Filed under: Career Advising, Dramaturgy, NYC Theatre, Script Development, Theatre | Tags: A. Rey Pamatmat, Actor, Anne Hamilton, Asian, Christopher Oscar Peña, Diversity, Hamilton Dramaturgy, Latino, Playwright, Script Development
My Parents Were Tiger People: christopher oscar peña chats about writing race with A. Rey Pamatmat
Excerpt:
A. Rey Pamatmat: In the lobby for a production of my play Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them I overheard a woman say, “This play would get done everywhere if the main characters weren’t Asian.” Discussing the same play, a young future theater professional asked, “Why are Kenny and Edith Filipino?” To which I replied, “Why are you white?” And in the year following my apparent need to justify putting Asian-American characters on stage, others did their best to keep Asian actors off stage by casting white actors in yellow-/brownface (The Nightingale, The Orphan of Zhao, and Pippin: A Bollywood Spectacular come to mind).
Imagine my surprise when—upon The Flea’s announcement of my friend christopher oscar peña’s gorgeous play a cautionary tail—I felt compelled to ask why his main characters are Chinese-American. chris is Latino, and his plays feature characters of his own ethnicity in Icarus Burns or of other Latino descent in TINY PEOPLE. All three plays deal with bicultural identity, but in a world that doesn’t seem to want Asians onstage, why would a Latino playwright compose a play with two Chinese-American leads?
christopher oscar peña: Like you, my initial response is: why not? This is America right?
Filed under: Career Advising, Dramaturgy, Theatre | Tags: Actor, Anne Hamilton, Apps, Digital Tools, Director, Dramaturg, Dramaturgical Applications, Dramaturgical Tools, Dramaturgy, Hamilton Dramaturgy, Production Dramaturgy, Samuel French, Student, www.hamiltonlit.com
Here’s what’s new on the digital scene, straight from www.samuelfrench.com.
Samuel French has teamed up with MyTheaterApps.com, the developer of Scene Partner, an award-winning App that helps actors learn their lines using their own scripts or by choosing from a growing collection of Publisher e-Scripts—the authorized Acting Editions designed specifically for use with Scene Partner. The first wave of select Samuel French titles are available in the Scene Partner webstore for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch). Apps for other Smartphones and Android devices coming soon. For more information, click HERE.
What is Scene Partner?:
Scene Partner is an app for Apple devices that allows actors to listen to their lines, their cues, or a whole scene to help them learn their lines faster. Actors can listen to a variety of prerecorded voices – available in different dialects as well – or they can record themselves and their cast mates! Each role can be isolated, so every actor can follow their track through the show or they can customize their track by making their own French Scene Breakdown. Everyone stays on the same page, with real time syncing of any cuts or edits to the script!
Filed under: Dramaturgy, NYC Theatre, Theatre, TheatreNow! Podcasts, Women Theatre Artists | Tags: Actor, Anne Hamilton, Dramaturg, Hamilton Dramaturgy's TheatreNow!, http://hamiltondramaturgystheatrenow.com, Kate Valk, NYC Theatre, St. Ann's Warehouse, The Wooster Group, TheatreNow!
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! is a podcast series featuring some of the most exciting women artists working in the theatre today. Anne Hamilton is the producer and host. You may listen to the podcasts and read the transcripts at http://hamiltondramaturgystheatrenow.com
Kate Valk in The Wooster Group’s HOUSE/LIGHTS
Photo by Paula Court
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow!
Interview with Kate Valk, Actress
(Season 3, Episode 1, Recorded February 18, 2012)
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! Podcast with Kate Valk
Ms. Valk has been a driving force in The Wooster Group since 1979, appearing in all of its productions, including ROUTE 1 & 9, LSD […JUST THE HIGH POINTS…], THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTHONY, THE EMPEROR JONES, BRACE UP!, THE HAIRY APE, and HOUSE/LIGHTS. EARLY PLAYS, opened in February at St. Ann’s Warehouse. I had the opportunity to interview her there just before a performance.
You may read the interview here: HamiltonDramaturgy’s TheatreNow! Interview with Kate Valk
This episode is dedicated to Nicholas F. Matterese, AIA.
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
And please read the AMERICAN THEATRE magazine article on TheatreNow! here: AMERICAN THEATRE article on TheatreNow! by Margot Melcon (October 2012)
Filed under: Dramaturgy, NYC Theatre, TheatreNow! Podcasts, Women Theatre Artists | Tags: Actor, Anne Hamilton, Hamilton Dramaturgy's TheatreNow!, Kate Valk, NYC Theatre, St. Ann, St. Ann's Warehouse, The Wooster Group, TheatreNow!
Season Three of Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! launches today with an interview with Kate Valk, Actress with The Wooster Group, on our brand new website http://hamiltondramaturgystheatrenow.com.
An original company member, Ms. Valk has been a driving force in The Wooster Group since 1979, appearing in all of its productions, including ROUTE 1 & 9, LSD [….JUST THE HIGH POINTS…], THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTHONY, THE EMPEROR JONES, BRACE UP!, THE HAIRY APE, and HOUSE/LIGHTS. EARLY PLAYS, the group’s newest show, opened in February, 2012 at St. Ann’s Warehouse. I had the opportunity to interview her there just before a performance. The podcast is in post-production and will be posted shortly.
You may download the transcript here: HamiltonDramaturgy’s TheatreNow! Interview with Kate Valk
TheatreNow! is now available on Soundcloud. Many thanks to our Archivist, Helaine, who created our new website. Please follow us by subscribing to our website.
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Filed under: TheatreNow! Podcasts | Tags: Actor, Anne Hamilton, Claire Lautier, Dramaturg, Hamilton Dramaturgy's TheatreNow!, Linsey Bostwick, www.hamiltonlit.com
Welcome to Hamilton Dramaturgy’s site.
This audio interview with Claire Lautier is the second in my TheatreNow! podcast series of important contemporary female theatre artists.
Hamilton Dramaturgy’s TheatreNow! Interview with Claire Lautier
You can learn more about Claire’s career at on the Internet Movie Data Base – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491621/
— Anne Hamilton, Dramaturg and Playwright. http://www.hamiltonlit.com hamiltonlit@hotmail.com
TheatreNow! Staff: Producer and Host – Anne Hamilton; Editor – Linsey Bostwick