←Recommendations of A Is For American

Tightly crafted, evocative, and empathetic, this monologue is all-too relevant, inviting conversation and awareness, through expressive character, compelling voice, and through content that delivers a punch.

Such a great monologue yields power, logic, and authentic patriotism. During the most critical days of the Coronavirus, Asian Americans faced a backlash of vile hate from some other Americans, showing their ignorance (wilfully or not) or using such a world health crisis as a simple excuse to express racism and hate. Wang's monologue is witty, enlightening, and profound: Wearing Kevlar shows the seriousness and harm that such hate can wreak. Bravo.

A powerful monologue that confronts racism and being an Asian American in the midst of it.

Monologues are hot right now, and when I read good ones like this, I understand why. They're not easy to write, but when they're successful, they pack a punch. A is for American alludes to the country's bigoted history but does so in a way that pulls people together. The bits about Hawaii are hilarious.

A little sass and a whole lot of anger in a few pages.

Wang's monologue comically and proudly shows how to cope when bigoted assholes question your existence. You either beat them at their own game by being more like them than they expect, you distract them and run away to fight another day, or you fight.

I watched and enjoyed Barkada Theater's video production of "A is for American" on Facebook.