Making Tracks
In 1997, Yang founded Second Generation, a New York-based theater company dedicated to bringing Asian American stories to the world's stage. Under his artistic leadership, the company cultivated the works of many emerging playwrights, many of whom went on to receive productions throughout the country. The company also commissioned Yang along with co-writers Brian Yorkey and Woody Pak to write and develop the musicals "Making Tracks" and "The Wedding Banquet" (a musical adaptation of Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning film). "Making Tracks" first premiered in 1999 at the Taipei Theater in New York then went on to further development at Taiwan's National Theater in 2001, Seattle's Village Theater, in 2002, and San Jose Repertory Theater in 2004. "The Wedding Banquet" received its world premiere with productions in Singapore, Taiwan, and Seattle. in 2003. In this production of "The Wedding Banquet", Yang and his team chose Dina Morishita (who had formerly played Eponine in "Les Misérables" and Kim in "Miss Saigon") to play opposite Yang as Wei Wei.