Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a New York City-based theatre group that explores the Asian-American experience and provides professional opportunities for Asian-American artists to collaborate.^[1] Pan-Asian was founded by Tisa Chang and Ernest Abuba in 1977, and Chang remains artistic director.^[2] Chang established the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre as a resident company at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in 1977, with the intention of popularizing Asian-American theater and leading to other similar theatre companies in cities with an Asian disaporic population.^[3][4]

Theatre entrance

Specializing in intercultural productions of new Asian-American plays,^[4] Asian classics in translation, and innovative adaptations of Western classics,^[3] some of the works Pan Asian has presented included:

• Empress of China - featuring Tina Chen in the title role of China's last dowager ruler
• Yellow Fever - continued to an Off-Broadway run
• Ghashiram Kotwal - Marathi play with music
• Teahouse - by Lao She, spanning fifty years of modern Chinese history
• Cambodia Agonistes - by Ernest Abuba, music by Louis Stewart
• The Teahouse of the August Moon - by John Patrick
• Forbidden City Blues - by Alexander Woo
• The Fan Tan King - by C. Y. Leethe, world premiere
• Yohen - by Philip Kan Gotanda
• Tea - by Velina Hasu Houston, 20th anniversary production
• Ching Chong Chinaman at the Westside Theatre^[5]

Pan Asian has staged early works of writers including Momoko Iko, Wakako Yamauchi, Philip Kan Gotanda, R. A. Shiomi, and David Henry Hwang. When they established a residency program in 1987, Pan Asian became the United States' first resident Asian American theater company continuing with Chang's goal to showcase Asian American theater as having a role in the city's theater scene.^[6][7]

See also

• Asian American theatre