TY - BOOK
T1 - Performing Asian America
T2 - Race and ethnicity on the contemporary stage
AU - Lee, Josephine
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - At a time when Asian American theater is enjoying a measure of growth and success, Josephine Lee tells us about the complex social and political issues depicted by Asian American playwrights. By looking at performances and dramatic texts, Lee argues that playwrights produce a different conception of "Asian America" in accordance with their unique set of sensibilities. For instance, some Asian American playwrights critique the separation of issues of race and ethnicity from those of economics and class, or they see ethnic identity as a voluntary choice of lifestyle rather than an impetus for concerted political action. Others deal with the problem of cultural stereotypes and how to reappropriate their power. Lee is attuned to the complexities and contradictions of such performances, and her trenchant thinking about the criticisms lobbed at Asian American playwrights - for their choices in form, perpetuation of stereotype, or apparent sexism or homophobia - leads her to question how the presentation of Asian American identity in the theater parallels problems and possibilities of identity offstage as well.
AB - At a time when Asian American theater is enjoying a measure of growth and success, Josephine Lee tells us about the complex social and political issues depicted by Asian American playwrights. By looking at performances and dramatic texts, Lee argues that playwrights produce a different conception of "Asian America" in accordance with their unique set of sensibilities. For instance, some Asian American playwrights critique the separation of issues of race and ethnicity from those of economics and class, or they see ethnic identity as a voluntary choice of lifestyle rather than an impetus for concerted political action. Others deal with the problem of cultural stereotypes and how to reappropriate their power. Lee is attuned to the complexities and contradictions of such performances, and her trenchant thinking about the criticisms lobbed at Asian American playwrights - for their choices in form, perpetuation of stereotype, or apparent sexism or homophobia - leads her to question how the presentation of Asian American identity in the theater parallels problems and possibilities of identity offstage as well.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902418353&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84902418353&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Book
AN - SCOPUS:84902418353
SN - 156639502X
SN - 9781566395021
BT - Performing Asian America
PB - Temple University Press
ER -