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It's not often that I'll get to introduce a guest whose moniker is “banana-brained and voice-trained”! But joining me today is a woman who is the embodiment of quirkiness, versatility, and her own words “a bit unhinged”. From clown noses to stage and to your favorite streaming platforms, Jo Yuan has covered a lot of ground...and that's saying something given she's been in the entertainment industry just shy of 6 years, and in voiceover for five of those years. She's made audiences laugh, cry while pondering social biases through the roles and characters she's played, whether it's in a packed house, on a TV set, or through your earbuds while narrating the Harper Collins' audiobook Counterattacks at Thirty. An Asian American actor of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean heritage, Jo's career spans theatre, television, voiceover, and comedy, and brings authenticity, wit, and heart to every role. She's trained in the Meisner technique, on-camera acting, clown and sketch comedy to long-form improv, as a graduate of the now defunct Second City Conservatory, in Hollywood. Her stage work includes performances at East West Players, IAMA Theatre, Artists at Play, and as a company member of PlayGround-LA. As a voice actor, Jo's credits read like a streaming guide - with an impressive list of dubbing credits, lead and recurring roles on Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime and Nat Geo. In 2024, Jo was named one of 24 New Digital Audio Narrators by Macmillan Audio, selected from over 350 applicants. Jo is also a proud and active member of the Television Academy, the Asian American Theatre Artists Collective, and the century old Los Angeles Breakfast Club, to name a few. In addition, she is my fellow Door Builder in the Building Doors VO Campaign! From the stage to the booth, Jo's work is a testament to the power of curiosity, craft, and connection. To contact Jo, you can reach out to her via the followng: Business email Address: joyuanactor@gmail.com Business Website: www.jo-yuan.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/itsme.joyuan/ For more information on Jo Yuan's one woman show on September 21, 2025 'Something Borrowed. Something Blue. Something Tesla. Something True.': https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=brea For more on the Building Doors VO Campaign: https://www.buildingdoorsvo.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit: 'Together' by For King & Country Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."
Third generation Japanese American Philip Kan Gotanda has gained renown as one of the most prolific Asian American playwrights, filmmakers, and musicians, but he came this close to becoming a lawyer. East West Players (www.eastwestplayers.org) is remounting his seminal play Yankee Dawg You Die in July 2025 after first staging it in 2001. Here's your chance to let him educate you about the (sadly) still-relevant message of this play, while he regales you with astonishing and hilarious stories of his journey to embrace his calling as a pioneering artist.
"Find joy every day." Episode summary | Susan Jin Davis and May Lee explore the themes of generosity, identity, and resilience shaped by their immigrant experiences. They discuss the challenges of growing up as children of immigrants, the impact of cultural concepts like Han, and the transformative power of loss. May shares her journey as a journalist of color, emphasizing the importance of diversity in media and the need for education to combat stereotypes. The discussion also highlights the significance of personal connections and the role of platforms like their podcast, 'Shoes Off Inside,' in fostering dialogue and understanding. R.O.G. Takeaway Tips | Generosity is a core value that shapes our identities. The immigrant experience often involves significant sacrifice and resilience. Childhood challenges can lead to a complex understanding of identity. The concept of Han reflects deep-seated pain and resilience in Korean culture. Transforming pain into purpose can empower individuals to help others. Loss teaches us the importance of cherishing loved ones. Intergenerational trauma impacts our identities and experiences. Diversity in journalism is crucial for accurate representation. Education can fill gaps in understanding cultural histories. Creating platforms for dialogue fosters connection and understanding. Chapters | 00:00 Introduction and Connection 02:50 The Immigrant Experience and Generosity 05:28 Childhood Challenges and Identity Struggles 11:44 The Impact of Racism and the Concept of Han 13:56 Transforming Pain into Purpose 16:34 The Loss of a Parent and Its Lessons 18:30 The Importance of Presence and Connection 19:43 Intergenerational Trauma and Cultural Identity 21:36 Navigating Journalism as a Woman of Color 24:23 Facing Otherism: A Personal Journey 28:13 The Importance of Allyship and Diversity Efforts 32:20 Creating Awareness: The Evolution of Asian Americans in Media 38:04 Shoes Off Inside: Cultural Practices and Podcasting 43:06 Using Platforms for Social Change 51:25 Curiosity and Purpose: Finding Fulfillment in Action Guest Bio | May Lee is an award-winning broadcast journalist who has been both a US based, and international anchor, host, correspondent and producer having worked for a variety of media outlets including NHK, CNBC, Oxygen Media and CNN where she was appointed as the first Korean American anchor. May has broken down many other barriers throughout her career and continues to do so with her production company, Lotus Media House, which currently produces “Shoes Off Inside”, a vodcast (video-podcast) that explores the API experience and beyond with hosts May Lee as well as veteran actors Kelly Hu and Tamlyn Tomita. May's work in API activism and education was recognized by Forbes when she was named one of Forbes 50 over 50 women leading the way in impact in 2021. Along with her media projects and activism, May served as adjunct instructor at USC's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and Artistic Assistant Professor at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. May's many other previous professional roles include LA-based correspondent and host for international network CGTN-America, talk show host for Oxygen Media founded by Oprah Winfrey, and lead anchor for CNBC in Singapore. May is a graduate of Mills College in Oakland, CA where she attained her BA in communications. She has authored two books, “May Lee, Live and in Person”, originally published by John Wiley, and “So You Want to be On-Air? A Guide to Anchoring, Hosting, Voiceovers and more”, published by Cognella, Inc., which was released in July of 2023. May is an active board member of East West Players, the longest running Asian American theatre in the U.S. as well as Miss Porter's School, a prestigious boarding school in Farmington, Connecticut that educates, inspires and empowers the young women to become the leaders of tomorrow. Resources: IG @mayleeshow and @shoesoffinsidemkt YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@shoesoffinsidemkt LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayhlee/ Website lotusmediahouse.com Podcast - Shoes Off Inside MKT Free N.D.I. Network Diversity Index Free Generosity Quiz Credits: May Lee, Host: Susan Jin Davis, Bridge Between, Inc. Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 230, Special Guest, Nomi Bergman.
East West Players' venerable producing artistic director emeritus Tim Dang came back for a third appearance here to let us all know what's in store for audience members who come to his updated version of Stephen Sondheim's and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures. Previews start Nov. 7th and the musical will run through Dec. 1st. Go to www.eastwestplayers.org to purchase tickets. Set in nineteenth-century Japan, it tells the story of the country's westernization starting in 1853, when American ships forcibly opened it to the rest of the world. The story is told from the point of view of the Japanese, and focuses in particular on the lives of two friends who are caught in the change. Mako, one of EWP's co-founders, starred in the original 1976 Broadway production, and Dang originally directed it in 1998 to celebrate the opening of the new David Henry Hwang Theater in J-Town. Twenty-six years later, Dang has been tasked with directing a slightly refreshed take of this musical. Interestingly, the questions it originally raised about isolationism versus open borders remains quite relevant today.
Panelists will offer a wide array of perspectives on acting, scenic design, playwriting, diversity in theatre, theatrical institutions, and possibilities for a more equitable and inclusive theatre world. Sharon Marie Carnicke, author of Dynamic Acting through Active Analysis and Stanislavsky in Focus, is an internationally acclaimed expert on acting for stage and screen. Her award-winning translations of Chekhov’s plays have been produced nationally. Her other books include Checking out Chekhov and Reframing Screen Performance. She is a professor of Dramatic Arts and Slavic Languages and Literatures at USC and founder of the Stanislavsky Institute for the 21st Century. Snehal Desai is the artistic director of Center Theatre Group, one of the largest theatre companies in the nation. Previously, he was producing artistic director of East West Players. A Soros Fellow and the recipient of a Tanne Award, Snehal was the Inaugural Recipient of the Drama League’s Classical Directing Fellowship. He has served on the boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists, Theatre Communications Group, and currently serves on the board of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. Snehal was on the faculty of USC’s graduate program in Arts Leadership and is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Rena Heinrich is an associate professor of Theatre Practice at USC. Her book, Race and Role: The Mixed-Race Asian Experience in American Drama, traces the shifting identities of multiracial Asian figures in theater from the late-nineteenth century to the present day and exposes the absurd tenacity with which society clings to a tenuous racial scaffolding. She is a contributor to Shape Shifters: Journeys Across Terrains of Race and Identity and The Beiging of America: Personal Narratives about Being Mixed Race in the 21st Century. Maureen Weiss is a performance designer and scenic investigator who has worked in all aspects of theatre, design, and art for the past 25 years. Her work has been seen internationally, and was honored at the Prague Quadrennial in 2023. As a designer, her work has been seen nationally, as well as locally in Los Angeles at The Getty Villa, The Latino Theater Company, The International City Theatre, and 18th Street Arts Center. Maureen is the co-author of Scene Shift: U.S. Set Designers in Conversation, with Sibyl Wickersheimer, which inspired an exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art. She was an associate professor of Performance Design at Alfred University before coming to Los Angeles City College in Fall 2023. Moderator: Luis Alfaro is a Chicano playwright born and raised in downtown Los Angeles and an associate professor of Dramatic Writing and director of the MFA Dramatic Writing Program at USC. His fellowships include the MacArthur Foundation; United States Artists; Ford Foundation; Joyce Foundation; Mellon Foundation & the PEN America Award for a Master Dramatist. His plays, including The Travelers, Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, and Mojada, have been seen throughout the United States, Latin America, Canada, and Europe.
