Coaching Asian Actors and Asian Accents with Cultural Sensitivity

Abstract

This research explores the world of accent coaching, aiming to unearth culturally sensitive strategies while coaching Asian actors an Asian accent. Historically, Asian characters have been depicted inaccurately in theatre as early as the eighteenth century. The Asian accent has been a major defining feature of Asian people, particularly in media and stage portrayals of Asian characters. Owing to the fact that many characters on stage and film have been misrepresented through stereotype and exaggeration, Asian actors have had to adhere to these ideologies in their professional careers. As a reflexive voice practitioner, I engage with this topic through the grounded theory methodology and seek approaches that might mediate the overarching challenges that are faced by the majority of Asian actors. Through the grounded theory methodology, I venture to learn more about the Asian experience to help find approaches that might suit their needs. With this research, I set to create a framework of cultural perspectives and cultural sensitivity within coaching environments. The importance of this research elevates the voice field by focusing on a marginalized demographic.