Assimilation brings up thorny questions: is it a path toward conformist victory or traditional defeat? What is the correct balance to strike between “fitting in” and maintaining one’s heritage? And who makes the rules to determine the success of that balance?
Hillary Gao’s new play, would you set the table if I asked you to?, considers the cost of assimilation through a uniquely theatrical and culturally specific lens. Featuring an intergenerational cast of all Asian actors, the play runs July 7-13 at The Brick Theater in Williamsburg. Learn more about the fresh work and Hillary’s take on culture blending, though the play may probe more questions than answers. As Hillary says, “This play is not setting out to solve assimilation or impart any broader insights into the Asian American experience.”
Greenpointers: The description for your play definitely seems to have an open-endedness to it. Can you share what the play is about without giving too much away?
I love ambiguous descriptions. But yes. I came to the piece wanting to explore how parents teach their children how to be “civilized,” how to survive. And as it became infused with some of my own experiences, I started to wonder what survival truly meant – acceptance? assimilation? concession?
I believe there is some fascination with animals in the play; can you talk about that?
I’m interested in the complexities around assigning morality to animals — most are just trying to stay alive. That’s something I think a lot about when I think about my parents’ immigrant experience. There are elements that, when viewed with a Western eye, seem horrible. But most parents just want their children to survive. And this also plays into the human/animal dichotomy. People of color are often likened to animals in order to create a distinction between civilized and savage. We are taught methods of assimilation to become more palatable. In our piece, we try to explore what it means…
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