A phone interview conducted with Ronald Banks by David Lewis Hammarstrom on August 1, 2003. Ronald played Chao in the 2002 revival of "Flower Drum Song" written by David Henry Hwang.

In this interview, Ronald discusses his experience on “Flower Drum Song” and what it was like being a performer in New York City and Los Angeles. His interview covers such topics as the production, rehearsals, changes in the script, the impact of 9/11, Asian stereotypes, his Japanese heritage, and reflections on being an Asian American and American actor. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006). Please note that this interview was conducted by phone and the audio quality is extremely poor throughout.