From Exhibition to Expression: AAPI Performing Arts History Lecture Series

History informs our future. Reflecting a deep commitment to Asian American performing arts, Museum of Chinese in America will host a series of lectures from Professor Suzi Takahashi of New York University and Stella Adler Center for the Arts that connects current artists and their work to a rich and contested canon in illuminating and engaging analysis.

From Exhibition to Expression: AAPI Performing Arts History is a three-part series exploring the rich and complex history of AAPI performance in America. From the early exhibition of Asian bodies to the fight for authentic representation on stage and screen, this series traces the evolution of AAPI artists in entertainment. Through discussions on yellowface, Hollywood’s early depictions, Broadway’s barriers, and the rise of Asian American theater, we’ll examine the struggles and triumphs that have defined AAPI performing arts.

Each lecture will feature a special guest who will illuminate historic moments through the lens of their own creative work, providing deeper insight into the impact and legacy of AAPI creators and performers.

This series will take place on Thursdays at 6:30 PM, from September 4 to September 18. While attendees are encouraged to join all three lectures for a comprehensive experience, they are also welcome to attend individual sessions.

LECTURE 1 (September 4)

Early AAPI Performance and the Construction of “Asian-ness”

In the first lecture, Professor Suzi Takahashi will delve into the history of early AAPI immigration to the United States and explore the earliest forms of AAPI performance in America, examining how Asian bodies and cultures were exhibited for public spectacle. Other topics to be covered include the Chinese Exclusion Act, the construction of "Asian-ness" in American melodrama, and the creation of Madame Butterfly—a work that continues to influence perceptions of Asian identity on stage and screen today.

LECTURE 2 (September 11)

Self-Representation vs. Yellowface in 20th Century America

In the second lecture, Professor Suzi Takahashi will focus on the careers of Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong as windows into early AAPI representations on the big screen, as well as the impact of the Hays Codes. From there, the lecture will move into self-representation during the vaudeville era, the Chop Suey Circuit and in American musicals, including those by Rogers & Hammerstein, examining how AAPI performers began to shape their own narratives on stage.

LECTURE 3 (September 18)

Becoming "Asian-American"

In the third lecture, Professor Suzi Takahashi will explore the Asian American Theater Movement of the 1970s, focusing on the role of the Oriental Actors of America (later renamed as the Theater for Asian American Performing Artists) and the protests advocating for AAPI identity on Broadway. Finally, Professor Takahashi will take a closer look at the groundbreaking work of David Henry Hwang and other second-wave playwrights, leading up to a study of AAPI theater today, reflecting on its ongoing evolution and impact.

ABOUT Suzi Takahashi

Suzi Takahashi is an actor, director, theater creator, and educator. She holds a BA in Theatre from Barnard College, a MA in Performance Studies from NYU-Tisch, and an MFA in Directing from Stony Brook Southampton. Suzi is Adjunct Lecturer in Japanese Theater at NYU Tisch/Theatre Studies. She has been a part of The Stella Alder Studio of Acting Movement Faculty since 2011. Previously, Suzi taught theater at: CCNY, The Actor’s Studio, Pace University (IPE,) Hunter College, and Swarthmore College. As a theater creator, she has devised numerous original works, which mostly explore Asian-American women’s identity. As an actor, she has performed for artists like Richard Foreman, Kristin Marting, Phil Soltanoff, and Taylor Mac. Suzi was a two-time HARP Artist-in-Residence at HERE, and an Emerging Artist Directing Fellow at the New York Theater Workshop. She was the recipient of the 2009 Innovative Theater Award for Best Director.

*MOCA members are required to present their MOCA ID at check-in.

** Students are required to present their Student ID at check-in. Artists must provide proof of their artistic practice, such as a website, social media portfolio, business card, or resume.