Interviews
Performing in the first Asian American play, "The Monkey Play"
In December of 1973, we did this play. It’s called “The Monkey Play.” It’s produced by this guy named Julian Foch. He kind of like ran in the Hollywood circles. He had a store, he and his mom. Actually his mom had the store up on Sunset Boulevard in the Virgil area. He knew a lot of actors, actresses, people that were in the business. So this is the first time that Asian Americans that he assembled—directors, producers, dancers, choreographers that were Asians that were in the business—put on this play called “The Monkey Play,” based on the Chinese stories of the Monkey King and stuff like that. He got these actors and actresses. And he employed the band to do the music for the play and also to have a concert after the play. We wrote some pieces and put them together and performed them. That was the first time.
Date: October 15, 2004
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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