Good Pop is taking a break this week as our hosts are out on official Professional Asian American business, so we're dropping in the latest episode from our fellow Potluck Podcast Saturday School, a podcast about Asian American film history hosted by journalist Ada Tseng (from our Bachelorette recaps), and film professor Brian Hu.If you like what you hear, make sure to follow and check out their other episodes at https://podcastpotluck.com/saturday-school---Episode 2 of our "Stars of Asian American Cinema" season goes back to the beginning with 1980's "Hito Hata: Raise the Banner," considered the first feature-length film made by and about Asian Americans. It was recently restored in 4K by the National Film Preservation Foundation. The film traces Japanese American history from the issei generation's arrival to the U.S., to incarceration during WWII, to their fight against gentrification in Little Tokyo in the '70s. "Hito Hata" stars Mako (an Oscar-nominated actor who was one of the founders of the Asian American theater company East West Players) and Pat Morita (who got famous from "Happy Days" and would later become Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid"). The film was directed by Robert A. Nakamura and Duane Kubo, founders of Visual Communications, the organization behind the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, and it symbolized an investment in Little Tokyo as a cultural hub for Asian America. For this generation, stardom wasn't just about fame or celebrity. It was about dignity. "Hito Hata" showed that a cast of Asian American actors who were usually limited to bit parts in Hollywood could be stars. It also used stardom to teach a history that wasn't taught in schools.Mentioned in this episode:Listen to Inheriting from LAist & NPR"Inheriting" is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. In doing so, the show seeks to break apart the AAPI monolith and tell a fuller story of these communities. In each episode, NPR's Emily Kwong sits down with one family and facilitates deeply emotional conversations between their loved ones, exploring how their most personal, private moments are an integral part of history. Through these stories, we show how the past is personal and how to live with the legacies we're constantly inheriting. New episodes premiere every Thursday. Subscribe to “Inheriting” on your app of choiceListen to Inheriting now!
Writer and director Lisa Sanaye Dring's new play Kairos opens East West Players new season on April 4th. Because her play explores what can happen to a couple when there's a possibility of them living forever, we delve headlong into a captivating discussion of the significance of time, special moments, mortality, immortality, and even success and failure! To see the schedule and buy tickets to performances, go to www.eastwestplayers.org.
Listen to a panel discussion led by Antonia Cereijido (she/her), host of the Imperfect Paradise podcast from LAist Studios about chronicling the 58-year history of the longest running theatre of color in the U.S. Full Event Info: Here Guests: Zandi De Jesus (she/her), actress Yu Gu (she/her), director Tamlyn Tomita (she/her), actress (Recorded live on Dec. 12, 2023) Watch full episodes at Pbssocal.org/Artbound or the free PBS app.
Your typical biracial Asian American country boy to Hollywood story… In the 90s, Tim Lounibos was at the forefront of an “exciting new breed of asian american actors” with “widespread mainstream appeal”—graced with “charisma” and performances which critics called “absolutely luminous” and “remarkable”—but that was when quality inclusive casting was still decades away. Tim has carved out a worthy 30-year career covering film, tv, commercials, animated voice over, and theater (co-founded the acclaimed and groundbreaking Asian American theatre Lodestone Theatre Ensemble and helped run East West Players). Credits include recurring roles on Bosch, The West Wing, JAG, and Beverly Hills: 90210. Most recently, he's been seen on Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and FBI: Most Wanted. It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler. Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii. To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit: https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/ It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production.
Christmas came early this year! We are dropping this episode a few days ahead of schedule to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the release of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The multi-talented Lavina Jadhwani stops by to discuss her adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which was first produced when her script was discovered on New Play Exchange. In this episode, we discuss:Adapting a well-known story for the stage, making it unique, and being faithful to the original textLavina's approach to adapting for the stageHow surviving cancer gave her a different perspective of her workthe Bollywood film list Lavina curated for Melissa on the spotAnd more!Resources MentionedA Christmas Carol by Lavina Jadhwani is playing at the Guthrie and Penobscot Theatre during the 2023 holiday season.New Play Exchange Nothing For the Group substackAbout Our GuestLavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director, playwright, and activist. Directing credits include Guthrie Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, PlayMakers Rep, the Rep of St. Louis, Asolo Rep, Mixed Blood, the Neo-Futurists, the Gift, Teatro Vista, Silk Road Rising, and Rasaka Theatre Company, where she served as Artistic Director for seven years. As a playwright, her work has been seen at the Guthrie, the Goodman, the Gift, East West Players, Cincinnati Shakes, and Indianapolis Shakes, and more. Lavina serves on the boards of the National New Play Network and the Chicago Inclusion Project. She is a proud cancer survivor, dog mom, and child of immigrants. She got her BFA/MA at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and her MFA at The Theatre School at DePaul University.Connect with Our Guestlavinajadhwani.comRead & Recommend Lavina's plays on New Play ExchangeFacebookInstagramConnect with host Melissa Schmitz***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter***101 Stage AdaptationsFollow the Podcast on Facebook & InstagramRead Melissa's plays on New Play ExchangeConnect with Melissa on LinkedInWays to support the show:- Buy Me a Coffee- Tell us your thoughts in our Listener Survey!- Give a 5-Star rating- Write a glowing review on Apple Podcasts - Send this episode to a friend- Share on social media (Tag us so we can thank you!)Creators: Host your podcast through Buzzsprout using my affiliate link & get a $20 credit on your paid account. Let your fans directly support you via Buy Me a Coffee (affiliate link).
Veteran American actor Tamlyn Tomita is my guest this week to make sure that as many people as possible know about East West Players' last production of their 57th season Spring Awakening. This revolutionary musical won the "Best Musical" Tony Award on Broadway, and I can promise you that Director Tim Dang's version at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, is Broadway-quality! Tamlyn and husband Daniel Blinkoff play all of the adult roles quite convincingly, and the ensemble cast of young actors will have you questioning whether this production is truly their professional debut. Head over to www.eastwestplayers.org to find a performance that matches your schedule and purchase your tickets.
For many of you who have been watching and listening to this show, you've gotten to know May's Golden Retriever, Eggy, pretty well. She would often make cameo appearances during the show knowing exactly where the camera was. Eggy's story, like many rescue dogs, is amazingly touching and inspiring. On October 14 2023, Eggy crossed the rainbow bridge after nearly 16 years. May wanted to take a few minutes at the start of this episode to honor her fur baby and share Eggy's story. Tamlyn and Kelly join May after the memoriam to talk about Tamlyn's theatrical escapades with a run in East West Players production of "Spring Awakening", which opens Oct. 29 in Los Angeles. Kelly gives us an update on her big move to Las Vegas and how her high school calvary came to the rescue! And May shares details about her recent engagement party and how she almost fell for the pressure of throwing a fancy, expensive, formal affair and, instead, chose a more personal route. (Hint, she made the right choice.)Please subscribe to this channel to get updates on the show! You can also listen wherever you get your podcasts. Rate and review our show!!
