Tisa Chang
Encyclopedia
Tisa Chang is a Chinese American
actress and theatre director from Chongqing
. Her father was a diplomat and the family moved to New York City
when she was a child. Chang was interested in theatre and and decided to study acting at the High School of Performing Arts
and at Barnard College
. Soon afterwards she started her career as an actor performing in Broadway
plays and musicals, including Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
. She also appeared in a few films such as Ambush Bay
and Greetings
.
Chang turned to directing theatre in 1973, when she began working at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
. With money earned from her Broadway acting she established the theatre group Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
in 1977, with the intention to make Asian American theater more popular and to open up for Asian Americans actors to find non-stereotypical roles. Chang has received several awards for her work, including a Theatre World Special Award
in 1988. She remains active as artistic director with Pan Asian as of today.
, Republic of China
. At the age of six, she and her family moved to New York City
where she was brought up. Her father, a Taiwanese diplomat named Ping-Hsun Chang, was appointed as the Republic of China's consul general to the city in 1946. He moved back to the Republic of China in 1957 to serve within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
. According to TV Times
, "for 11 years, [Tisa] Chang was steeped in the subtleties and protocol of diplomacy. Her deep diplomatic connections extended as far as Ottawa
where the ambassador from the Republic of China, Liu Chieh
, was a friend of her father's and she called the Canadian-based diplomat uncle." Chang chose to stay in New York with her three siblings instead of following her father to the Republic of China.
Chang became interested in theatre at a young age, and was taken by her mother to see operas and plays. She even performed her own rendition of Cinderella
for her nanny in the family's kitchen when she was ten years old. Her father was also interested in acting and performed in school plays when he was younger at Nankai University
together with Zhou Enlai
, who went on to become the leader
of China. Chang studied acting at the High School of Performing Arts
in New York and then at Barnard College
.
plays and musicals, including Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
(1970–1971), The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
(1977), and Pacific Overtures
(1976). She also appeared in films and on television as an actress. She had roles in Ambush Bay
(1966), Greetings
(1968), Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper (a 1981 television film by Lamont Johnson
), Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983 television film), A Doctor's Story (1984 television film), and Year of the Dragon
(1985). In Escape from Iran, she had use of her diplomatic background as she played the wife of Kenneth D. Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran during the Iran hostage crisis
.
After having done acting for some years, Chang went into directing theatre. She made the career change because "it was a chance to work on projects that resonate deeply and personally and highlighted my world [...] of coming from a divided China that was still in the throes of revolution but steeped in culture and history. As a director, I had more autonomy in choosing projects, and felt I was contributing to American theatre with stories drawn from China's vast literary legacy. I had been acting and dancing professionally for 10 years on and off-Broadway, so I had a very good immersion into mainstream theatre. With directing, I can help shape what the audience experiences and walks away with."
Chang began her directing career in 1973 at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
, where she directed for Ellen Stewart
's Chinese Theatre Group. She produced bi-lingual versions of classical Asian and western plays, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream
in which both Mandarin
and English were used, and Servant of Two Masters
in which all the asides were spoken in the characters' native language. Chang was working as an actress and dancer at La MaMa when she decided to ask Stewart for the opportunity to direct her own play. Her first work was the Peking opera The Return of the Phoenix, which was released in 1973 during the Independence Day
weekend. Chang described this date as "the death slot" when it comes to theatre visitors, but "fortunately, Richard Shepard of The New York Times
came down to East 4th Street and loved the show, praised it."
Chang is currently the Producing Artistic Director of Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
, a theatre group that she established in 1977 to help the emergence of Asian American theater. She has said that "the extraordinary talent and dedication of the actors [at Stewart's Chinese Theatre Group] inspired me to formalize the group into Pan Asian Repertory Theatre." The money she earned from The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, which she starred in that year, was used to fund the establishment. Chang's main principle with Pan Asian has always been to "promote opportunities for Asian-American actors to be seen in context of who we really are and what we are capable of achieving as artists." According to Chang, Asian Americans had difficulties finding roles in New York City before she established Pan Asian. They were usually limited to playing stereotypical Asian characters such as geisha girls
and houseboy
s. It was easier to get roles in Los Angeles, where the East West Players
theatre group had been founded in 1965. Many people in the theatre business doubted that Pan Asian would be successful and wondered if anyone would pay to come and see their plays. Chang has said that "because we were considered a curiosity or something very new and unique, people did come." TV Times wrote in 1981 that Pan Asian was "the most respected experimental theatre group in New York City." As of 2009, it is the world's largest producer of Asian American theatre.
