Playwright Festival Day 2: "Alpha Asians" by Mike Lew

Inspired by the real life frat hazing death of a pledge at an Asian-American fraternity, Mike Lew's latest comedy, Alpha Asians, dramatizes this frat’s fateful pledge week in a work that smashes together Greek life with Greek tragedy. Using an ensemble largely comprised of Asian actors who were assigned female at birth (AFAB), this strikingly comedic script explores the dramatic possibilities in having performers "cosplay" maleness in order to examine Asian-American identity, toxic masculinity, and pervasive stereotypes around Asian men. Alpha Asians is a character-driven comedy that lifts frat culture into the realm of ritual.

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What was it like being the first to hear early drafts of Angels in America? Or Fences? Or The Glass Menagerie? Or Twelfth Night? At Profile's Playwright Festival, you’ll know.

Last year’s Playwright Festival gave audiences the opportunity to meet with, and see early drafts of new work from Tony Award-nominated playwright Kristoffer Diaz and two-time Sundance Fellow christopher oscar peña. This year, you’ll be the first to welcome the visionary 2025-2027 Featured Playwrights, Jen Silverman & Mike Lew, and see early drafts of the plays commissioned for our 2025-2027 cycle.

You’ll enjoy two workshopped readings, and close the weekend off with a catered Artist Salon with the playwrights. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the Featured Playwrights, and to discuss their work, their process, the state of their art, and the state of the world. At Playwright Festival, our audiences and artists build the future of live theatre together.

Profile Theatre's Playwright Festival runs June 26 - 28. All events will be held at The Ellen Bye Studio at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR.

Also check out other Arts events in Portland, Festivals in Portland, Theatre events in Portland.