We're Not Your Cup of Tea
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 (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.
Cyndy Fujikawa (Japanese-American) 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 unjustly incarcerated with his family in Manzanar in 1942. Additionally, Cyndy will read publicly for the first time, the only account of her father's eyewitness statement of his experience at that time.
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 (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 (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 (Indian-American) will perform an Indian classical dance (Mohiniyattam) to the spiritual song Aigiri Nandini, which is about the strength of women.
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
Dean Nakanishi, CEO, AADAP
Giovannie Espiritu Filmmaker, Actress, and Advocate for Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, and LGBTQ Equality
Renee Modina Girl Scout Ambassador and Documentary Filmmaker
learn about the need for more AANHPI on the stem cell registry in order to give blood cancer and disorder patients a second chance at life.
Watch hereProduction Team:
Producer: Pamela Najera-Michael
Associate Producer: Dina Morrone
Co-Producers: Evie Abat, Marcel Licera, and Meg LinConsulting 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
If you can't join us on May 11, then please consider making a donation.
DONATEProceeds 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.