The set is dark. Suddenly, the rosy butt of a cigarette gleams against the shadows. The spotlight rises and a man in a fedora and battered trench coat strolls through the haze of smoke. "It was a Monday," Sam says, in a voice reminiscent of Bogart. Sam is, predictably enough, a detective. Unpredictably, however, he is a Japanese-Canadian.

This surprising scene kicks off "Yellow Fever," a play sponsored by the Asian American Association Players. AAA Players is just one of the many ethnic performing groups in Harvard's artistic community that have recently begun to claim a spotlight of their own.

Participants in Harvard's vast array of ethnic performing groups, which range from the Kuumba Singers to the South Asian Dance Organization, say their groups serve to educate and awaken the campus community in non-traditional ways.

Representatives from three groups--Black CAST, AAA Players and the Ballet Folklorico de Aztlan--all conclude that ethnic performing groups raise social consciousness and increase opportunities for minority students to participate in the campus's often aloof artistic community.

Jennifer Tye '97, who has produced two plays with AAA Players, says the group is primarily a venue for Asian-Americans to experiment with theater.

"It's not just about getting people acting; there's also a responsibility of making the rest of the campus aware of what Asian-Americans have gone through in the past, as well as issues that they struggle with today," she says. "But more than anything, it is an opportunity for people who are interested in the dramatic arts and want to get involved...it's a way to encourage Asian Americans to try their hand at drama. You don't see very many Asians out there in the arts."

Tye says one of the primary functions of the group is providing a place for Asian-Americans in campus productions.

"I remember a couple of years ago, my mom was talking abut what a terrible movie 'Sixteen Candles' was, and she was right," Tye explains. "There was a horrible stereotype of Asians in that movie, and a lot of the roles you see today are like that. Most of the time, thought, there just aren't parts for Asians."

Rotonya L. McCants '96, the former president of Black CAST--a theater group which performs works concerning issues facing the Black community--also emphasizes the lack of roles for minority actors and the subsequent homogeneity of Harvard's dramatic community.

"The Harvard art community isn't that welcoming to Black performers, directors or tech people," she says. "There aren't that many roles for Black performers."

McCants says the problem of casting minorities is two-sided, however.

"It's kind of a vicious cycle," she explains. "I'm sure if you spoke to HRDC members that they would say that not that many Blacks come out for common casting so they don't offer a lot of roles, but because there arent' that many roles offered, people don't come out."

Aside from the dearth of roles available to students of color, students say many of the plays don't address specifically ethnic issues.

The general director of AAA Players, Merry Jean Chan '97, says she founded the group to fill this gap.

"When I came to campus, I saw that when people addressed issues like this, it was in panel discussions, in very formal environments with low turnout," Chan recalls. "I thought drama was an alternative way to explore really important issues."