |
| Laurence Michael Yep | 377 | |
| Chay Yew | 384 | |
| Selected Bibliography | 391 | |
| Index | 395 | |
| About the Editor and Contributors | 403 |
Overview
In the late nineteenth century, Asian American drama made its debut with the spotlight firmly on the lives and struggles of Asians in North America, rather than on the cultures and traditions of the Asian homeland. Today, Asian American playwrights continue to challenge the limitations of established theatrical conventions and direct popular attention toward issues and experiences that might otherwise be ignored or marginalized. While Asian American literature came into full bloom in the last 25 years, Asian ...