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

The Asian theatre showcase, organized by Chinese theatre expert Dr. Peng Xu, will feature "Madame Cassia." Three courses—THEA 427 (Chinese acting), THEA 420C (Chinese voice), and THEA 654 (Chinese costuming)—collaborate to explore staging a musical comedy using traditional Chinese melodies and adapting a classic Chinese play for American university theatre. Students study the original lyrics under the guidance of resident kunqu performers. The production strives to preserve authentic Chinese performance and vocal techniques while incorporating modern musical influences, directed by acclaimed music producer Mr. Liang Jianfeng. Professional kunqu musicians will provide live accompaniment for the final English-language performance. "Madame Cassia" is adapted from the anonymous 19th-century Chinese play "The Horse Trader's Tale" (Fanma ji), with Dr. Xu modifying the English version for students unfamiliar with traditional Chinese theatre.
Renowned as the premier university hub for Asian performance studies globally, the Asian Theatre program draws students from Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and North America. Our curriculum features comprehensive Asian theatre courses taught by three dedicated faculty members, supplemented by guest workshops across diverse Asian performance styles. A highlight of the program is our intensive training residencies, where students receive extended, focused instruction from celebrated masters in movement, voice, and instrumentation, along with role-specific coaching. The program cycles through Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian theatre traditions every four years, often including additional Asian cultures, with frequent focus on jingju, kabuki, kyogen, noh, randai, and wayang kulit. These residencies conclude with English-language productions on the Kennedy Theatre Mainstage. By bringing masters to campus, we offer an unparalleled interdisciplinary approach that has yielded exceptional Asian theatre performances beyond their native contexts. Since 1923, our program has debuted English-language productions of traditional and contemporary works from China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, India, and Thailand, plus innovative pieces inspired by Asian theatre research—some by our directing candidates. We provide more Asian theatre courses and performance opportunities than any U.S. institution, covering history, theory, literature, and practice (acting, directing, puppetry) at undergraduate and graduate levels, plus independent study options. Our distinguished faculty is internationally acclaimed for scholarship, creative projects, and residency leadership. To date, we've graduated over ninety Asian theatre specialists now working across six continents as educators, administrators, and theatre practitioners.