Another episode touching on aspects not featured in past episodes. Today playwright Anna Ouyang Moench sits in the Playwright's Spotlight and, thankfully, after botching her name twice, she was nice enough to stick around. In this interview, we discuss the benefits of writers groups, the pursuit of playwriting, and developing a play during rehearsal through a nontraditional writing approach. We also discuss the techniques of structure, working under time constraints and the the practicality and theatricality of producing, transferring from larger markets to smaller markets as well as building your network as you grow. We also talk about how playwriting helps in the arena of film and television, how to take notes and receive feedback and being mindful when receiving it, how to juggle life's responsibilities and finding discipline while writing, the mechanisms of a play, playing with the structure of timeline as well as obtaining theatrical and literary representation and so much more. Certainly a learning experience on my end which I hope you enjoy. Anna Ouyang Moench is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays have been produced across the country and include Mothers, Birds of North America, and Sin Eaters. She has been supported by fellowships and residencies from The Playwrights Realm, New York Foundation of the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the Van Lier Foundation, Yaddo, the Tofte Lake Center, the Sewanee Writers Conference, and the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Her awards include the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center, the Gerbode Special Award in the Arts, Boulder Ensemble Theater Company's Generations Award, and East West Players' 2042: See Change Award. She is an alum of UCSD's Playwriting M.F.A. program, the Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater, Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Jam at New Georges, and writers groups at East West Players and the Echo Theater Company.To view the video format of this episode, visit -https://youtu.be/HbNX6N4sPaAFor tickets to Birds of North America if you're in the Los Angeles area, visit -https://odysseytheatre.com/whats-on/birds-of-north-america/Links to sites mentioned in this episode - Playwright's Realm -https://playwrightsrealm.org/New York Foundation for the Arts -https://www.nyfa.orgJerome Foundation -https://www.jeromefdn.orgVan Lier Fellowship -https://www.aaartsalliance.org/programs/van-lier-fellowshipYaddo -https://yaddo.orgSawanee Writers Conference -https://www.sewaneewriters.orgLast Frontier -http://www.theatreconference.orgUCSD Theatre Dept. -https://theatre.ucsd.eduWebsites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show
Bonnie He is an Asian American actor, improvisor, award-winning physical comedian and clown, and Hello Kitty super fan. She was in the short film The New Empress with Maggie Gyllenhaal and was on the Second City Hollywood house improv team, Excelsior!. She is a staple at Upright Citizen's Brigade's monthly show, Send in the Clowns. Bonnie's award-winning live solo show A Terrible Show for Terrible People won Fringiest show at the 2023 Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest, Best Comedy at the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival and the Craziest Solo Show award at the 2019 Crazy Woke Asians Solo Performance Festival. Bonnie received the Maverick Award for her solo work from the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival this year. The Maverick Award is “presented to an artist or individual whose work has set a high standard of individuality and self-styled creativity.” A Terrible Show has toured nationally from Second City Hollywood's Diversity in Comedy Festival to The Brick's NY Clown Theatre Festival. Bonnie is the resident clowning instructor at Company of Angels, the oldest non-profit professional equity waiver theater in Los Angeles, and at East West Players, the nation's premiere Asian American theatre company. When she's not clowning, Bonnie is fervently growing her Hello Kitty collection. SUBSCRIBE. RATE. REVIEW!! LA Spotlights: THEME and Stingers: Ryan Thomas Johnson IG: @theatre_theater_pod Twitter: @the_theatre_pod Gmail: theatretheaterpod@gmail.com tiktok: @theatre_of_the_absurd Resources below BLM Donation and Education LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/NationalResourcesList Black Owned Businesses in LA: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18w-0RBhwBBlXDN9kRV9DVSCAGSCjtHb9K0Pq2YBv18U/htmlview?usp=sharing&pru=AAABcpXptV0*XfoiE2Ay5SJUCEO3tXROGQ&urp=gmail_link MPJI https://marshap.org/ Petitions https://linktr.ee/petitions_123
Taking a look at the evolution of playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins with special guest LISA DRING Lisa is a writer, director and actor originally from Hilo, Hawaii and Reno, Nevada. Her play SUMO will be co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi Theater Company in 2023. She has recently worked on multiple projects with Meow Wolf and was a member of The Geffen Writers' Room. She was honored as a recipient of the 2020/21 PLAY LA Stage Raw/Humanitas Prize. Her play The Wicked One was a finalist for the Relentless Award, a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, a finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Playwrights Conference. Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, a piece she co-wrote with Chelsea Sutton, was nominated for 7 Ovation Awards including Best Production (winner of 5). Lisa's work has been developed/produced by The New Group, Actors Theatre of Louisville, East West Players, Circle X, SCF @ Son of Semele, Playwrights' Arena, Rogue Artists Ensemble, UCSB Launch Pad Series, The Motor Company and Theatre of NOTE. Lisa has been awarded fellowships at MacDowell, Blue Mountain Center and Yaddo. Her play SUMO was recently named as a finalist for the O'Neill Playwrights Conference. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California. She was awarded the 2021 Dorothy and Granville Hicks Residency at Yaddo, which honors one promising young writer a year, and was nominated for an Emmy for Welcome to the Blumhouse Live, a project she co-wrote and co-directed with Matt Hill. Shows Discussed: Part 1: An Octoroon Part 2: Gloria Part 3: Everybody SUBSCRIBE. RATE. REVIEW!! THEME and Stingers: Ryan Thomas Johnson IG: @theatre_theater_pod Twitter: @the_theatre_pod Gmail: theatretheaterpod@gmail.com tiktok: @theatre_of_the_absurd LA SPOTLIGHTS: A New BrainIG: @CelebrationThTr www.celebrationtheatre.org Resources below FGM Education Resources https://www.fgmeducation.com/post_resources/fgm-medical-resources/ BLM Donation and Education LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/NationalResourcesList Black Owned Businesses in LA: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18w-0RBhwBBlXDN9kRV9DVSCAGSCjtHb9K0Pq2YBv18U/htmlview?usp=sharing&pru=AAABcpXptV0*XfoiE2Ay5SJUCEO3tXROGQ&urp=gmail_link MPJI https://marshap.org/ Petitions https://linktr.ee/petitions_123
In coming together to create On This Side of the World, Tirol and Shapiro connected deeply to the experiences of countless Filipino Americans who flew over 7,000 miles to start new lives in America. Produced by East West Players in partnership with FilAm ARTS, this wonderful new musical makes its world premiere at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, from May 11 - June 4. For show times and tickets please visit www.eastwestplayers.org.
Continuing with our investigation at the East West Players Theatre in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. What did the spirits of this theater have in store for us? What did they have to say? Well, you must tune in to find out! Please check out the East West Players theater if you have a chance or if you're in and around town to catch a show then click on this link for more info EAST WEST PLAYERS PARAPOD FESTIVAL!!!! Please join us at the 1st Annual Parapod Festival March 31st-April 1 in Santa Clarita! For tickets and more details click on the link PARAPOD FEST
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian-Pacific American experience today. According to the theatre's website "East West Players' current home is in the upper 3 levels of the Union Center for the Arts in the northwestern end of the Little Tokyo Historic District. The company had spent the previous 32 years since its founding in a 99-seat theatre in Silver Lake before moving to the new David Henry Hwang Theatre in the Union Center for the Arts in 1998. The Union Center for the Arts was formerly Union Church, the combined home of three Japanese American congregations, was completed in 1923. With the onset of World War II, it was in front of this building that residents of the district joined the residents of Terminal Island, whose community had been razed 48 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Residents lined up with a single suitcase allowance awaiting transportation to join 10,000 people sent to the War Relocation Center in Manzanar in 1942. Most of those transported to the internment camps lost all of their property and were unable to return to living in their old community after the war, scattering the population throughout the city. During the war, the building was used as a community center for African Americans arriving from the deep south in search of work in wartime industry as part of the ‘Great Migration'. The neighborhood had some of the only housing in the city that did not have restrictive housing covenants based on color, and quickly became highly populated. Three years into the war, the neighborhood was renamed Bronzeville, and was home to crowded conditions and ‘breakfast clubs' – jazz clubs that were known to stay open until dawn. In 1943, a part of the ‘Zoot Suit Riots' spread into the area. At the close of 1945 the Japanese Americans gradually began re-establishing a community center, where Little Tokyo remains a very diverse part of central Los Angeles. The building located on Judge John Aiso Street was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, leaving it unusable. The Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the building in 1998 to house three arts organizations – the East West Players, Visual Communications, and LA Artcore. " BUT! What is causing the haunting at this historical location? Well, tune in to find out what we uncover and what makes its presence known! CATCH HOLLYWEIRD PARANORMAL AT THE FIRST ANUAL PARAPOD FEST MARCH 31- APRIL 1 FOR DETAILS, STAY AND TICKETS CLICK HERE
Whenever I bring American comedic actor Kristina Wong on my show, there's never a dull moment, and never any uncomfortable silent gaps. She came on this time to promote her award-winning solo show, "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord," a co-production of the Center Theater Group and East West Players at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City, CA, from February 12-March 12. You're going to love hearing her recount how she initially responded to a severe shortage of face masks at the start of the pandemic to her organizing and directing an army of 'aunties' who made and gave away well over 300,000 face masks to those needing them most.
