This symposium took place in the midst of the non-traditional casting movement, a precursor to what we have today, the drive for diversity in casting.
I was asked to direct a scene from “The Importance Of Being Earnest,” a non-diverse play by Oscar Wilde, with actors of color, in this case, a Chinese-American actress and an African-American actress. Very non-traditional. There were other scenes from other plays directed by other directors as well. Part of this for me, of course, was to direct something from a play that I would not even be in the conversation to direct, my relative youth and experience aside. So, directors as well as actors working non-traditionally for an audience of industry people that had the power to make the non-traditional casting movement a reality in theatres across the country. No pressure. The actresses were terrific and the scene got big laughs. But that’s not why I’m writing this.
The following year I applied for one of the first Theatre Communications Group TCG/NEA Director Fellowships. There were six fellowships to be given out. I think my work in the symposium was seen by people on the selection panel, and that gave me a leg up, and maybe tipped the scales in my favor. I got one. The other recipients that first round were: Amy Gonzalez, Stephen Dietz, Kenny Leon, Liz Diamond, and David Petrarca. A good group.
That Fellowship was another big boost for me in terms of my confidence, but also in terms of my sense of self and how far I’d come in my directing.
A scene at a symposium. Hey, you never know.
http://www.ronnakahara.com
Ron is a New York City based actor/director originally from Hawaii.
He studied at the University of Hawaii with Glenn Cannon from NY, Terry Knapp from The Royal Shakespeare Co. and with noted voice teacher Kristen Linklater. While there he also studied Kyogen theater with Japan National Treasure Nomura Mansaku and performed in Kabuki.
Selected acting:
NY–Man In Snow (LaMama,) Ping Pong (The Public Theatre,) Ching Chong Chinaman, Rashomon (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre,) Earth and Sky (Second Stage,) The Three Sisters (Pan Asian,) Romeo And Juliet (NYSF/Public Theatre,) As You Like It (NYSF/Public Theatre,) Danton’s Death (LaMama E.T.C.,) The School for Wives (NATCO,) Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pan Asian) REGIONAL– Wild Swans (debut), (Young Vic, London, and A.R.T., Boston,) Snow Falling on Cedars, The Merchant of Venice (Hartford Stage Co.,) Comedy of Errors (The Shakespeare Theatre, D.C.,) The Screens (The Guthrie Theatre,) Othello (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta,) The Empress of China (Cincinnati Playhouse,) Cyrano (ACT, San Francisco,) Taming of the Shrew (ACT,) Diary of a Scoundrel (Hawaii Public Theatre) FILM–Isn't It Romantic, The Wolf of Wall Street, Sleepwalk With Me, I Think I Love My Wife, College Road Trip. TV- can be seen currently recurring as Hirochi in Netflix's Daredevil Season 2; Madam Secretary, Elementary, NYC 22, The Good Wife, Fringe, 3 LBS., Whoopi, Cosby Mysteries, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, All My Children, Pearl, The Miniseries, Hawaii 5-O (the original).
As a director, Ron has worked at theatres and Universities around the country. He was one of the first 6 recipients of the NEA-TCG Director Fellowship Award in 1987.