Prominent Theatre Artists Join CART Students to Address Representation of Asian Americans Onstage

On Friday Feb 23 at 6:00 pm the Department of Theatre and Dance will host a panel discussion to provide historical context for the upcoming musical Anything Goes. Entitled “The Evolution of Ching and Ling to John and Luke: Examining the Troubling History of Racial Stereotypes in Anything Goes.” The libretto of Anything Goes was updated in 1987 and the panel will examine why such a change was necessary.

Joining the discussion are two prominent artists from the professional theatre community. Steven Eng, a classically trained actor, is a founding member of the National Asian Artists Project, a non-profit organization to promote “the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach and educational programming.” Eng has performed internationally, including in London’s West End.

Nandita Shenoy, New York-based playwright and performer, will also be on the panel. Shenoy is on the steering committee for the Asian American Performers Action Coalition whose mission is “to expand the perception of Asian American performers in order to increase their access to and representation on New York City’s stages.” Shenoy’s most recent play “Washer/Dryer” was produced by the acclaimed Ma-Yi Theatre Company in 2016.

Graduate Student Ashlee Morel will moderate the discussion, with Undergraduate Students Jason Yanto and Kevin Wang, who play as John and Luke respectively, sharing their experiences working on the roles. The panel is free and open to the public, and will take place in The Presentation Room in the School of Communication.