EAST WEST PLAYERS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO PRESERVE LANDMARK PRODUCTION OF CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND, EXCEEDING INITIAL GOAL IN UNDER 20 HOURS
(From L to R) Joe Ngo as Chum, Abraham Kim as Rom, Kelsey Angel Baehrens as Sothea, Jane Lui as Pou, and Tim Liu as Leng perform "One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula" by Dengue Fever in Cambodian Rock Band at East West Players. Photo by Teolindo.
March 15, 2025 | Los Angeles, CA - East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running Asian American theater, in community with Outside In Theatre, announces that a fundraising campaign to create a professional recording of Lauren Yee's groundbreaking play, CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND, currently running at the David Henry Hwang Theater, has surpassed its initial $15,000 goal within 20 hours of launch. In response to the overwhelming community support, EWP and the CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND cast (who initiated the campaign) have established an extended goal of $25,000 to enhance the recording's production value.
The campaign originally aimed to raise at least $15,000 by March 31, 2025 to capture and share this landmark Los Angeles production with future audiences worldwide. This initiative emerged from overwhelming community demand and the unique opportunity to document a production featuring four members of the original cast, including Joe Ngo's Obie Award-winning performance in the role of Chum. The Los Angeles premiere at East West Players has received much critical acclaim, with KCRW theater critic Anthony Byrnes proclaiming it “a joyous triumph.”
"This show has changed my life," says playwright Lauren Yee. "And I want to do everything I can to share the work with those who have joined us on this journey and those who will experience it for the first time." The recording will particularly focus on making the production accessible globally, preserving this piece of Asian American theater history for future generations.
“This play is so important to the Asian American community and American theater canon,” says EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal. “East West Players is honored to support its preservation for future theatergoers to enjoy.”
Director Chay Yew emphasizes the timeliness of preserving this production: "In Lauren’s astute eyes, one thing remains consistent throughout our often temperamental world: the constancy, the resilience and enduring power of art and artists. CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND celebrates the indomitable legacy of art and music; how artists capture our individual and national spirit and hopes; and the uncanny ability of art to inspire, to affirm our humanity, and to bring us together."
The critically acclaimed cast features Kelsey Angel Baehrens, Abraham Kim, Tim Liu, Jane Lui, Joe Ngo, and Daisuke Tsuji.
The fundraising effort will support two key initiatives:
• A high-quality, multi-camera recording of the March 20th performance, complete with professional audio capture and editing ($8,000)
• Online release infrastructure, including sound mastering, creative team compensation, licensing, and platform costs ($7,000)
All donors to the campaign will be credited in the final recording, regardless of contribution amount. The cast confirms that EWP will serve as the sole beneficiary of all funds raised through this campaign. The funds will first be allocated to cover the recording and all associated expenses and wages. Any remaining funds will remain with the theatre to support its ongoing mission of increasing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in the arts.
CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND runs through March 23, 2025, at The David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The GoFundMe campaign is active now through March 31, 2025 at https://gofund.me/4a30a7d3.
About East West Players
East West Players, the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, was founded in 1965, at a time when AAPIs faced limited or no opportunities to see their experiences reflected outside of stereotypical and demeaning caricatures in the American landscape. EWP not only ensures that AAPI stories are told but works to increase access, inclusion, and representation in entertainment and media. Designated by the Ford Foundation as one of America's Cultural Treasures in 2020, EWP continues its groundbreaking work through defining and expanding the representation and stories of the AAPI community. Learn more at eastwestplayers.org.
East West Players is supported in part by the Perenchio Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and many other generous foundations, companies, and individuals.