Since Chang started Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, a lot of progress has been made for Asian American actors in American theatre. However, as The New York Times writes in 2007, "the struggle continues, and not only in the live theater." Daniel Dae Kim, a Korean American
actor who first worked with Pan Asian in 1990, told the newspaper that "whereas it’s gotten better for ethnic minorities in terms of general representation, what hasn’t really improved is the complexity of the roles that we’ve been given to play. Many of the parts I see Asians playing onstage, as well as on screen, are smaller supporting roles whose function is to provide exposition or support to the leads."
In addition to her work as artistic director at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Chang has also directed some own plays and musicals for the group. For example, she directed the world premiere of Shanghai Lil's at the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
in 1997, returns to direct this new production for November 2011 at the West End Theatre in NYC. In 1988 she was awarded a Theatre World Special Award
for her directing work and the establishment of Pan Asian. Other awards Chang has won during her career include the 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award from Organization of Chinese Americans
, the 2001 Lee Reynolds Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women, the 1993 Chinese American Cultural Pioneer Tribute from New York City Council Andrew Stein
, and the 1991 Barnard Medal of Distinction. She is currently a part of the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
actress and theatre director from Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
. Her father was a diplomat and the family moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when she was a child. Chang was interested in theatre and and decided to study acting at the High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
and at Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
. Soon afterwards she started her career as an actor performing in Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
plays and musicals, including Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood.Based on Patrick's play and screenplay The Teahouse of the August Moon, it focuses on Capt. Fisby who, assigned the task of Americanizing the village of Tobiki on...
and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel is a play by David Rabe.Rabe's first play in his Vietnam War trilogy that continued with Sticks and Bones and Streamers, its story is bracketed by scenes depicting the death of the emotionally stunted and mentally disturbed title character, who mindlessly grabs at...
. She also appeared in a few films such as Ambush Bay
Ambush Bay
Ambush Bay is a 1966 war film filmed on location in the Philippines that was produced by Aubrey Schenck and released through United Artists.-Plot:...
and Greetings
Greetings (film)
Greetings is a 1968 film directed by Brian De Palma. The film, which featured a young Robert De Niro in his first major role, is a satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft....
.
Chang turned to directing theatre in 1973, when she began working at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is an off-off Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, and named in reference to her. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the theatre grew out of Stewart's tiny basement boutique for her fashion designs; the boutique's space acted as a theatre for...
. With money earned from her Broadway acting she established the theatre group Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Founded in 1977 and led by Artistic Producing director Tisa Chang, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a New York based theatre group that explores the Asian American experience. Pan Asian Rep provides professional opportunities for Asian American artists to collaborate and create unique works...
in 1977, with the intention to make Asian American theater more popular and to open up for Asian Americans actors to find non-stereotypical roles. Chang has received several awards for her work, including a Theatre World Special Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
in 1988. She remains active as artistic director with Pan Asian as of today.
Early life
Tisa Chang was born on 5 April 1941 in ChongqingChongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. At the age of six, she and her family moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she was brought up. Her father, a Taiwanese diplomat named Ping-Hsun Chang, was appointed as the Republic of China's consul general to the city in 1946. He moved back to the Republic of China in 1957 to serve within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China is a cabinet level policy-making body, governed under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China. The fundamental purpose of the ministry is to promote, expand, and conduct bilateral foreign affairs with other nations. It is in charge of...
. According to TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
, "for 11 years, [Tisa] Chang was steeped in the subtleties and protocol of diplomacy. Her deep diplomatic connections extended as far as Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
where the ambassador from the Republic of China, Liu Chieh
Liu Chieh
Liu Chieh was a diplomat of the Republic of China. He represented the Republic of China at the United Nations from 1962 to 1971, and was the last Permanent Representative of the Republic of China at the UN....
