BA in Theatre - Asian Theatre in Honolulu United States | University of Hawaii at Manoa

Renowned globally as the premier university-based hub for Asian performance studies and practice, our Asian Theatre program draws students from across Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and North America. Students benefit from a comprehensive curriculum led by three dedicated faculty members, supplemented by guest workshops covering diverse Asian theatrical traditions. A highlight of the program is our immersive training residencies, where students receive intensive instruction from master artists in traditional forms through semester-long courses in movement, voice, and instrumentation, plus personalized role and instrument coaching. The program cycles through Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian theatre every four years, often including another Asian culture, with frequent focus on jingju, kabuki, kyogen, noh, randai, and wayang kulit. These residencies conclude with English-language productions of classic plays at Kennedy Theatre, offering a distinctive blend of academic and practical learning. Our productions are celebrated as some of the finest Asian theatre performances outside their home countries. Since 1923, we've staged world-premiere English adaptations of traditional and contemporary works from China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, India, and Thailand, alongside innovative pieces inspired by Asian theatrical research.

Our program leads the U.S. in Asian theatre course offerings and performance integration, providing undergraduate and graduate studies in history, theory, literature, and practice (acting, directing, puppetry), plus individualized study opportunities. Our faculty, acclaimed internationally for their research, creative projects, and residency leadership, has guided over ninety graduates now working worldwide in education and professional theatre.

Community engagement is central to our mission, with school and library presentations, lecture-demonstrations, and tours to neighboring islands and the mainland. Our English adaptations of traditional Asian theatre have gained recognition in their countries of origin—three jingju productions toured China by invitation, and our randai performances, the only traditional presentations outside Indonesia, were invited to Sumatra.