He staged his productions in familiar, public locations, charging no admission fee whenever possible and creating vivid images that could immediately resonate with the audience.
[1] Upon returning to the United States and moving to New York City, Lee acted on Broadway and off-Broadway, in regional theaters, and as a member of The Open Theatre, directed by Joseph Chaikin, from 1967 to 1973.
[5] A decade later, he made the masks for the 1986 production of Orfei composed by Genji Ito, choreographed by Maureen Williams, and directed by Ellen Stewart, the founder of La MaMa.
[6] In 1988, he made the masks for The Summer Face Woman, written by Dave Hunsaker and based on an Aleut myth about the Bering Sea.
[7] During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also started making masks, unusual props, puppets, and large figures for theater, dance, and television productions.
Most productions take place outdoors, in parks, public lawns, fields, and town greens, and incorporate masks, puppetry, visual effects, and live music.
Each summer, Mettawee gives over twenty-five performances in upstate New York and New England, traveling to rural communities that have no other exposure to live theater.
The company at that time consisted of Valois Mickens, Willie C. Barnes, Lenny Bart, Christine Campbell, Shelley Fine, and Elliot Scott.
Lee went to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas in February 1989 to work with the Mayan writer's collective Sna Jtz ‘Ibajom.
The show was produced by the outreach program of the La Jolla Playhouse for an eight-week tour of schools and community centers throughout southern California.
Lee has received grants from Fideicomiso Para la Cultura Comision (1993), Arts International (1992, 2002) and DTW's Suitcase Fund (1992) for this work.
He also created giant figures for the New Year's Eve celebrations in Central Park (1974–1980) and the Fourth of July festivities on the steps of Federal Hall National Memorial in 1975.
From February through May 1998, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center presented a retrospective exhibition of Lee's masks, puppets, giant figures, and scenic elements, attracting record-breaking crowds to the gallery.