In
1965, there were no Asians in America. At least according to Hollywood,
there were only Orientals: Japanese and Korean enemies, mysterious foreigners
crammed into exotic Chinatowns, geisha girls beguiling American servicemen
abroad, Charlie Chans, Fu Manchus and the cook on "Bonanza."
To the movies, an Oriental was Mickey Rooney in "Breakfast at Tiffany's,"
Luise Rainer in "The Good Earth" or Marlon Brando in "The
Teahouse of the August Moon."
Yet
in 1965, a young actor named Mako believed Asians did exist in this country,
and he spent his life proving it, not only through his most acclaimed
performances — his Oscar- and Tony Award-nominated roles in, respectively,
"The Sand Pebbles" and "Pacific Overtures" —
but also in the everyday jobs of a working actor — from "McHale's
Navy" to "F Troop" — where his talent and dedication
consistently managed to elevate stereotypes into fully realized human
beings.
Had
Mako's achievement been limited to his own performances, we would be remembering
him today as a brilliant artist and pioneer. But he was also a fighter
and activist of extraordinary vision and courage. In 1965, he co-founded
East West Players, the nation's first Asian American theater, and served
as its artistic director until 1989. . . . . Though the invention of Asian
American theater was a collective act, Mako was its center, its heart,
its founding father, the glue that held all else together. . . .
.
. . . . . Mako's life touched that of every Asian American theater artist,
whether he or she knew him or not; when he passed away on July 21, we
all lost a colleague, a friend and an ardently supportive father Moreover,
anyone who has ever attended an Asian American play, or watched Asian
actors perform onstage or onscreen in recent decades, has seen the work
of Mako. He lives, not only through the roles he played himself but also
in those played by others, and those yet to come. Goodbye, Mako. Thank
you for helping us find so much of ourselves. We will miss you, even as
we see you everywhere. To read the entire tribute, click HERE.
David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award-winning playwright whose works include
"M. Butterfly," "FOB," "Golden Child" and
the musical books for Disney's "Aida" and "Tarzan,"
and the Broadway revival of "Flower Drum Song." To read US Asians' interview with David, click HERE.
