The article examines the political viability of empathy when we imagine interracial intimacies in womens theatre. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Master of fine arts in theater arts playwriting minor. Velina hasu houston explores japanese and american ethnic distinctions to often stunning effect. Borrowing lauren berlants notions of national sentimentality and the intimate public, i argue that velina hasu houston s tea 1981 and kokoro 1994 complicate our usual understanding of theatrical empathy.
Velina hasu houston is an american playwright, essayist, poet, author, editor and screenwriter who has had many works produced, presented and published. The line between the quick and the dead is a fine one in houston s cosmology, where spirits wander freely and the afterlife seamlessly melds with the now. Description of the book green tea girl in orange pekoe country. Directing kokoro true heart by velina hasu houston in short. Tea, with music, book and lyrics by velina hasu houston and music by nathan wang, is based upon houston s play, tea, a story about five japanese international brides that preceded the joy luck club by several years and also inspired it. Kokoro 1994 complicate our usual understanding of theatrical empathy.
Fanciful, surprising, moving, the plays in this book resonate across boundaries of identity, ethnicity and class. Velina hasu houstons play kokoro examines the japanese traditional practice of oyakoshinju, or parentchild suicide, in a transnational con text. Feeling hopeless after discovering her husbands infidelity, yasako feels that oyako shinju, or. Her other critically acclaimed plays include asa ga kimashita, kokoro, the matsuyama mirror, hula heart, ikebana living flowers, shedding the tiger. Four plays by asian american women, edited by velina hasu houston with an introduction and commentaries by velina hasu houston, temple university press, 1992, in the series asian american history and culture, edited by sucheng chan. The prolific playwright opens up about herself, her work, and her journey. This anthology of work by three asian american women playwrightswakako yamauchi, genny lim, and velina hasu houston features pioneering contemporary writers who have made their mark in regional and ethnic theatres throughout the united states.
Tea 1986, kokoro true heart 1994, calling aphrodite 2003. Writer velina hasu houston has completed over twentyeight commissions in. Roberta uno asian american women playwrights scripts collection. Kokoro true heart explores the struggle of a young japanese mother adapting to th. Challenging the audience to empathize with the accused in the face of a heinous crime, velina hasu houston s beautiful play illuminates the degree to which culture and spirituality shape our perception of truth and morality. In her kokoro true heart at the odyssey theatre, velina hasu houston explores japanese and american ethnic. Velina hasu houston, mfa, phd distinguished professor. In her kokoro true heart at the odyssey theatre, velina hasu houston explores japanese and american ethnic distinctions to often.
The play was written in 1981, had a rockefeller workshop production in 1984, and premiered offbroadway at manhattan theatre club in 1987. The chapters focus on the social, psychological, and political situations of mixed race people who have links to two or more peoples of color chinese and. This paper sheds light on julia kristevas concept of maternity in houston s plays tea, kokoro true heart, and calling aphrodite. The chapters focus on the social, psychological, and political situations of mixed race people who have links to two or more peoples of color chinese and mexican, asian. Velina hasu houston is the author of tea acting edition 3. Velina hasu houston is a nationally recognized and award winning author of plays, screenplays, poetry, critical essays, and drama anthologies. This is the first anthology focusing on the dramatic literature of asian american women. Interculturalism and the rehearsal process for horizons theatres production of velina hasu houston s tea susan haedicke the characters encountered in my play tea are based on women whom you are not apt to read about in american or japanese history books.
Velina hasu houston is an internationally celebrated writer with over twentyfive commissions in theatre, musical theatre, and opera. Suzanlori parks, velina hasu houston, jos rivera, and mac. English, university of southern california, school of cinematic arts, may 2000. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. It explores three stereotypes of the japanese women registered in the postworld war ii history. Professor velina hasu houston director of dramatic writing associate professors meiling cheng director of critical studies oliver mayer assistant professors luis alfaro takeshi kata tom ontiveros sibyl wickersheimer professors of theatre practice andrei belgrader natsuko ohama andrew j. Kokoro true heart by velina hasu houston discover nikkei. Before building started, kuniko was designed to to move like a bunraku puppet, but as the cast size dwindled, she was changed to a twoperson table top puppet. It and many of her other works have been presented internationally, garnering more than three dozen writing awards. This volume collects eight plays of acclaimed playwright velina hasu houston among them tea, kokoro, and calligraphy. But still, like air, ill risebrings forth vibrant new work that challenges producers and audiences to broaden their expectations, to attend to the unfamiliar voices that expresses the universal and particular vision of asian american playwrights. Velina hasu houston s most popular work is her critically acclaimed play, tea.
Current film projects include an adaptation of her plays kokoro true heart and. The usc school of dramatic arts presents february 27 march 2, 2014. Kokoro true heart explores the struggle of a young japanese mother adapting to the very foreign culture of the united states. Kokoro by velina hasu houston directed by tamara ruppart scene dock theatre april 2427 new works festival. Velina hasu houston s story, kokoro true heart, provides the basis for student activities to understand the concepts of cultural defense and motherhood. Im directing velina hasu houstons kokoro true heart at uscs scene dock theatre.
Diane mertens, indiana university east asian studies center, workshop on. Red and yellow, black and browngathers together life stories and analysis by twelve contributors who express and seek to understand the often very different dynamics that exist for mixed race people who are not part white. Feeling hopeless after discovering her husbands infidelity, yasako feels that oyako shinju, or parentchild suicide, is her onl. Kokoro true heart by velina hasu houston a scene from this play was used in the strong voice project. Velina hasu houston born velina avisa hasu houston on may 5, 1957 is an american playwright, essayist, poet, author, editor and screenwriter who has had many works produced, presented and published, with some drawing from her experience of being multiracial, as well as from the immigrant experiences of her family and those she encountered growing up in junction city, kansas. Velina hasu houston is an internationally celebrated writer with over twenty commissions in theatre and opera. Velina hasu houston office of religious and spiritual. Pdf this paper sheds light on julia kristevas concept of maternity in houston s plays tea, kokoro true heart, and calling aphrodite.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Buy a cheap copy of kokoro true heart book by velina hasu houston. Tea 1986, kokoro true heart 1994, and calling aphrodite 2003. Yasako, a young japanese mother, struggles to adapt to the very foreign culture of the united states. When cultures collide, the resulting derailment can have tragic consequences.
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