A letter from EWP community pillar Andy Lowe
This past November marked 30 years since I began my theatre career as an 18 year old finalist in the California Young Playwrights festival in 1994. My play THE CULTURAL HYPHEN was produced at the Old Globe in San Diego, and I realized it was probably the only largely Asian American Cast on the Old Globe stage since the premiere of Velina Hasu Houston’s TEA in 1988. It set me on a course to rectify that lack of opportunity and representation that has spanned my career
When I walked in the doors to the Union Center for the Arts, Feb 2nd 2013, I felt a rush of intimidation. I had directed and produced as Artistic Director of my own AAPI theatre, Asian American Repertory Theatre (AART) in San Diego, for 10 years. I had worked in production on pre Broadway crews for shows like RENT, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, and JERSEY BOYS and served as a program manager at La Jolla Playhouse for nearly 18 years. I have made impact producing, directing and adapting lauded productions like 2011’s DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG that , thanks to Comic Con International, got audiences from around the world interested in my independent work as a director and producer. But when Tim Dang invited me to take on the production department of East West Players, the weight of the history of EWP was sobering.
This was THE AAPI theatre. The first one, and the only one to have their own resident space. I was stepping into the shoes of the very revered Meg Immamoto, who had served EWP almost 18 years. I was so grateful that long time volunteers and regular supporters and crew like Nelson Mashita, Mitsuharu Isa, Takuji "Clutch" Kuramoto, Tesshi Nakagawa, Yoshi Irie, Letitia Chang and Dina Dominguez stayed on those first couple years to help me learn the rhythm.
The company had given rise to so many stalwarts of the AAPI theatre canon, from David Henry Hwang to Wakako Yamauchi. From James Hong to Daniel Dae Kim. I was joining the company on the eve of its 50th anniversary. But I also had the friendly welcome of Jeff Liu, Kat Carrido, Krystal Gapasin, Rosalyn Kawahara and Alison de la Cruz to introduce me to the stories, caretakers and space-keepers of Little Tokyo and the creative community around us.
Something I took to heart as I took on roles of Production Manager and Casting Director (and various other operations), It didn't matter who I was in my hometown, or how skilled, experienced or trained I was. Some of the most talented and gifted AAPI artists from around the country and sometimes the world convene on this creative community in Little Tokyo, circling around East West Players, Visual Communications, Tuesday Night Project, Cold Tofu improv, the JACCC, Artists at Play, Great Leap, Teada, Grateful Crane, 18MMW and a little before my time, Lodestone Theatre. I often like to say, what Harlem was for Jazz, what Memphis was for Rock & Roll, Little Tokyo is for AAPI Arts and Performance. This isn't a place to prove oneself, or “be the best” so much as it was a place to find peers, collaborators and muses to meet on equal terms and jam! What's more, with the platform of EWP, comes the responsibility to meet its mission, raising up this community of AAPI artists, which at times meant setting aside my own creative voice in support of the work. It was an expansion of what I had started with AART, but with adjacency to Hollywood, and the largest creative economy in the world, the stakes were considerably higher.
I remember maybe my 3rd week in to the job, and Mariyn Tokuda was on her way out about to lock up, and saw me in my office… it was late and she asked me what I was still doing here… I told her, I was still getting a grasp on the workload and trying to catch up. And with a wry look she put her hand on my shoulder…
“Oh Andy… there is no catching up… “.
Tim Dang would say…
“Andy… the work will still be here tomorrow. Go home!”
Both of them had committed over 10 and 20 years to the company and its mission. They knew what it meant to make this kind of commitment and sacrifice, and the challenges of finding balance when you truly care.
Things people may not realize… I literally have casting notes on over 6000 of you all who have auditioned for EWP tracing back these past 12 years, and I will tell you, NEVER underestimate how much the casting director is rooting for you! Believe it or not, we are so invested in your success! I have been delighted to see so many of you returning year after year auditioning, seeing how much you've grown, learning about what gigs you have booked and it's been an honor offering roles to some who finally landed the right role after 7, 10, 15 years of auditioning for EWP. So many of you, despite not landing a role at EWP, have still gone on to amazing careers, many of you I've forwarded on as referrals to other castings or agents looking for AAPI talent, and it's so gratifying to see folks still get their shot elsewhere! It can be frustrating that we have only 25-30 contracts a year to offer. But believe me, we see you!
