Anti-immigrant sentiment and family displacement aren’t just descriptors of Japanese internment in World War II. For director Tim Dang, they’re an eerie parallel to the politics of today, he said. Dang directed “Sisters Matsumoto,” a play produced by L.A. Theatre Works, performed in the James Bridges Theatre at UCLA and recorded for audiences to listen […]
Author Archives: Olivia Mazzucato
Professor unearths lost legacies of female pharaohs, parallels with women today
Cleopatra may have ruled more than two thousand years ago, but her reign is still teaching Kara Cooney about the relationship between women and power today. By examining the role of female rulers in ancient Egypt, she is better able to understand gender and power dynamics in today’s world, she said. In Cooney’s new book […]
Panel discusses rise of Asian-American visibility, continued need for progress
“Crazy Rich Asians” was the first film with an all-Asian cast and an Asian-American lead in 25 years. But the film breaking box office records is not necessarily indicative of a sea of change for Asian-American representation, said culinary producer and food stylist Janet Lo – it’s a step toward a larger conversation. On Monday, […]
Dancer explores borders, colonization through multimedia performance
Salia Sanou said he is all too familiar with borders generated by colonizers and the impact they’ve had in the region. His knowledge of such man-made boundaries has guided his work as a dancer from Burkina Faso, using movement to explore the ideas of borders and territory, he said. During periods of colonization, European countries […]
Family tales inspire alumna’s musical about white-passing, cultural identity
Angelica Chéri grew up listening to family stories about her great-great-aunts Mary and Martha Clarke – two white-passing African-American women rumored to have been outlaws in post-emancipation Texas. Drawing on different threads of the family legend, Chéri, an alumna, wrote the script and lyrics for “Gun & Powder,” which will be one of eight featured […]
Second Take: Taylor Swift’s political advocacy engages typically inactive demographic
Nov. 6 – Taylor Swift is ready for it. On Oct. 7, Swift posted on her Instagram, urging her followers to register to vote in the upcoming midterm elections and informing them she would be voting for Democrat Phil Bredesen for the U.S. Senate – a far cry from her apolitical past. Swift joins a […]
Comedic parody ‘Two Mile Hollow’ a challenging commentary on race, privilege
A rich, white family vacations in the Hamptons – but they’re portrayed by Asian-American actors. While “Two Mile Hollow” is a comedic parody, the play uses its casting to unpack and examine white privilege, while also creating roles for Asian actors. Produced by the theater collective Artists at Play and having premiered Thursday, the play […]