, was a friend of her father's and she called the Canadian-based diplomat uncle." Chang chose to stay in New York with her three siblings instead of following her father to the Republic of China.
Chang became interested in theatre at a young age, and was taken by her mother to see operas and plays. She even performed her own rendition of Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
for her nanny in the family's kitchen when she was ten years old. Her father was also interested in acting and performed in school plays when he was younger at Nankai University
Nankai University
Nankai University , commonly known as Nankai, is a public research university based in Tianjin on mainland China. Founded in 1919 by educators Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun , Nankai University is a member of the Nankai serial schools. It is the alma mater of former Chinese Premier and key historical...
together with Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
, who went on to become the leader
Premier of the People's Republic of China
The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , sometimes also referred to as the "Prime Minister" informally, is the Leader of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , who is the head of government and holds the highest-ranking of the Civil service of the...
of China. Chang studied acting at the High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
in New York and then at Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
.
Career
Following her education, Chang performed in several musicals as a dancer. She then started acting in BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
plays and musicals, including Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood.Based on Patrick's play and screenplay The Teahouse of the August Moon, it focuses on Capt. Fisby who, assigned the task of Americanizing the village of Tobiki on...
(1970–1971), The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel is a play by David Rabe.Rabe's first play in his Vietnam War trilogy that continued with Sticks and Bones and Streamers, its story is bracketed by scenes depicting the death of the emotionally stunted and mentally disturbed title character, who mindlessly grabs at...
(1977), and Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is set in 1853 Japan and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, through the lives of two friends caught in the change...
(1976). She also appeared in films and on television as an actress. She had roles in Ambush Bay
Ambush Bay
Ambush Bay is a 1966 war film filmed on location in the Philippines that was produced by Aubrey Schenck and released through United Artists.-Plot:...
(1966), Greetings
Greetings (film)
Greetings is a 1968 film directed by Brian De Palma. The film, which featured a young Robert De Niro in his first major role, is a satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft....
(1968), Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper (a 1981 television film by Lamont Johnson
Lamont Johnson
Lamont Johnson was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards....
), Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983 television film), A Doctor's Story (1984 television film), and Year of the Dragon
Year of the Dragon (film)
Year of the Dragon is a 1985 film directed by Michael Cimino, starring Mickey Rourke, Ariane Koizumi and John Lone. The screenplay was written by Cimino and Oliver Stone and adapted from the novel by Robert Daley....
(1985). In Escape from Iran, she had use of her diplomatic background as she played the wife of Kenneth D. Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran during the Iran hostage crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
.
After having done acting for some years, Chang went into directing theatre. She made the career change because "it was a chance to work on projects that resonate deeply and personally and highlighted my world [...] of coming from a divided China that was still in the throes of revolution but steeped in culture and history. As a director, I had more autonomy in choosing projects, and felt I was contributing to American theatre with stories drawn from China's vast literary legacy. I had been acting and dancing professionally for 10 years on and off-Broadway, so I had a very good immersion into mainstream theatre. With directing, I can help shape what the audience experiences and walks away with."
Chang began her directing career in 1973 at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is an off-off Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, and named in reference to her. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the theatre grew out of Stewart's tiny basement boutique for her fashion designs; the boutique's space acted as a theatre for...
, where she directed for Ellen Stewart
Ellen Stewart
Ellen Stewart was an American theater director and producer and the founder of La MaMa, E.T.C. . In the 1950s she worked as a fashion designer for Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, and Henri Bendel.-Biography:Ellen Stewart was either born in Alexandria, Louisiana or Chicago,...