Tori and Mabelle talk with Andy Lowe, the Director of Production and Casting for East West Players, the longest running professional theater of color in the United States. Andy talks about his beginnings as a storyteller towards social change and how his volunteer activism with nonprofits led to his stint as Artistic Director of Asian American Rep Theatre at 19 years old. Other topics include anti-racism, his full-circle journey with the Plays by Young Writers contest, his career journey of building platforms to uplift fellow artists, and his role as a podcaster for Pod Squadron.
One of the most prolific actors of all time, James Hong, drops by to chat about Wendell & Wild, career risks, AAPI representation, and special skills. More about Wendell & Wild: From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick and producer Jordan Peele, comes Wendell & Wild, an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell and Wild - who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot - a tough teen with a load of guilt - to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion. Starring: Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Angela Bassett, James Hong, Ving Rhames, Lyric Ross, Tamara Smart, Ramona Young, Sam Zelaya, Tantoo Cardinal. More about James Hong: Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, James Hong has over 650 credits to his name. He starred in Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner, Mulan, Kunf Fu Panda, and most recently Everything Everywhere All at Once. He is the co-founder of East West Players, the first Asian American theater organization. Wendell & Wild is out streaming now at netflix.com/wendellandwild Find us at: www.werewatchingwhat.com youtube.com/thedhk twitter.com/thedhk instagram.com/thedhk facebook.com/thedhkmovies --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
It is a pleasure to welcome actor and dancer Lawrence Kao to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. Born in Hacienda Heights, California, his parents groomed Lawrence to become a pediatrician. However, when his mother forced him to play musical instruments as a kid, his path toward a future in the arts began. He received a bachelor's degree in Theater at the University of California at Irvine. While at the university, he expanded his passion for dance and joined the Kaba Modern dance group. Lawrence and the group found themselves in the national spotlight when they auditioned for the inaugural season of MTV's American Best Dance Crew. Week after week, the group's impeccable choreography impressed judges JC Chasez, Lil Mama, and Shane Sparks, and the audience and Kaba Modern took home third place. After graduating from the University of California at Irvine, Lawrence worked at award-winning theater companies such as the Guthrie Theater, East West Players, South Coast Repertory, and San Diego Repertory. In addition to joining the dance group Kinjaz, Lawrence continued to land roles on several popular television shows such as Hawaii 5-0, Law & Order: SUV, NCIS: Los Angeles & New Orleans, The Originals, and The Walking Dead. Recently, Lawrence Kao was a series regular on Netflix's Wu Assassins, where he portrayed Tommy Wan. He reprised the role in the 2022 original film Fistful of Vengeance. He joined the cast of the CW's latest Walker spin-off: Walker Independence, as Kai. Kai is a newcomer to the town of Independence, looking to restart his life. Actors Katherine McNamara, Katie Findlay, Matt Barr, and Justin Johnson Cortez also star in the show. In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Lawrence Kao spoke about portraying Tommy Wah in Netflix's Wu Assassins and Fistful of Vengeance, plus teased Walker: Independence fans about Kai's journey during the first season.
East West Players presents: The Great Jheri Curl Debate @ David Henry Hwang Theatre 8.6 out of 10 - Great Show! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! September 15-October 9, 2022 www.latheatrebites.com
Taking a look at the commonly overlooked, rich history of early Asian American cinema groups, Masami shares a reflective conversation with actress, former arts education director of East West Players, founder of Cold Tofu, and former Co-Chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, Marilyn Tokuda. Marilyn delves deep into her internal struggles at the beginning of her acting career and how the various mentors she had within the community were pivotal in shaping her journey. Masami and Marilyn emphasize the importance of early Asian American coalitions and activists and the need to continue advocacy in the entertainment industry. Podcast Show Notes Guest Title: Marilyn Tokuda Recording Date: 10/12/2021 Episode Title: Cold Tofu Comedy w/ Marilyn Tokuda Topics Discussed: Topic 1 - The impact of East West Players. Topic 2 - The impetuses and mentors who encouraged and sparked Marilyn's acting journey. Topic 3 - How she derived her strength from wanting to be different from Asian stereotypes. Topic 4 - The motivations and beginnings of how Marilyn started Cold Tofu Topic 5 - Finding her own unique voice within the Asian American community. Topic 6 - The passionate history behind Cold Tofu's success and development Topic 7 - How nonprofit comedy groups stay financially stable. Topic 8 - Marilyn's involvement in East West Players. Topic 9 - The importance of having positive role models within the Asian American community. Topic 10 - Coalitions' effects on changing the theater and film industry. Topic 11 - Breaking the cycle of silencing her own voice. Topic 12 - Making noise to keep networks accountable. Topic 13 - Demanding increasing initiatives and development for Asian Americans within the industry. Topic 14 - Closing thoughts. Links and Handles: Marilyn's IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0865795/ Masami's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/masmoriya SAL Links: https://strongasianlead.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strongasianlead_ Crowdfunding - https://strongasianlead.com/donate Twitter: https://twitter.com/StrongAsianLead Subscribe to our newsletter and updates at https://members.strongasianlead.com SAL's Feature in Feedspot's Top 20 Asian Film Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/asian_movies_podcasts/
Today's guest grew up in the Philippines, fell in love with movies as a kid, found validation through acting, pursued his master's degree, got fired from a big break, and still has been working for over five decades! Alberto Isaac has been working for 50+ years across theatre, TV, and film. In addition to regional theatre gigs across the country, he has enjoyed a long association with East West Players, joining them shortly after that company started, and also found success as a director and playwright there. Click here for full show notes and links. Become a Patron to get exclusive access and discounts. Get your copy of "Keys the Pro's Use to Unlock Any Script" --- The WAJ podcast is designed to show you HOW the work is done, WHAT the realities of the working actor life are like, and to share all the different ways actors have come to this career. There is no one path and no single answer. We want to learn from all of those further down the road, to shorten the learning curve and to discover what helps and what doesn't when it comes to having a lifelong career as an actor.
Last Friday, I had the honor of hosting a Militantly Mixed Live Panel Discussion at East West Players in Los Angeles, CA (Little Tokyo). My fellow panelist were Rohan Zhou-Lee originator of the Blasian March in NY, Asian_Soph from Mixed_Present and Mixed_Made, and Lee Painter-Kim organizer for the Blasian March in L.A. and Stop DiscriminAsian. We speak about Black Asian Solidarity and accessing Activism where you are at. I would also like to link an article in which I am feature reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the L.A. Uprisings aka L.A. Riots - Injustice by Design, Solidarity by Choice by Shengxio "Sole" YuIf you would like to donate to Militantly Mixed for the East West Players and Blasian March please go to https://paypal.me/MilitantlyMixed or https://venmo.com/manehustlemedia* * *You can continue the conversation on our private Facebook group after you listen to this episode at http://facebook.com/groups/militantlymixed* * *Produced and Edited by Sharmane Fury Music by: David Bogan, the One - https://www.dbtheone.com/* * *Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or send me an email at Sharmane@militantlymixed.com.* * *Militantly Mixed is a fan-sponsored podcast, if you are enjoying the show please consider sponsoring us on Patreon, Paypal, & Cash.App today! Thank you.This is a ManeHustle Media Podcast.Turn your side hustle into your ManeHustle.
