Contemporary Asian American Drama
AMST S248E (CRN: 30350)
Instructors: Shilarna Stokes
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Online Course. In the 1960s, the designation "Asian American" emerged to encompass a diverse array of experiences, histories, languages, and cultures. This decade also marked the establishment of the first Asian American theater companies, which subsequently led to an increasing collection of plays authored by Asian American playwrights. This seminar will facilitate in-depth readings and discussions of works by fifteen contemporary playwrights whose heritage connects them to various regions across East, South, Southeast, and Western Asia. Notable figures include Philip Kan Gotanda, David Henry Hwang, Aasif Mandvi, Qui Nguyen, Jiehae Park, and Sanaz Toossi, among others. Alongside employing various analytical methods for dramatic texts, we will explore the political, cultural, and historical contexts that influenced the consciousness of Asian American playwrights during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Our aim is to gain a renewed understanding of what it means to be (and perform) Asian Americanness for both current and future generations. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.