's Chinese Theatre Group. She produced bi-lingual versions of classical Asian and western plays, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
in which both Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
and English were used, and Servant of Two Masters
Servant of Two Masters
Servant of Two Masters is a comedy by the Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni written in 1743. Goldoni originally wrote the play at the request of actor Antonio Sacco, one of the great Truffaldinos in history...
in which all the asides were spoken in the characters' native language. Chang was working as an actress and dancer at La MaMa when she decided to ask Stewart for the opportunity to direct her own play. Her first work was the Peking opera The Return of the Phoenix, which was released in 1973 during the Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
weekend. Chang described this date as "the death slot" when it comes to theatre visitors, but "fortunately, Richard Shepard of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
came down to East 4th Street and loved the show, praised it."
Chang is currently the Producing Artistic Director of Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Founded in 1977 and led by Artistic Producing director Tisa Chang, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a New York based theatre group that explores the Asian American experience. Pan Asian Rep provides professional opportunities for Asian American artists to collaborate and create unique works...
, a theatre group that she established in 1977 to help the emergence of Asian American theater. She has said that "the extraordinary talent and dedication of the actors [at Stewart's Chinese Theatre Group] inspired me to formalize the group into Pan Asian Repertory Theatre." The money she earned from The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, which she starred in that year, was used to fund the establishment. Chang's main principle with Pan Asian has always been to "promote opportunities for Asian-American actors to be seen in context of who we really are and what we are capable of achieving as artists." According to Chang, Asian Americans had difficulties finding roles in New York City before she established Pan Asian. They were usually limited to playing stereotypical Asian characters such as geisha girls
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
and houseboy
Houseboy
A Houseboy is typically a male servant or assistant who performs domestic or personal chores. Examples of its usage include:*An American slang term that originated in World War II for a native boy who helped a soldier perform basic responsibilities like cleaning, laundry, ironing, shoe-shining,...
s. It was easier to get roles in Los Angeles, where the East West Players
East West Players
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As one of the nation's first Asian American theatre organizations, East West Players today continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American...
theatre group had been founded in 1965. Many people in the theatre business doubted that Pan Asian would be successful and wondered if anyone would pay to come and see their plays. Chang has said that "because we were considered a curiosity or something very new and unique, people did come." TV Times wrote in 1981 that Pan Asian was "the most respected experimental theatre group in New York City." As of 2009, it is the world's largest producer of Asian American theatre.
Since Chang started Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, a lot of progress has been made for Asian American actors in American theatre. However, as The New York Times writes in 2007, "the struggle continues, and not only in the live theater." Daniel Dae Kim, a Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
actor who first worked with Pan Asian in 1990, told the newspaper that "whereas it’s gotten better for ethnic minorities in terms of general representation, what hasn’t really improved is the complexity of the roles that we’ve been given to play. Many of the parts I see Asians playing onstage, as well as on screen, are smaller supporting roles whose function is to provide exposition or support to the leads."
In addition to her work as artistic director at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Chang has also directed some own plays and musicals for the group. For example, she directed the world premiere of Shanghai Lil's at the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Founded in 1977 and led by Artistic Producing director Tisa Chang, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a New York based theatre group that explores the Asian American experience. Pan Asian Rep provides professional opportunities for Asian American artists to collaborate and create unique works...
in 1997, returns to direct this new production for November 2011 at the West End Theatre in NYC. In 1988 she was awarded a Theatre World Special Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
for her directing work and the establishment of Pan Asian. Other awards Chang has won during her career include the 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award from Organization of Chinese Americans
Organization of Chinese Americans
Founded in 1973, the Organization of Chinese Americans is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States...
, the 2001 Lee Reynolds Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women, the 1993 Chinese American Cultural Pioneer Tribute from New York City Council Andrew Stein
Andrew Stein
Andrew Stein was a Democratic politician who served on the New York City Council and was its last President, and as Manhattan Borough President. Stein's father is Jerry Finkelstein, the retired multi-millionaire publisher of the New York Law Journal, among other publications...
, and the 1991 Barnard Medal of Distinction. She is currently a part of the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Personal life
Chang married Ernest Abuba on 25 January 1976 at the La MaMa Annex. He worked as an actor, playwright and director at Pan Asian. The couple broke up and divorced in the beginning of the 1990s, although they remained friends. They had one son together, named Auric Kang.External links
- Official website of Pan Asian Repertory Theatre