“I'm the child of immigrants, I grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, I'm queer, I'm South Asian, and I came of age post 9/11. So there were a lot of things that had me be the outsider in the room. Early in life, I realized that I can be the outsider and be not seen and ignored, or you can utilize that outsider status to actually lead…to take charge to be the one at the head of the group versus the one in the back.” And now, as the leader of the nation's top Asian-American theater company, Snehal Desai is using his successful career as a storyteller and artist to further his community and the world around us. Forging new paths, Snehal has build an incredible career as a director and producer and continues to expand the reach of the East West Players to critical acclaim, always staying true to his values and personal brand. Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama. Guest Bio Snehal Desai Producing Artistic Director East West Players Snehal Desai is the Producing Artistic Director of East West Players, the nation's premier Asian-American theater company and one of the longest running theaters of color in the US. Before this time, Snehal was a freelance director working across the United States and the UK. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) and serves on the boards of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and Theater Communications Group (TCG) and National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). Snehal found a home at East West Players because he found it to uniquely stand at the intersection of artistry and social justice. As an artistic leader, he has sought to raise awareness on social issues that affect Angelenos by personalizing them through storytelling. A Soros Fellow and the recipient of a Tanne Award, Desai was in the Inaugural Class of Theatre Communications Group's (TCG) “Spark” Leadership Program. He was also the Inaugural Recipient of the Drama League's Classical Directing Fellowship. Snehal is on the faculty of USC's graduate program in Arts Leadership where he teaches Executive Arts Leadership. Snehal is a graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama. Links To learn more about Lead With Your Brand system, please visit: LeadWithyYourBrand.com To book Jayzen for a speaking engagement or workshop at your company, visit: JayzenPatria.com Check out East West Players at : EastWestPlayers.org
A wisecracking sound designer once said, "The audience doesn't leave humming the lights." Whoever said it, they have a point. That's why this week's episode dedicated to the rock musical THE WHO'S TOMMY features a guest with one of the most important jobs in musical theatre! But Cricket Myers is no ordinary sound designer. She was also the first woman to ever be Tony nominated for "Best Sound Design of a Play." Together, Cricket and Jeff begin our official Tony Award festivities by discussing her career, how sound technology might be behind an important evolution in musicals, and how this rock opera carries incredibly profound themes within its iconic guitar riffs. To learn more about Cricket, check out her website at cricketmyers.com You can also learn more about her latest project INTERSTATE at East West Players by visiting https://eastwestplayers.org/interstate/ Be sure to share "A Musical Theatre Podcast" with your friends and connect with us via social media on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Support the show and receive bonus content each month by subscribing to PATREON! for only $1. We also have a TeePublic Store with new designs you can put on just about anything. Most of all, thank you for being part of this beautiful podcasting community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome back to Season 2, Episode 148 of the Asian Hustle Network Podcast! We are very excited to have AJ Rafael on this week's show. We interview Asian entrepreneurs around the world to amplify their voices and empower Asians to pursue their dreams and goals. We believe that each person has a message and a unique story from their entrepreneurial journey that they can share with all of us. Check us out on Anchor, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, TuneIn, Spotify, and more. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a positive 5-star review. This is our opportunity to use the voices of the Asian community and share these incredible stories with the world. We release a new episode every Wednesday and Saturday, so stay tuned! AJ Rafael, singer/songwriter from Moreno Valley, CA. With over 1 Million subscribers on YouTube and 600K on TikTok, AJ was recognized as a Fil-Am Game Changer by the City of Los Angeles in 2017. His debut album, Red Roses, charted on Billboard and at #4 on the Pop iTunes Charts. AJ continues to make music and upload videos as he did when he first started back in 2006. He is also active in the theatre world, performing and music directing in theaters around the United States such as East-West Players and American Repertory Theatre. AJ started a podcast with his fiancée, Alyssa, called "Sweet or Savory" where they debate topics like "Is peanut butter sweet or savory?" and "Can you be friends with your ex?" now out on all platforms. To stay connected within the AHN community, please join our AHN directory: bit.ly/AHNDirectory --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/asianhustlenetwork/support
Recorded on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 In this episode of TA(L)KING DIRECTION, Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks and Associate Artistic Director Nilan speak with Snehal Desai, Producing Artistic Director of East West Players. Located in L.A., East West Players, now entering its 56th Season, is one of the longest continuously-operating theaters of color in the United States. A former Drama League Fellow, Snehal discusses what it's like to be a leader of such an institution in our current times and his vision for the company and its future. Editing Services: Catalin Media, @catalinmedia
Gedde Watanabe headlines a stellar ensemble cast in East West Players production of the Tony award-winning musical "Assassins." I've wanted to interview for years, and once you listen to our conversation, I think you'll understand why.
This week, I speak with Tim Dang, former Artistic Producing Director of East West Players, the longest running POC/Asian American theatre company in America. Tim is an actor, producer and director who also teaches at USC. We also speak about his play, Beijing Spring. Screenwriters, Directors, Filmmakers: Book your free discovery call with Mas Moriya. Links: Strong Asian Lead Homepage Instagram - @strongasianlead_ Twitter - @strongasianlead Facebook – Strong Asian Lead Crowdfunding - LINK Patreon - LINK Youtube - CHANNEL Masami Moriya IG: @MasMoriya Twitter: @MasMoriya Deso: @MasMoriya Music by Diana Chow --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Ken Takemoto is a native of Hawaii, born in Haleiwa on August 18, 1934. He spent his childhood in Kaka‘ako and his teenage and college years in Kapahulu. He went to Washington Jr. High and McKinley High School (Class of 1952). He graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1957 and went on to UCLA in Los Angeles to get teaching credentials in art. He started teaching in 1960 and retired in 1996 after 35 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District. While still a teacher at the 32nd Street/USC Performing Arts Magnet School, he got his first acting job on a Stevie Wonder music video when one of the school teacher's wife was looking for an older Asian man. He went on to take a summer acting workshop at East West Players in 1989 out of curiosity and was asked to do props. He continued with it until he retired the same year as Tim Dang. He also did costume design and appeared on stage in four productions. When EWP produced Twelfth Night, he did props, costumes and acted in it as well. During that time, he got agents to represent him in some commercials, print, TV and film. It's A Hawaii Thing Productions. Quality content for the Hawaii Enthusiast and traveler. Celebrities, artists & community leaders vomming together to showcase the spirit of the islands. New weekly program dedicated to anything and everything unique to life in Hawaii. To Learn more about It's A Hawaii Thing visit: https://www.itsahawaiithing.com/ It's A Hawaii Thing is a https://www.wikiocast.com/ production. #eastwestplayers #actor #usc #32ndstreet #falconwintersoldier
Welcome to Episode 58! Yes, we're geeks who like fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, comic books, music, food and more. You can also add musical theatre to that list of things we love. In this episode, we take time to talk about the history of Asian Americans in musical theatre. Although there aren't a plethora of Asian American stories being told on Broadway, there have been some notable individual performers in both Asian-specific and non-Asian-specific roles. We also bring back our segment on media called Accidentally Asian Pacific Positive. This time we highlight Eternals by the amazing storyteller and director Chloé Zhao. If you're interested in statistics regarding representation on Broadway, we recommend the Visibility Report by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition. Be sure to check-out the East West Players as well. For fun, email us if you catch our atrocious mis-pronunciation of a Chinese instrument. Tell us what it was. To learn more, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or https://linktr.ee/AAHistory101 for social media. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@1882media.com. Segments 00:26 Reminiscing on Our Love of Musical Theatre 05:53 Asian Americans in Musical Theatre 19:27 Accidentally Asian Pacific Positive… Eternals
Inspired by the work of The Great AAPI Elder Print Off in San Francisco, Artists at Play spotlights three theatre veterans who have contributed much of their professional lives to creating Asian American theatre and nurturing the next generation of artists. We sat down with Tim Dang, Meg Imamoto and Marilyn Tokuda, who all spent many years at East West Players, and are theatre elders who have mentored many.Episode CreditsProduced by Stefanie LauEdited by Nicholas PilapilTheme song by Eloise Wong
