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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2014)
OPINION Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER January 20, 2014 Volume 24 Number 2 January 20, 2014 ISSN: 1094-9453 The Asian Reporter is published on the first and third Monday each month. Please send all correspondence to: The Asian Reporter 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 1A, Portland, OR 97217 Phone: (503) 283-4440, Fax: (503) 283-4445 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com Advertising Department e-mail: ads@asianreporter.com General e-mail: info@asianreporter.com Website: www.asianreporter.com Please send reader feedback, Asian-related press releases, and community interest ideas/stories to the addresses listed above. Please include a contact phone number. Advertising information available upon request. Publisher Jaime Lim Contributing Editors Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), Jeff Wenger Correspondents Ian Blazina, Josephine Bridges, Pamela Ellgen, Maileen Hamto, Edward J. Han, A.P. 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Thank you. avid Henry Hwang isn’t a household name shame many Asians in Portland do not know about even among Asian Americans. Few play- them. Most of his plays have been based on wrights become famous, even veteran Asian-American history and themes. writers who have won as many awards as Hwang, M. Butterfly remains Hwang’s best-known and including a Tony Award, an Obie, and two Pulitzer most-produced work. It’s based on a true story of a nominations. French diplomat who had a 20-year relationship I didn’t learn about Hwang until I understudied with a Chinese Opera star he believed to be female. for M. Butterfly at the Oregon Shakespeare Festi- F.O.B. captures the conflict between Fresh-Off-the- val/Portland (the previous incarnation of Portland Boat immigrants and established Asian Americans. Center Stage) in 1992. At the time I was excited The Dance and the Railroad is about the only known about being part of an Asian play, even as an labor strike by Chinese railroad workers in 1867 understudy. I’d already had and features beautiful Chi- more than 10 years of theatre nese Opera movement. Golden experience, but because I could Child details the lives of an pass for white (not by choice), I early 20th-century Chinese never had an opportunity until family. then to play an Asian charac- Hwang’s partly autobio- ter. It was exciting to be in- graphical 2007 play Yellow volved in a play that had Face exposes subtle conflicts cultural meaning and was in- about the politics of casting credibly well written. racially and also includes Let’s face it, not many events that happened to Asians attend theatre. Part of Hwang’s father, who was a the reason might be there are Tina Chilip (left) plays Xi Yan and Peter O’Connor banker accused of trumped-up rarely any plays that feature plays Daniel Cavanaugh in David Henry Hwang’s charges in the ’90s — an Asian Americans or Asian Chinglish. The performance runs through Febru- experience similar to those of content. Not many films or ary 9 at the Gerding Theater at the Armory in Taiwanese-American scientist television shows do either. Yet northwest Portland. (Photo/Patrick Weishampel, Wen Ho Lee. there is a plethora of plays courtesy of Portland Center Stage) With Chinglish, Hwang written by Asian Americans across the country — turns his focus to larger international themes, plays that will likely never be staged in Portland. including the difficulties of language and culture. Most of these works document different times in Hwang says navigating the language barrier made history encompassing a multitude of Asian ethni- it natural for him to write about language conflicts cities across the country. and the difficulty people have in communication Despite the huge influx of actors moving to Port- even when they speak the same language. The title land and the burgeoning of small theatres in the last pokes fun at the English signs Hwang encountered five years, Asian-American theatre and roles for when on a trip to China — a “Deformed Man’s Toilet” to describe a restroom for handicapped Asian actors here remain virtually nonexistent. The last play in Portland with an Asian cast was patrons, a sign in a women’s restroom that read Snow Falling On Cedars in 2010 produced by Port- “Wash After Relief,” and more. Hwang is quick to point out that he took great land Center Stage (PCS). David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish will be the first play by an Asian- pains to present mistakes English speakers make American playwright with a mostly Asian cast in a with the Chinese language. In the play he very long time. And it’s the first professional highlights a western academic magazine mistaking production of a Hwang play in Portland since 1992. I a call-girl ad from Shanghai for Chinese poetry and have to say kudos to PCS for taking on Chinglish — running it as its cover. “There are still a lot of mistranslated Chinese one of the most challenging of Hwang’s works. Chinglish not only requires Asian actors who can translations in signs,” says Hwang. “But in America speak Mandarin Chinese, but also one Caucasian we don’t even try to be bilingual with signs. We don’t actor who is fluent in the language. About a third of even create the possibility that we will make the play is in Mandarin and supertitles with mistakes because we’re not even making the effort.” Local theatre often doesn’t make enough of an English translations are provided to help the effort either. Not when it comes to producing works audience understand what is being said. Continued on page 20 Hwang has such a strong cannon of works, it’s a D Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.