Yankee Dawg You Die

By Philip Kan Gotanda

East West Players presents a timely revival of Philip Kan Gotanda's Yankee Dawg You Die. This groundbreaking play illustrates the complex, often fraught journey of Asian American actors in Hollywood.

Through the lens of an unlikely friendship between two artists, Vincent Chang and Bradley Yamashita, at different stages of their careers, Gotanda's masterful storytelling exposes the painful compromises actors make to succeed in the industry.

First performed in 1988, Yankee Dawg You Die has long been an indictment of the stereotypes and limitations imposed by the entertainment industry on actors of color. This play ignites crucial conversations about representation, identity, and the resilience of Asian American artists–how far we’ve come in the last 60 years and how much further there is to go.