Tim Dang appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as "Main Bridge Security" in the series pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint." He even had a couple of lines. Outside of performing, Tim served as artistic director for the hallowed Asian American theater company East West Players for over twenty years, and currently teaches at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
This week's News: West Coast Haunters Convention is now the West Coast Halloween Conference; DNA VR challenges visitors to Survive the Night for a Halloween event; The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' will host their 57th annual haunted house, the Frightful Frontier; Haunted Ghost Town has cancelled their 2021 haunt season due to lack of staffing; the 5th Annual Haunted Little Tokyo Returns to Downtown Los Angeles; Mountain Ridge Adventure presents their 5th annual Zombie Zips Halloween event; East West Players & Rogue Artists Ensemble present the Kaidan Project: Alone app & launch party immersive haunt; Sea Life Orlando Aquarium hosts Spooky Seas Event; Nextdoor launched their annual interactive Treat Map; Map Out Home Haunts in the Evansville, Indiana area; The St. Louis Holiday Light Hopping Guide for 2021 offers new pre-made routes; CIT Bank's Halloween Survey shows increased Halloween participation and spending for 2021; Lowe's plans to host Hal-LOWE-een Trick-or-Treat Tryouts nationwide on October21st; Ring offers seasonal doorbell chimes for Halloween; American Academy of Ortheopaedic Surgeons releases safety tips for Halloween; Halloween Peeps return for 2021; Boo Batter Ice Cream returns to Cold Stone Creamery; Freeform & Carvel partner for limited-edition Hocus Pocus-themed milkshakes. Also, RIP Ullr. Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork
Andy Lowe is Director of Productions at East / West Players, the nation's longest-running professional theatre of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work. He is also Mr Benja's creative arch-nemesis. We argue about working through the the pandemic, plot vs character, The Hero's Journey, and much more.——————About:Thanks for listening! Mr Benja's ADD Experience is a podcast discussing Art, Design, and Development and living the creative life to the best of your ability. Created by a former game programmer, game designer, and current visual creative living in California while he contemplates life.——————If you'd like to work with on creating something, or if you have any questions, please be sure to contact Benja via the website or on social media.——————Please leave a comment and subscribe if you haven't done so already.They really help out, cause the algorithms be trippin.——————Links:FACEBOOK: ☞ http://www.facebook.com/mrbenjaonline TWITTER: ☞ http://www.twitter.com/mrbenja INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/mrbenja TWITCH: ☞ http://www.twitch.com/mrbenjatwitches SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmfCQsS2LiACglQZ2f97D_Q?sub_confirmation=1 https://mrbenja.com
You've seen Amy Hill on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 50 First Dates, All-American Girl, and more! John chats with Amy about being born in Deadwood (the coolest place ever), finding herself in Japan, writing a one-person show in a month out of pure desperation, portraying matriarchs of all stripes, and her work with famed Los Angeles theatre group: East West Players. All that and more on this week's episode of Household Faces! Listen to Household Faces Ad-Free on Forever Dog Plus: http://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plus Follow Household Faces: https://twitter.com/householdfaces https://www.instagram.com/householdfaces Amy Hill on: IMDB Wikipedia East West Players Twitter Instagram Hosted by John Ross Bowie Follow John on Instagram Produced by Ben Blacker and Forever Dog Follow Ben on Twitter If you enjoy this podcast, you'll probably also enjoy The Writers Panel Household Faces is a Forever Dog podcast https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/household-faces Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Episode 35 of the Asian American History 101 podcast! Back in Episode 25, we began to discuss the history of Hawai'i, the most famous of the Pacific Islands. It's time for Part 2! In this episode, we talk about the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the events that led up to it. However, to open the show, we celebrate the recent announcement of the four Asian Pacific Americans who will be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022, with special celebration of James Hong, an acting icon and early founder of the East West Players. We close the episode with information on the acceptance of gender fluidity in Hawai'i and Samoa, and highlight some notable activists. To learn more, you can watch this Ted Talk of Kumu Hina (Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu), learn The Meaning of Māhū, or read Samoan Queer Lives by Dan Taulapapa Mc Mullin and Yuki Kihara. Continue to learn more and visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or https://linktr.ee/AAHistory101 for social media. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@1882media.com. Segments 0:26 API on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 2:49 History of Hawai'i Part 2 18:24 Gender identity in Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands
In 2016, director Snehal Desai was named artistic director of the renowned theater company East West Players in Los Angeles, only the fourth person to lead the nation's premier Asian American theatre since its founding in 1965. East West Players was created by nine Asian American artists and ever since has been a bedrock of Los Angeles' vibrant theater scene. Under Snehal's leadership the company has focused on new work, producing plays by some of the country's most admired artists, including Qui Nguyen, Lauren Yee and the writer after whom the mainstage is named, Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and opera and musical librettist David Henry Hwang. East West Players was in the news this past spring when during a livestream of its annual Ovation Awards, the Los Angeles Stage Alliance, or LASA, not only mispronounced nominated actor Jully Lee's name but also showed a photo of another Asian American actor. This final act of sloppiness and cultural erasure was too much for Snehal, who along with other artistic directors of color in Los Angeles had for years petitioned the organization to recognize all partner theaters involved in a co-production, not just the larger and predominantly white institutions. The next day he wrote an impassioned statement on social media succinctly stating why East West Players was immediately withdrawing its membership in LASA. A host of other theaters soon followed suit, and LASA's board quickly decided to fold. In this interview with Pier Carlo Talenti and Rob Kramer, Snehal discusses how questioning and reinventing fundamental practices in the American theater could change the culture of the artform to be welcoming to a broader range of artists and audiences alike. He also places his post-Ovation Awards statement within the context of the summer of 2020 and the commitment of artists of color to wrest power from institutions that have long been content to ignore them. https://eastwestplayers.org/ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-04-05/l-a-stage-alliance-shuts-down-ovation-awards
[News - 15:16] Loki Pregame for June 9th premier, Cons opening back up, who's going? And we do a business check in on AMC stock (to the Moon) and the NFT Market Collapse[Feature - 59:50:50 The ArrowVerse Shows,: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly[Recap - 1:35:43] New Show: Superman & Lois Andy Lowe is known as @chinesepirate_ on social media.You can find him working with the teams at The Geekish Network and the East West Players. https://twitch.tv/geekishnetworkhttps://eastwestplayers.org/----------Show vs. Business is your weekly take on Pop Culture from two very different perspectives. Your hosts Theo and Mr. Benja provide all the relevant info to get your week started right.----------Follow us on Instagram - https://instagram.com/show_vs_businessFollow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/showvsbusinessLike us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShowVsBusinesshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuwni8la5WRGj25uqjbRwdQ?sub_confirmation=1----------Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
When Andy started his theatre career in San Diego in the mid 90s, there were little to no roles for Asian Americans in the theatre space. So just like a true pioneer, he refused to accept the closed doors and created his own. Today he has paved the way for so many Asian American actors in the US and now he is the Director of Production and Casting at East West Players in Los Angeles. I'm grateful for people like Andy who have so much grit and vision.
We are commemorating Memorial Day, Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Cinco de Mayo and, hopefully, the final stages of the pandemic on this, our last "Covid-19" installment of the podcast! Trusty announcer Marc Hershon gets things rolling with some info about the origin of Memorial Day before host Phil Leirness takes over to celebrate the importance of history and stories, sharing troubling thoughts about how easy it is for these things to become lost forever. After the usual celebration of member birthdays, we take the Audio Time Machine back to 1984 where author Diane Alexander proceeds to take us back even further in time to explore the origins of the Pasadena Playhouse. Not only did that organization make an indelible (perhaps unparalleled) mark on the movie industry, but Ms. Alexander's presentation includes facts that are eerily resonant today and features beloved Breakfast Clubber Will Rogers! Filmmaker Stephen DeBro regales with tales of Eileen Eaton, a remarkable woman who was responsible for the success of the Olympic Grand Auditorium. Andy Lowe from East-West Players tackles the challenges in trying to create a more diverse and equitable world for performers and storytellers. Chaplain of the Day Greg Gonzalez instructs us about Cinco de Mayo. The Don Snyder Orchestra performs two songs. Phil Leirness allows us to get better acquainted with good Ham an' Eggers Jodi Kurland and Kevin Jordan. Lily Leirness wraps things up with her Presidential Report, previewing the Los Angeles Breakfast Club activities for June and offering insight into what we hope July might have in store for us.
