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Asian Diaspora Theatre

This section features conversations about or videos of work created by Asian diaspora theatre artists, as well as discussions about issues Asian diaspora artists face. Jane Jung and Victor Maog’s 2014 series Asian American Theatre is a great place to start, or check out the videos in the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists ConFest Virtual Series.

The Latest

Video
Investigating Vietnamese Diasporic Theatre through Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson
A Staged Reading and Post-Show Conversation with CHUANG Stage and Fresh Ink Theatre
Saturday 9 May 2026
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Video
Resistance in Action: Building Solidarity
CAATA Conversations
Monday 3 August 2026
United States
Video
Diaspora Stories: MENA/SWANA Over the Years
CAATA Conversations
Monday 11 May 2026
United States
yellow poster with event details for 2021 originally from china event.
Video

Makings of a New Theatermaker Identity

Saturday 19 June 2021
United States

Chuang Stage presented the B·O·N·D 2021 Opening Panel: Originally from China livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 19 June 2021 at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

illustrations of freedom fighters yuri and malcolm x.
Video

With Home: Asian Voices Reading Series

Saturday 5 June 2021
United States

LA Writers Center presented a performance of Yuri and Malcolm X by Timothy Toyama as a part of Home: Asian Voices Reading Series on Saturday 5 June 2021 at 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

L to R: headshots of Adriana Li, Program Coordinator & Instructor, Impact Boston and Dax Valdes, Senior Trainer, Hollaback!.
Video

Healing Over Hate Episode Two: Bystander intervention and safety awareness trainings to combat anti-AAPI harassment and xenophobia

Monday 10 May 2021
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the second episode of its ongoing monthly ConFest Virtual Series, Healing Over Hate on Monday 10 May at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8), 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7), 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6), 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5), 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

actors on stage looking at a newspaper.
Video

Responding to the Rise of Anti-Asian Violence

Monday 12 April 2021
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) introduced a new ongoing virtual series: Healing Over Hate: Responding to the Rise of Anti-Asian Violence livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 12 April 2021 at 1 p.m. HDT (Honolulu, UTC -9), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8), 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7), 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6), 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5), 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Asian American Directors in Conversation and Practice event poster.
Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 8 March 2021
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the conversation Asian American Directors in Conversation & Practice livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 8 March 2021 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10), 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-9), 3 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC-8), 4 p.m. MST (Denver, UTC-7), 5 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC-6), 6 p.m. EST (New York, UTC-5).

Video

Golden Thread’s annual celebration of International Women’s Day

Monday 8 March 2021
United States

Golden Thread presents the conversation What do the Women Say? Celebrating 25 Years of Centering Women Artists livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 8 March 2021 at 11 a.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 1 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 2 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

a person looking to their right, a projection of a photograph covers their face.
Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 8 February 2021
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the conversation Virtual Series to Discuss COVID-19 and Its Effects on the Work of APA Artists livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 8 February 2021 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10), 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-9), 3 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC-8), 4 p.m. MST (Denver, UTC-7), 5 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC-6), 6 p.m. EST (New York, UTC-5).

Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 11 January 2021
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the conversationWhere We’re At: COVID-19 and the Community livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 11 January 2021 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10), 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-9), 3 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC-8), 4 p.m. MST (Denver, UTC-7), 5 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC-6), 6 p.m. EST (New York, UTC-5).

Podcast

Building Our Own Tables Episode #3

23 December 2020

In the third episode of Build Our Own Tables podcast, host Viviana Vargas interviews Jonathan Castanien co-founder and co-producing artistic leader of The Sống Collective, which uplifts work that pushes against preconceptions of Asian Americans and reclaims the Vietnamese American narrative. Your donation to Advancing Arts Forward supports liberated spaces that uplift, heal and encourage us to change the world.

actors on stage
Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 14 December 2020
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the conversation and performance From the Source, Seeds for a Myriad of Worlds livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 14 December 2020 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10), 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-9), 3 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC-8), 4 p.m. MST (Denver, UTC-7), 5 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC-6), 6 p.m. EST (New York, UTC-5).

Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 9 November 2020
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented Nomadic Imagination: Transnational Homelands & Cultural Return livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 9 November at 2 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-9), 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC-8), 5 p.m. MST (Denver, UTC-7), 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC-6), 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC-5).

Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 12 October 2020
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) presented the third episode of its ongoing monthly ConFest Virtual Series, “Artists on the Frontlines: Creativity & Change During COVID-19” livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday, October 12, 2020 at 1 p.m. HST (Hawai'i, UTC -10) / 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / and 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

four actors onstage
Essay

AAPI Theatre and the Promise of Solidarity

30 September 2020

Sophia Skiles talks about the momentum of unprecedented acclaim and agency for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) theatremakers this spring, which quickly transformed into an inverse rise of AAPI-directed bigotry and bias for the global pandemic.

actors onstage
Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 14 September 2020
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists presented a panel discussion Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 14 September 2020 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-), 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7), 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC-6), 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5), 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Event title and time in a red box, on top of an image of grains of rice.
Video

The Asian American Playwright Collective presents PlayFestival 3

Thursday 20 August 2020
Boston MA, United States

The Asian American Playwrights Collective presented The AAPC PlayFestival of Food Plays livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 20 August 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 2:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

actors performing onstage.
Video

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 10 August 2020
United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists presented a panel discussion Kuʻu ʻĀina, Kuʻu Piko, Kuʻu Kahua - Return to the Source livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 10 August 2020 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-), 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7), 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC-6), 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5), 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

text of event details. A stylized photo of two men touching heads.
Video

A lyrical and dramatic meditation on the nature of desire and sexuality as four men—three Asian and one white—come together and drift apart in a series of interconnection stories

Wednesday 5 August 2020
United States

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston presented A Language of Their Own by Chay Yew livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 5 August 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 2:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

purple and green poster with lotus blossoms
Video

A queer, feminist, modern reinterpretation of the Hindu epic of Ram and Sita presented by Fresh Lime Soda Productions

Saturday 18 July 2020
United States

Fresh Lime Soda Productions presented a staged reading of “Ravayana” livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 18 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

text of event details and a grid of a photo of a person, a trailer park, a rainforest, and a vase of red flowers.
Video

Five monologues for cantankerous women who have a bone to pick with the world

Wednesday 17 July 2020
Boston MA, United States

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston presented Incredibly Annoying Women by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 15 July 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 2:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

Event information and a photo of a person wearing glasses
Video

A 10 minute play about two Asian American actresses waiting to be seen at an audition

Wednesday 8 July 2020
Boston MA, United States

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston presented Waiting for Kim Lee by Vivian-Liu Somers livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 8 July 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 2:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

event title and details.
Video

Written by Michael Lin

Wednesday 1 July 2020
Boston MA, United States

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston presented a reading of Women Behind the Curtain livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 1 July 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 2:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

AATAB logo with event details, and an edited photo of two people sitting at a desk together.
Video

A new play where an overachieving college student is tasked to tutor a smart yet rebellious high school student with a scholarship essay

Wednesday 17 June 2020
Boston MA, United States

Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston presented A Holistic Review by Nelson Niu livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 17 June 2020 at 6:00 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 5:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 4:00 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 3:00 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 12 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10).

Video

A Mu-medley of music, dance, and poetry brought to you by Theater Mu

Friday 22 May 2020
United States

Theater Mu presented A Mu Variety Show livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 22 May 2020 at 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 7 p.m. CDT (St. Paul, UTC-5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

clorox wipes bottle on colored background
Video

An #ArtistResource Conversation

Tuesday 12 May 2020
United States

Livestreamed the #ArtistResource panel Art As Medicine: Building Solidarity in and with Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 12 May 2020 at 8 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UST-10) / 10 a.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-8) / 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Mengtong Guan and Alison Qu.
Video

How to build and invest in a career as a producer and what it means to be a community arts leader at this moment of the world.

Wednesday 29 April 2020
United States

CHUANG Stage presents Asian American Theatermakers in Conversation: Mengtong Guan and Alison Qu livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 29 April 2020 at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / Thursday 30 April 7 a.m (Beijing, GMT+8) / 8 a.m (Tokyo, Seoul, GMT+9).

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