We're Not Your Cup of Tea Poster

We're Not Your Cup of Tea

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JOIN US ON SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2024 at 8:00 PM
to Celebrate Asian Heritage Month

as Theatre West joins forces with AADAP to amplify Asian American voices via an evening of solo stories, guest speakers, and dance performances.

Enjoy a reception with cultural dishes after the show and participate in the raffle drawings throughout the event!



Soloists:

Evie Abat

Evie Abat (Filipina-American) is Emcee and will share her experience as director of Survivors by Wendy Kout. Survivors is an educational play with a diverse cast, about 10 Holocaust survivors, that is touring schools and organizations along the West Coast.

Cynthia Fukikawa

Cyndy Fujikawa (Japanese-American) will perform an excerpt from her solo show Old Man River, which had its West Coast debut at Theatre West in 1997. It relates the story of her father, actor Jerry Fujikawa, who was one of those forced into internment camps for Japanese Americans in 1942. Additionally, she will read publicly for the first time, his eyewitness statement of his experience at that time.

Marcel Licera

Marcel Licera (Filipino-Chinese-Spanish-American) will perform a solo piece about accepting and making peace for being conventionally different from his Asian culture and the standard of American society, by continually pursuing expressions that align with his good guy values.

Meg Lin

Meg Lin (Taiwanese-American) breaks the tradition of “saving face” by sharing her darkest pain and deepest desires in an excerpt from her award-winning solo show What Am I, Chopped Suey? Meg was recently seen on Theatre West’s stage in Love Stinks; Moose on the Loose; and Aladdin, the Princess, and the Magic Lamp.

PAMELA NAJERA

Pamela Najera (Filipina-American) performs an excerpt from her solo show Too Old, Too Asian, Too Short, in which she demonstrates how she destroyed the skepticism of others by achieving success as a professional dancer, cruise ship entertainer, and magician’s assistant.


Performance Artists:

Apoorva Choudhary

Apoorva (Indian-American) will perform an Indian classical dance (Mohiniyattam) to the spiritual song Aigiri Nandini, which is about the strength of women.

CHRISTINA VILLEGAS

Xtina (Filipina-American) is a dancer, choreographer, and CEO of the company Flying Curves, with a commitment to “change lives one goddess at a time.” Performing with Xtina will be her dancers Ev Berlinger, Gaby Collazos, and Alyssa Hilario.

Guest Speakers

Nithya Raman, L.A. City Councilmember

Nithya Raman, L.A. City Councilmember

Dean Nakanishi, CEO, AADAP

Dean Nakanishi, CEO, AADAP

Paulina Hong, Development Director, AADAP

Paulina Hong, Development Director, AADAP

Giovannie Espiritu, Filmmaker, Actress, and Advocate

Giovannie Espiritu, Filmmaker, Actress, and Advocate for Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, and LGBTQ Equality

Production Team:

Producer: Pamela Najera-Michael

Associate Producer: Dina Morrone

Co-Producers: Evie Abat, Marcel Licera, and Meg Lin

Consulting Director: Arden Teresa Lewis

Technical Director/Lighting Designer/Videographer: David Johnson

Stage Manager: David Mingrino

Assistant Stage Manager: Dillon Mount

Box Office Manager: Michael Van Duzer

Volunteer Coordinator: Anne Leyden

Front of House Manager: Marco Rivera

Public Relations: Philip Sokoloff

Photographer: Garry Michael Kluger

Social Media: Michaela Skaribas and Jayna Goins

Proceeds from this one-night-only event will support the ongoing work of Theatre West and AADAP.

Established in 1962, Theatre West is celebrating its 62nd year as the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West's alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O'Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patten, and Paul Winfield.

The Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2022. AADAP exists to change lives and save families adversely impacted by substance use. It provides the diverse and multi-ethnic communities of Los Angeles a comprehensive "whole person" approach in its education, intervention, treatment, outreach, advocacy, and employment programs.

AADP Mental Well Being Raising Awareness

We're Not Your Cup of Tea Sponsorship