Our guests, Reena Dutt and Michalyn "Mikie" Steiner-Killian talk about their experience working together as Asian American artists and the new short narrative film they're producing, FOUND. The movie is based on Mikie's experience as an adoptee from Korea. Find out what it was like growing up Asian American and why they feel compelled to tell their stories. WeXL is proud to announce our support of FOUND as an Executive Producer. Reena Dutt (Writer/Director) is a city girl with a country soul who believes in creating a conscience, on and off stage. Directing Credits: Film/TV: “Good Trouble” (Disney|FreeForm, Directing Shadow), “Too Many Bodies” (Music and Dance film), "Snapshot!", "3 Puffs of Gold". Awards/Honors: 2019 South Asian Film Festival of America Audience Award (Full list of 11+ awards for “Too Many Bodies” available on request), NewFilmmakers On Location Finalist. In theatre, she has directed and assistant directed in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco with most notable works at The Geffen Playhouse, Sacred Fools, The Vagrancy, Playground LA and SF, and East West Players. As a producer, her films have been seen at Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, Outfest, Frameline, Inside Out, Whistler, Cucalorous, and NBCUniversal. She has produced for John Legend, Lulu Wang, Justin Lin's Youtube Network, and Evite.com. Fellowships and Awards: 2020 Drama League NY Directing Fellowship Semifinalist, 2016 SFFilm KRF Fellowship Recipient, 2014 Project Involve at Film Independent, 2012 Finalist NewFilmmakers: On Location Competition. Unions/Affiliations: Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Directors Lab West (Associate Producer), SFFilm, Film Independent's Project Involve, IFP, Cinefemme. Michalyn "Mikie" Steiner-Killian (actor/producer for FOUND) is a choreographer, performer, and educator in ballet, jazz, and musical theatre. Recent choreography credits include Mamma Mia, The Music Man, Seussical the Musical at Mainstage Theatre and The Pirates of Penzance, Some Enchanted Evening, and Return to the Forbidden Planet at Stageworks Northwest Theatre. Her last acting roles were Helen in The Trojan Women (2020) and Corie Bratter in Barefoot in the Park (2019) at Stageworks Northwest Theatre. Michalyn studied theatre arts at Portland State University and has been choreographing shows since 1999. Michalyn is a Korean adoptee who finds joy in connecting her inherent passion for the arts to discover that her biological mom was also a performer. After traveling extensively, Michalyn now resides in the small town she grew up in, just north of Portland. She feels it is vital to contribute to the arts in her hometown as it directly affects the culture and community where she raises her two children. WeXL founder and CEO Arabella DeLucco hosts WeXL Weekly, a podcast that encompasses WeXL's mission to empower and unite through passion, purpose, and story. Listen in to learn the inner workings and journeys of creators and creative individuals from all over the world—experience how stories unite us. Together, We eXceL. To support our work, please go to WeXL.org. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wexl-org/support
We are honored to host this very special conversation between some of the most thoughtful and inspiring people currently leading the movement toward AAPI equality in America. Following the March murders in Atlanta and the heightened increase of violence against the AAPI community, the Gayborhood team felt a responsibility to stand in solidarity and join this dialogue. Alongside Roger, we're proud to welcome Broadway actor, producer, and activist Adam Hyndman (Aladdin, Once on this Island, Hadestown, and a current Tony nominee for The Inheritance); artist, voice coach, and speech language pathologist Ruth Coughlin Lencowski; and actor and producer Brian Yang (Westworld, Hawaii 5-0, Sundance documentary Linsanity, and the upcoming projects The Little Prince(ss) for Disney+ and Snakehead), who also served as the West Coast Regional Fundraiser Director of the Andrew Yang 2020 Presidential Campaign. Our panel discusses everything from their personal definitions of AAPI identity, their families' generational relationships to America, and their hopes for the future regarding how the AAPI community is depicted in the media. PS We also couldn't be more thrilled to count Brian and Ruth as our first ally guests on the podcast! Go on Instagram to follow Adam at @adam_hyndman, Ruth at @babiruth, and Brian at @briflys, and learn everything you can about the AAPI organizations highlighted in this week's Gayborhood Watch: Heart of Dinner (founded by the Gayborhood's own Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai!), ZAPI Artists, GoFundMe's "Stop AAPI Hate" network, East West Players, and Leviathan Lab. And don't forget to follow @rogerq.mason and @lovell.holder on Instagram for all your Gayborhood updates!
Director Kristina Wong has assembled a small circle of Asian Pacific Islanders who either were formerly incarcerated or have a loved one that's in prison. Eight years ago, Kirn Kim came home to Orange County after serving 20 years for his part in "The Honor Roll Murder " in 1992. He and Wong are hoping to shatter the walls of silence and secrecy in API communities around incarceration through this virtual production @ East West Players on April 10-11.
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to announced on-line and streaming local theatre & book events Bookwaves Terry Tempest Williams, whose latest collection is titled “Erosion: Essays of Undoing”, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky. Terry Tempest Williams is an environmental activist and chronicler of the western landscape. In her several books and essays, she takes us from national parks and monuments to the way our environment affects us, both physically and emotionally. In this latest collection, she discusses the degradation of our natural resources, an ongoing process that encompasses the past few administrations and rushes headlong in the ongoing one; she talks about her Mormon roots and how they still affect her at the deepest levels, and how her activism led to her removal from her post at the University of Utah, along with the heartbreaking story of her brother's death from suicide. In this in-depth interview, she talks specifically about how she and her husband bought oil leases in an attempt to prevent drilling, about the climate crisis, and about how she came to be a writer. Complete 45-minute interview. Artwaves Playwright and actress Jeanne Sakata in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Jeanne Sakata is the author of the play “Hold These Truths” which played at TheatreWorks Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, July 11 – August 5, 2018, and is now available streaming through November 3, 2020. For more information on how to watch, go to the TheatreWorks website. Jeanne Sakata is an actress who has appeared on several TV shows and films, and on stage at both ACT and Berkeley Rep. Hold These Truths is the true true story following Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese-American student who fought internment to a relocation camp during World War II. This Northern California premiere celebrates the human spirit as it chronicles Hirabayashi's journey from college in Seattle all the way to the Supreme Court, and eventually to a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Directed by Lisa Rothe, with Joel de la Fuente starring as Hirabayashi, Hold These Truths made its world premiere in 2007 at East West Players in Los Angeles. In 2012, the solo play made its Off Broadway premiere at Epic Theatre Company starring Joel de la Fuente, and received a 2013 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Since its world premiere, it has gone on to play throughout the nation including theatres in Boston, Honolulu, Washington, D.C., Portland, and many others. :Complete 41 minute podcast. Announcement Links Book Passage. Conversations with authors, all at 4 pm Pacific: Steph Kent and Logan Smalley Thursday Oct. 15, Pico Iyer, Sat. Oct. 17, Lan Cao and Isabel Allende, Sun. Oct. 18. The Booksmith Cory Doctorow, Thurs. Oct. 15, 5 pm; Rebecca Roanhorse Mon. Oct. 19, 6 pm; David Livingstone Smith and David P. Barash, On Humanity, Tues. Oct. 20, 6 pm; Poetry, Wed. Oct 21, 6 pm. Books Inc City Arts & Lectures, Thurs. Oct. 15 and Monday Oct. 19, 6 pm. Bay Area Book Festival Unbound events continue. Podcasts of October 3-4 Unbound TBA. Kepler's Books presents Refresh the Page, on line interviews and talks. Registration required. San Francisco Playhouse. 2020-21 Virtual Season: Art by Yasmina Reza, streaming October 24 – November 7; The Jewelry Box, written and performed by Brian Copeland, streaming Nov. 28-Dec. 25, 2020; From Blues to Broadway Revue, streaming Dec. 12 – 31, 2020. Custom Made Theatre Upcoming virtual productions TBA. Theatre Rhino Live Thursday performance conceived and performed by John Fisher on Facebook Live and Zoom at 8 pm Thursdays is Randy: The Story of Shilts. Overlooked Latinas, written and performed by Tina D'Elia, streaming Nov. 13-22. American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) Ironbound by Martyna Majok streams through October 16. In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar and The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse, both streaming on demand through October 18. Moon Man Walk by James Ijames, streaming on demand Oct 16-23; BloodWedding by Federico Garcia Lorca, live Oct 23-30, on demand Nov. 6-13. Pam McKinnon talks with Annette Bening, Nov. 20 live; Dec. 4-June 30, on demand. A Christmas Carol, radio adaptation of Carey Perloff's adaptation, streams Dec. 5-31, 2020. 