Tye remembers the first production of AAA Players as a powerful forum for discussion.

"It really talks about the struggle of Asians coming into America, having to deal with stereotypes and the way people treat them," she says.

"Tea' [performed last fall] was about Japanese war brides. Now that's an area we don't learn about in history class," she says.

McCants remembers one occasion when the issues covered in Black CAST's production provoked not only comment, but a spontaneous and grateful lecture by an audience member.

"When we performed at Cabot, there was this elderly couple--I think they're affiliates of the Senior Common Room--well, Brother Blue and his wife Mary attended the play, and he got up and spoke afterwards," she says.

"He said the just wanted to comment on how good it was that Harvard had Black theater, and how the role of the mammy [one of the play's primary figures] was still relevant to life today, that we couldn't just get on our Harvard horses and forget that."

McCants says the audience member reminded her of the primary reason for CAST's existence.

"The plays we do are for entertainment, but everything has a message. We hope people don't just laugh and cry without understanding the deeper meaning," she says.

Even plays' titles help to provoke discussion--kiosk scanners must confront loaded and sometimes uncomfortable titles like "FOB" (Fresh Off the Boat). "Yellow Fever" and "The Trial of One Shortsighted Black Woman."

"I can't tell you how many people have asked me if 'Yellow Fever' is about 'jungle fever' or malaria," Tye chuckles.

Finding plays which deal with racial or ethnic issues can be almost as tough as producing them, however. Tye says one of AAA Players' main challenges is simply locating plays revolving around Asian issues and actors.

"Finding the plays is difficult," she says. "Merry looked around, and kept looking and looking...it's definitely hard to find things to perform, either at Harvard or in Boston. For instance, there is only one copy of the play we're doing now in any library system in Massachusetts."

Diversity of Backgrounds

Representatives from all three groups emphasize the diversity within the group, both in social and performing backgrounds.

"Most of our members are Afro-American or of African descent, but people in Black CAST come from diverse [performing] backgrounds: Some have competed nationally in speech or drama, some haven't ever acted before." McCants says.