The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a New York City-based theatre group that explores the Asian-American experience and provides professional opportunities for Asian-American artists to collaborate.[1] Pan-Asian was founded by Tisa Chang and Ernest Abuba in 1977, and Chang remains artistic director.[2] Chang established the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre as a resident company at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in 1977, with the intention of popularizing Asian-American theater and leading to other similar theatre companies in cities with an Asian disaporic population.[3][4]
Specializing in intercultural productions of new Asian-American plays,[4] Asian classics in translation, and innovative adaptations of Western classics,[3] some of the works Pan Asian has presented included:
Pan Asian has staged early works of writers including Momoko Iko, Wakako Yamauchi, Philip Kan Gotanda, R. A. Shiomi, and David Henry Hwang. When they established a residency program in 1987, Pan Asian became the United States' first resident Asian American theater company continuing with Chang's goal to showcase Asian American theater as having a role in the city's theater scene.[6][7]