42nd Street Moon. Moonbeams Streaming Series: The Oldest Living Cater Waiter, Oct. 15-25; Broadway Flipped, Oct. 29- Nov. 8; A Distant Dinner Party withJess and Jaron, Nov. 12-22 8 pm; Home (literally)for the Holidays, Nov. 36- Dec. 6. Tuesdays: Tuesday Talks Over the Moon. Every other Friday at 8 pm: Full Moon Fridays Cabaret. Sundays at 8 pm: Quiz Me Kate: Musical Theatre Trivia. Magic Theatre. Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill, directed by Loretta Greco. A radio play, Oct . 19- Nov. 15. Shotgun Players. Josh Kornbluth's Citizen Brain, live streamed October 16 to November 8. Berkeley Rep It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis, adapted by Tony Taccone, a radio play, On demand through November 8. Free with no registration. Here is the link. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata, video of 2018 TheatreWorks production, streaming through November 3, 2020. From TheatreWorks with Love, party to welcome new Artistic Director Tim Bond, Saturday Oct. 17, 5-7 pm. California Shakespeare Theatre (Cal Shakes) The Direct Address series continues with Resisting Shakespeare: Or, How to Fall In and Out and In and Out of Love. Shakespeare in Depth, class with Philippa Kelly, registration required. Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts new on-line programming series featuring classes, concerts, poetry sessions and more. Day of the Dead virtual ritual, Nov.2, live event. SFBATCO Live with Rod and Marce on Twitch TV, every Thursday at 6 pm. Aurora Theatre's A new ticketed audio drama, The Flats, written by Lauren Gunderson, Cleaven Smith and Jonathan Spector, with Lauren English, Anthony Fusco and Khary L. Moye, directed by Josh Costello, stream starts Oct. 23, 2020. Aurora Connects conversations every Friday, 4 pm. Marin Theatre Company Lauren Gunderson's play Natural Shocks streams through Soundcloud on the Marin Theatre website. American Dreams, created and developed by Leila Buck and Tamilla Woodard, streaming Nov. 10-15, tickets go on sale October 27. The Breath Project, streaming October 24-25. Central Works Bystanders by Patricia Milton, an audio play, currently streaming. The Human Ounce by Nicole Parizeau, audio play, streams beginning Nov. 26, 2020 New Conservatory Theatre Center presents In Good Company podcast about life when it goes off script, runs through October 21. The Law of Attraction by Patricia Milton, a world premiere radio play, streams through November 18, 2020. The Marsh: International Solo Fest, archived streaming. Josh Kornbluth hosts bingo every Friday at 7:30 pm Pear Theater. Lysistrata, streamed through November 9, filmed live outdoors. Contra Costa Civic Theatre It's a Wonderful Life, a radio play by Joe Landry, streams Nov. 27-Dec. 20. Reading Stage, one night only: Seven by by Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deveare Smith, and Susan Yankowitz, 7 pm on Zoom. If you'd like to add your bookstore or theatre venue to this list, please write bookwaves@hotmail.com. The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – Oct. 15, 2020: Terry Tempest Williams – Jeanne Sakata appeared first on KPFA.
Jeanne Sakata is the author of the play “Hold These Truths” at Theatreworks Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, July 11 – August 5, 2019. Jeanne Sakata is an actress who has appeared on several TV shows and films, and on stage at both ACT and Berkeley Rep. Hold These Truths is the true true story following Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese-American student who fought internment to a relocation camp during World War II. This Northern California premiere celebrates the human spirit as it chronicles Hirabayashi's journey from college in Seattle all the way to the Supreme Court, and eventually to a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Directed by Lisa Rothe, with Joel de la Fuente starring as Hirabayashi, Hold These Truths made its world premiere in 2007 at East West Players in Los Angeles. In 2012, the solo play made its Off Broadway premiere at Epic Theatre Company starring Joel de la Fuente, and received a 2013 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Since its world premiere, it has gone on to play throughout the nation including theatres in Boston, Honolulu, Washington, D.C., Portland, and many others. Theatreworks website The post Interview: Jeanne Sakata, “Hold These Truths” at Theatreworks Lucie Stern Theatre appeared first on KPFA.
By Wronsky: So Quick Bright Things; A Giant Claw (foreword) By Rosenthal: Coyote O'Donohughe's History of Texas By Partnoy: So Quick Bright Things (translator), A Giant Claw (translator) By Garcia: Other Countries By Gronk: A Giant Claw (All books published by What Books Press) A launch party for four new titles from What Books Press' fall list! Gail Wronsky, Chuck Rosenthal, Alicia Partnoy, Ramon Garcia, and Gronk will all read from and discuss their recent publications. Gail Wronsky is the author of Poems for Infidels (Red Hen Press); Dying for Beauty (Copper Canyon), a finalist for the Western Arts Federation Poetry Award; The Love-talkers (Hollyridge Press); Again the Gemini are in the Orchard (New Poets Series); and Dogland (Alderman Press, University of Virginia). Her translation of Alicia Partnoy's poems Volando Bajito has been published by Red Hen, and she is the coauthor with Molly Bendall of two books of "cowgirl" poetry: Calamity and Belle, A Cowgirl Correspondence and Dear Calamity, Love Belle. Blue Shadow Behind Everything Dazzling, a chapbook of poems about India where she lived for several months in 2006, has been published recently by Hollyridge Press. She is Director of Creative Writing and Syntext (Synthesizing Textualities) at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She lives in Topanga, California. Chuck Rosenthal was born in Erie, Pennsylvania and has lived in the western U.S. since 1979. He's the author of seven published novels and a memoir. The novels: Loop's Progress, Experiments with Life and Deaf, Loop's End (the Loop Trilogy), Elena of the Stars, Avatar Angel: The Last Novel of Jack Kerouac, My Mistress Humanity, and The Heart of Mars. The memoir: Never Let Me Go. His work has been nominated for The National Book Award, The PEN West Award for Fiction, the PEN International Award for Fiction, the Critics Book Circle Award for Fiction, the American Library Association Most Notable Book Award, and for Best American Creative Non-fiction. He is a three time winner of the Utah Arts Council Award for Fiction. Rosenthal recently lived for four months in the Himalayas of northeast India, the setting for his new book: Are We Not There Yet? Travels in Nepal, North India, and Bhutan. He lives in Topanga Canyon, California, where he owns a horse and rides daily. He teaches at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Alicia Partnoy is a survivor from the secret detention camps where about 30,000 people "disappeared" in her country, Argentina. She is best known as the author of The Little School. Tales of Disappearance and Survival. A poet, translator, and scholar, Alicia Partnoy has published the poetry collection Little Low Flying/Volando bajito, translated by Gail Wronsky and illustrated by Raquel Partnoy. Poems from her Revenge of the Apple/Venganza de la manzana rode the metro in New York, Dallas, and Washington D.C., and have been set to music by Sweet Honey in the Rock. Partnoy edited You Can't Drown the Fire: Latin American Women Writing in Exile, and from 2003 to 2006, she was the co-editor of Chicana/Latina Studies: the journal of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social. Her work has been twice a Pushcart Foundation Writer's Choice Selection (Tobias Wolff and Bobbie Ann Mason). Partnoy served on the boards of directors of PEN, Roadwork, and Amnesty International U.S.A. She is an associate professor at Loyola Marymount University. Ramón García was born in Colima and grew up in Modesto, California. He has a B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master's and Ph.D. in Literature from the University of California, San Diego. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts residency fellowship from the MacDowell Colony and fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Ragdale Foundation. He is a recipient of a research grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and pre-doctoral fellowships from the Humanities Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine, and The Getty Center in Los Angeles. Ramón García is an associate professor in the Chicana/o Studies Department at the California State University at Northridge. He lives in downtown Los Angeles. Chicano painter, printmaker, and performance artist Gronk contributes the cover art for What Books Press. Known for his murals, Gronk also has created stage design for the Latino Theater Company, the East West Players, the LA Opera, and the Santa Fe Opera. He's also collaborated on music composed for the Kronos Quartet. He has exhibited at or curated work for many museums, include the UCLA Hammer, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., the M.H. de Young Museum in San Francisco, the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, the San Francisco Mexican Museum, the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, and the San Jose Museum of Art. He was given a career retrospective at the University of New Mexico, where he was in residence. He was a founding member of ASCO, a multimedia arts collective in the 1970s. Born in East Los Angeles, he now makes his home in downtown LA. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS OCTOBER 15, 2010.
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