Asian American Theater Company
Encyclopedia
Asian American Theater Company (AATC) is a non-profit theatre performance company based in San Francisco.
. In addition to being a producing company, AATC is a workshop where Asian
Pacific Islander
writers, actors and directors can explore ideas and create works that carry with them the AATC's purpose, which is to explore who Asian Pacific Islander Americans
are as a people and as a community.
For many years the Asian American Theater Company was housed in The Asian American Theater Center located near the corner of Arguello and Clement Streets in San Francisco’s ethnically diverse Richmond district. The Theater Center suffered much damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but was able to re-open its doors a year later. The costly repairs however created a heavy economic burden and in 1996 the Asian American Theater Company moved its administrative offices to Japantown, and produced its plays in various theater venues throughout the city such as the Off-Market Theater and the Thick House. Today the administrative offices reside in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood at 1695 18th Street.
with full-production run.
Background
The Asian American Theater Company was established in 1973 by playwright Frank Chin to develop and present original works of theatre about Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descentAsian American theatre
Asian American theater is theater written, directed or acted by Asian Americans.- Background :Asian American theater emerged in the 1960s and the 1970s with the foundation of four theatre companies: East West Players in Los Angeles, Asian American Theatre Workshop in San Francisco, Theatrical...
. In addition to being a producing company, AATC is a workshop where Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
writers, actors and directors can explore ideas and create works that carry with them the AATC's purpose, which is to explore who Asian Pacific Islander Americans
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
are as a people and as a community.
For many years the Asian American Theater Company was housed in The Asian American Theater Center located near the corner of Arguello and Clement Streets in San Francisco’s ethnically diverse Richmond district. The Theater Center suffered much damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but was able to re-open its doors a year later. The costly repairs however created a heavy economic burden and in 1996 the Asian American Theater Company moved its administrative offices to Japantown, and produced its plays in various theater venues throughout the city such as the Off-Market Theater and the Thick House. Today the administrative offices reside in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood at 1695 18th Street.
Main Stage Productions
New plays and revivals of classics by Asian Pacific Islander American playwrights, directed, performed and designed by local talent. Most scripts will have been developed at AATC and each will be presented at various venues around the Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
with full-production run.
Emerging Artists Project
Young actors, many of whom are making their acting debut, perform plays by new playwrights or revivals of classics by established artists. Many of the actors and writers taking part in the Emerging Artists Project have participated in the Training Program.Staged Readings
Scripts under development are directed, rehearsed and presented, followed by discussion and critique. Readings are free or a nominal donation is requested. Scripts from women and under-represented Asian Pacific Islander groups are especially welcome.Training Program
Two semesters each year of courses in acting, scene study, voice and movement and playwright's workshops, conducted by professional artists, offered at low cost.Alumni
Many well known Asian American actors and playwrights have been associated with AATC productions in the past. Notable alumni:Actors
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Playwrights
- Frank ChinFrank ChinFrank Chin is an American author and playwright.- Life and career :Frank Chin was born in Berkeley, California, but was raised to the age of six by a retired Vaudeville couple in Placerville, California. At six his mother brought him back to the San Francisco Bay Area to live in Oakland Chinatown...
- Philip Kan GotandaPhilip Kan GotandaPhilip Kan Gotanda is an American playwright and filmmaker. Much of his work deals with Asian American issues and experiences.- Biography :...
- Hiroshi KashiwagiHiroshi KashiwagiHiroshi Kashiwagi is a Nisei poet, playwright and actor. For his writing and performance work on stage he is considered an early pioneer of Asian American theatre.-Biography:...
- Ken NarasakiKen NarasakiKen Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
- Rick ShiomiRick ShiomiRick Shiomi is a Japanese Canadian playwright, stage director and taiko artist. He is a founder and currently the Artistic Director of the Minneapolis, Minnesota based Asian American theater company, Mu Performing Arts.-Early life:...