San Diego actor and Old Globe/University of San Diego MFA student, Leah Zhang, recently took time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us about her acting career.
Leah Zhang will be appearing in the Old Globe's Summer Shakespeare Festival in both A Midsummer Night's Dream (June 18 - September 29) and Titus Andronicus (June 28 - September 30).
A: My first experience of the theatre was when we did a class reading of the play The Diary of Anne Frank in 8th grade and I got to read Anne Frank. I just had so much fun saying someone else's words and thoughts that I wanted to continue working on plays.
Q: Have you always wanted to be an actor?
A: Yes. In college I started out studying Psychology and English literature but I just couldn't stay away from the theatre. I think I have always wanted to be an actor. I also think that there's an inclination towards the performing arts in my blood. My grandmother used to be a ballet dancer in China and my late grandfather was a Chinese Opera singer.
Q: Do you have a preference for contemporary or classical theater?
A: I feel that I am drawn to both contemporary and classical works. Working and studying at the Globe for the past two years has really deepened my appreciation for the Classics. I am amazed and excited by how some classical works such as Moliere have such a modern and human connection. And some of my favorite plays are written by contemporary authors such as Horton Foote, August Wilson, Velina Hasu Houston, and Julia Cho. For me I am drawn to how a play, whether contemporary or classical, develops the human condition in a way that I just want to be a better person by performing, watching, or reading it.
Q: How has your training at the Globe and elsewhere prepared you for a career in the theater?
A: Being a student at the Globe has made me a more solid actor. The two years of rigorous classroom training has moved me leaps ahead in terms of my voice, imagination, body, and acting technique. I feel that the work at the Globe Shakespeare Festival, as well as my past regional theatre work has instilled a lot of professionalism in the way that I approach this business.
Q: What are some of the rewards and challenges you've experienced as an Asian-American actor?
A: The most important reward for me as an Asian-American actress is knowing that not only am I giving a human experience in my performance but more specifically an Asian-American experience. Another reward is being able to be in a business with other talented Asian-American actors, directors, writers, and educators who have chosen to tread down this hard road. I think it can be a challenge for me to break through certain walls in theatre and film/television. My ethnicity does become an issue in the roles that this business sees me being able to play. I think for actors of any ethnic background to break through certain stereotypes there has to be a lot more trust given to audiences by theatres, producers, etc. I think audiences are ready and open to see more plays with color-blind casting, and we just need to trust the audiences' imagination, eagerness, intelligence and willingness to suspend disbelief and give over to the magic of theatre.
Leah has appeared in the following productions:
- THE OLD GLOBE: The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth. With The Old Globe/USD Professional Actor Training Program: Major Barbara, Sir Patient Fancy, Uncle Vanya.
- REGIONAL: Love's Labour's Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, Antony and Cleopatra, American Players Theatre; The Shaughraun, A Christmas Carol, Milwaukee Rep.
- ELSEWHERE: A Thousand Cranes, Nebraska Theatre Caravan; Northanger Abbey, Johnny Appleseed, Creede Repertory Theatre; When the Moon Disappeared, Chicago Dramatists.
- FILM: Ocean's Twelve.
See other articles in our Bridging the Cultural Gap continuing series:
- What is "Field Trip" in Chinese? (February 1998)
- The Cultural Hyphen (March 1998)
- Escape from VietNam (April 1998)
- The Challenge of Intercultural Parenting (May 1998)
- The Litany of Education (June 1998)
- The Power of "Turtle Eggs" (July 1998)
- A Trip Back in Time (August 1998)
- Bridging the Cultural Gap: Hajimemashite, Furiya, Desu (September 1998)
- Profile of a Survivor: Reaksmey Mom (October 1998)