East West Players celebrate 30 years of theater

Wednesday, April 17, 1996

Troupe marks anniversary with ceremony, moveBy Jennifer
Richmond

Daily Bruin Contributor

Most theater companies come and go like a flash of
lightning.

But the East West Players have escaped that trap. They’ve grown
and prospered, and after 30 years, they’re still going strong.

On Saturday the theater group is having a huge party and awards
ceremony to celebrate their 30th anniversary in style. But the
preparations haven’t been easy.

At a table in the back of the group’s theater, Artistic Director
Tim Dang explains why he’s been putting all his effort into the
celebration.

"We’re trying to make it so that if you’re an Asian Pacific
entertainer any where in Hollywood or wherever, that you have to be
at this event because it honors Asian Pacific entertainers."

And that’s what the players are all about. They devote
themselves to giving Asian Pacific actors a place to practice their
craft, hone their skills, and introduce them to the business of
acting.

Thanks to the theater company, several Asian actors have become
major film stars. Dang says they work with about 800 artists a
year, and that about 80 percent of the actors in film and
television have worked with the troupe at one time or another.
They’ve had Pat Morita ("The Karate Kid"), B.D. Wong, who won a
Tony for "M. Butterfly," and many others.

"We do work with a lot of people that eventually go on to bigger
and better things, but that’s what East West Players is all about.
Although they don’t make a lot of money here, they at least get
cast in lead roles here and they have a chance to keep their chops
up," Dang explains. "Some of them use this place as a showcase by
inviting casting directors and producers to come and see their
work. So, this is an opportunity to expand their horizons and
that’s why East West is here."

Dang is hoping to improve on those options by moving the theater
company to a bigger venue in January. The Player’s new theater will
be in the Japanese Union Church in Downtown Los Angeles. And it’s
no accident that the move coincides with the group’s 30th
anniversary celebration.

"We knew we’d be moving and we thought this could be a banner
year for us if we could try and fit our 30th anniversary with
moving to a larger venue," Dang explains.

The one major difference between the church and the troupe’s
current theater is the number of seats. They’re going from 99 to
236. L.A. Times’ critic Don Shirley says that if the church is
"used to its full capacity, it will catapult East West … out of
the ranks of the many sub-100-seat theater companies and into the
arena of those few L.A. companies that use equity contracts."

Their theater will also have a rehearsal/experimental space of
70 seats, a court yard, and a visual arts gallery as well.

"We’re trying to make it into an arts center as opposed to just
a theater," Dang explains as he lights a cigarette. "I think that’s
one of our goals, to have a cross-pollination of audiences where
hopefully the audiences that come to see the theater will come to
the art exhibits as well and if we have any film screenings, we
invite them to come see theater."

Located in the heart of Little Tokyo, surrounded by several
cultural exhibits, including the Temporary Contemporary and the
National Japanese American Museum, will further Dang’s ambition of
cross-pollination. "We hope that we’ll be a part of that whole
cultural corridor," he says.

Like the Los Angeles Theater Company, East West hopes their move
will help to revitalize that area and bring back Downtown Los
Angeles’ nightlife. The theater’s proximity to Gardena, Monterey
Park, Torrence and Pasadena, which all have large Asian
populations, make it much easier to get to as well.

Although originally meant to be a culminating aspect of the 30th
anniversary, the moving date has been pushed back to January
because of the site’s historical value. But that delay hasn’t
hampered Dang’s optimism about where the troupe is going. He knows
that relocating to a cultural area will be very beneficial in the
long run.

And what better way to start off that optimistic future than
with a party?

As far as Dang can see there isn’t one.

"The 30th anniversary has been a massive undertaking. ­ but
I love it. Then, I’ll probably just collapse on April 21st."

EVENT: East West Players 30th Anniversary. April 20 at the
Biltmore Hotel at 6:30 p.m. TIX: $50-100. For more info. call (310)
201-5033.

"We do work with a lot of people that eventually go on to bigger
and better things, but that’s what East West Players is all
about."

Tim Dang

Artistic Director East West Players

Tim Dang

They devote themselves to giving Asian Pacific actors a place to
practice their craft, hone their skills, and introduce them to …
acting.