ABSTRACT
Given the “special stigma” attached to East Asian accents, it is no wonder actors from this region of the world struggle to land parts in Shakespeare or gain critical respect. Mocked for consonant changes, limited tonal range, and pronunciation confusions of /r/ and /l/, thespians have come to view the bard as an almost insurmountable barrier, while even those who have successfully made a career out of treading the boards, for instance Hiroyuki Sanada, the first Japanese actor to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), are still vulnerable to attack. Exacerbating the situation, East Asian actors are often schooled in vocal methods that are at odds with Western stage conventions leading to a delivery style that eschews the use of the natural voice. In addition to flagging the serious yet oft-neglected problem that East Asian actors in the Shakespeare industry face, Lee explores the ways in which they might circumvent the problem—for instance by performing Shakespeare in translation—or reconceive it is as not a problem at all, but an untapped asset. More precisely, Lee contends that instead of considering Asian accents or voice styles as a hindrance, those who have been trained in traditional theatre might actually have an ability to speak Shakespeare in a uniquely lofty and poetic mode. Vocal tone, after all, has the power to “realize or change textual meaning.”
