Korean diasporic theater takes center stage in a new collection of plays compiled by Esther Kim Lee, a professor of theater and of Asian American studies at the UI.
“Seven Contemporary Plays From the Korean Diaspora in the Americas” (2012/Duke University Press) comprises plays dating from the late 1990s to the present. The collection contains five full-length plays, as well as two one-act plays.
The subject material of each play pertains to the Korean diaspora, a term that refers to the immigration of Korean people to the Americas, especially since the 1960s, when immigration laws were loosened. The Korean diaspora is important to understand in order to fully comprehend the nature of and themes in contemporary plays by writers of Korean background in the Americas, Lee said, and her collection does just that.
Authors from three countries in the Americas – the United States, Canada and Chile – are represented in the book, which contributes to its variety. Themes explored throughout the compilation include “belonging, assimilation, family … and ethnic identity,” Lee said, which are all important concepts in understanding the history of the Korean diaspora in the Americas.
“The book is the only collection of plays that focus on the Korean diasporic experience, and all of the playwrights featured in it are recognized as major writers in the Americas,” she said.
Lee was inspired to create her compilation because she wanted to highlight the work of contemporary Korean-American playwrights who discussed themes of the Korean diaspora.
“After finishing my first book, ‘A History of Asian American Theatre,’ I began to notice a number of Korean-American playwrights getting their plays produced in major venues,” Lee said. “I was also impressed with the quality and diversity of their plays. I wanted to feature them in a collection of plays.”
Lee believes that experiencing plays can provide new and diverse insights to audiences of all backgrounds.
“Drama, in my opinion, is the best way to crystalize how we see ourselves, and the plays in the collection give us an incredibly vivid and imaginative window into the Korean diasporic experience in the Americas,” she said.
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