Theater Conference Spotlighting Asian American Stories Comes To Chicago

By Meha Ahmad
893 | Ya-ku-za
Actors perform in the production "893/Ya-ku-za", which will be playing at Victory Gardens Theater on Aug. 16-17, 2018. CAATA
893 | Ya-ku-za
Actors perform in the production "893/Ya-ku-za", which will be playing at Victory Gardens Theater on Aug. 16-17, 2018. CAATA

Theater Conference Spotlighting Asian American Stories Comes To Chicago

By Meha Ahmad
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With the highly-anticipated movie “Crazy Rich Asians” coming out next week, Hollywood is getting its first film to feature a predominantly Asian cast set in modern day setting since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club.”

While the industry has been slow to feature Asian casts and Asian-centered stories, the theater world has been more open to showcasing people and plays from a wide variety of backgrounds.

So it makes sense that a big theater town like Chicago would host the sixth annual National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival known as ConFest. This year’s theme is “Revolutionary Acts.” The Morning Shift talks to some of the folks behind ConFest about what attendees can expect.

GUESTS: Jamil Kouhry, artistic director of Silk Road in Chicago, and board member of The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists

Anu Bhatt, ConFest 2018 performer

LEARN MORE: Asian-American theater artists convene for six days of ConFest  (Chicago Reader 8/10/18)