When I was a student at UCSD, I was one of THREE AAPI theatre Majors in the entire theatre department. I understood the hardship that comes from isolation. (Heck, I remember when you couldn't even buy soy sauce in San Diego!) Mentors were not going to present themselves to me in my San Diego career because no one saw theatre or performance as a space for AAPI’s. I started AART because there were no such platforms in San Diego to provide AAPI artists legitimacy in the eyes of producers and audiences. It was small, but we did good work! But with the platform and legacy of EWP, I could actually be the mentor, the advocate, the cheerleader that I always wished I had myself, for so many others. And boy oh boy is there a community here in LA to be mobilized! 12 years and I’ve seen so many of you rise, earn your union card, join a writers room, get your first broadway show, book a series lead, book a guest star on a TV show, book your first film, get a million followers on YouTube, have your indie premiere at a film fest, book an animation voice over gig… or just survive as a working artist in a difficult time and economy. I’m so proud of my time here, and the little part I've been able to play in so many careers, building platforms for our Artists to experiment, learn, and shine.
Now, after dedicating these past twelve years - a full Lunar cycle - to scaffolding and strengthening these platforms, I’ve decided I’d like to step onto them myself. I've spent much of my 30 year career setting aside my own work, building opportunities for and supporting others. I’d like to give it a go and return to my own directing and creative work, thus I will be ending my time as Director of Production at EWP with CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND. A pretty apt swan song considering the involvement of one of my long-time friends and collaborators from my San Diego days, Jane Lui, has played a big part in this show’s 8 year journey. And of course written by Lauren Yee, a fellow California Young Playwrights finalist alum like me.
I'll still be part of this community, planning board game nights with Marc Macalintal and Brandon Cheng, and I will still be telling the ghost stories of the Union Center building, and Little Tokyo. The stages we've built are stronger, our stories are seen in ways I once thought not possible! Though some would like to suppress Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), the FORCE of our voices are growing louder and I’d like to add my own voice and vision to the chorus.
It's bittersweet as I hold great excitement for both myself and EWP as we both make crucial transitions. I don't know how to sum up the relationships or my experience, but here's some reflections of the last 12 years “by the numbers”:
12 Years at East West Players (Feb 2, 2013 - Feb 2nd 2025).
39 Productions I’ve seen through Opening (I’m counting ASSASSINS 2020 & 2022 as two).
1 Post Broadway Premiere (ALLEGIANCE, on a LORT B Budget and contract no less!).
13 Musicals (3 of which were original AAPI Musicals).
13 World Premiere New Works.
1 Directing Credit (Digital Concert: DANIEL HO & FRIENDS).
4 Video productions (8 if we include digital CTA and pandemic programs).
1 Documentary preserving EWP’ History (thanks PBS, Nic and Phil!).
2 Albums (ON THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD & DANIEL HO & FRIENDS - Grammy Nominated).
1 Award Nomination (Fight Choreo for MAN OF GOD).
4 NDA Projects I was commissioned for (can't talk about that, but checked off some major creative bucket list stuff there!).
2 Light board Upgrades.
1 Major Rigging Overhaul.
3 National Asian American Theatre Conferences Attended (while with EWP… 2016 in OSF, 2018 in Chicago, 2024 in Honolulu. Independently I also attended 2006, and 2012 in Los Angeles. ATTEND if you can! It has always been invigorating interacting with peers also doing the work around the globe) .
9 Visionary Award Galas Produced (Oy!).
12 Production Interns (7 of which are still around in various capacities, so proud of this little fraternity of sharp up and comers) .
2 Cats that came to the theater to adopt me.
2 Bad-ass TD’s who had my back during crazy times! (Stacy and Cathy, it was always a comfort to have complete confidence you had things under control. I always wished I had the means to support you better!).
2 Screenings of Prince of Darkness on location ( I thought I did More! Aaron! Keep this going!).
0 ghost encounters (for me anyways everyone else has got one! Even my interns!) .
A Whole bunch of Game Nights and Mahjong Sessions on the stage. (Countless! And priceless, still thinking about the epic win from Chris Aguilar on Cosmic Encounters!)
Infinite memories.
Thank you all for your trust, your support, and your friendship. I look forward to collaborating with MANY of you as I jump back into freelance artist life! With gratitude and excitement for the future, I’ll see you around!
Andy Lowe
Director of Production & Casting (2013-2025)
East West Players
