East West Players Announces Screening of Documentary “East West Players: A Home on Stage”
Contact: Gavin Pak, (213) 625-7000 x18, gpak@eastwestplayers.org
Peter Goldman (213) 500-8532 p.goldman@dcpublicity.com
For more press and event information: www.eastwestplayers.org
For press photos or interview requests: gpak@eastwestplayers.org
October 4, 2023, Los Angeles, CA | East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest-running Asian American theater and the largest producer of Asian American theatrical works announces a free, public screening of “East West Players: A Home on Stage.” This documentary film explores the history of East West Players, and is produced through KCET Original Emmy® award-winning arts and culture series ARTBOUND, which returns for its 14th season. ARTBOUND examines the contributions of California-based artists and art movements in today’s American culture.
East West Players’ Interim Managing Director Adrian Budhu shares “In a time when theaters are fighting to remain visible and heard in the public consciousness, it is an incredible opportunity and privilege for our fifty-eight year old legacy to be celebrated on such a wide platform, just a few years prior to our sixtieth anniversary. East West Players has fought to be a champion of marginalized voices since its inception in 1965. We hope sharing our story will inspire countless others to do the same.
“We ask that members of our Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and theater communities come to our public screening of “East West Players: A Home on Stage” on November 8, and join us in celebrating almost six decades of advocating for equity through artistic excellence.”
For 58 years, East West Players theatre company has been hosting Asian American artists such as George Takei, John Cho, Daniel Dae Kim, James Hong and many others featured in this documentary. Through candid conversations, the film chronicles the history of one of the longest running theatres of color in the United States. Featured prominently throughout the documentary is East West Players’ recent world premiere musical On This Side of the World. The documentary film is created by production company Rooster and Pig Productions.
“East West Players is not only the longest-running Asian American theater in the country, but one of the longest-running theaters of color and for that reason alone, a documentary was long overdue,” shares consulting producer Philip W. Chung. “But the EWP story is also the story of the Asian American community's decades-long struggle to tell our diverse and authentic narratives. Our goal was to not only document this important history, but inspire future generations to continue creating and building on the foundation that the theater's founders laid in 1965.”
Tickets to the free, public screening of “East West Players: A Home on Stage” may be reserved online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling the box office at (213) 625-7000.
Calendar Information About EWP’s Screening
East West Players’ screening of “East West Players: A Home on Stage” will be presented at the The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy: Tateuchi Democracy Forum at 111 N Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 in Little Tokyo. The screening is a free, public event. A pre-screening reception will begin at 6PM, with the screening of “East West Players: A Home on Stage” to begin at 7PM. Expected runtime is 1 hour. A post-show panel featuring some of the stars of the documentary will follow.
Tickets may be reserved for free online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling the box office at (213) 625-7000.
At time of reservation please mention any wheelchair/accessible seating needs. Date and details are subject to change. Box office is available 11AM - 5PM, Tuesday-Friday, as well as ninety minutes before all performances.
Ways to View “East West Players: A Home on Stage”
In addition to the live screening of the documentary film presented by East West Players on November 8, “East West Players: A Home on Stage” will also be broadcast live on Wednesday November 8 at 9PM on KCET, as well as Friday November 10 at 8PM on PBS SoCal. Following the broadcast, each episode will stream on the free PBS app. Members of PBS SoCal and KCET will get early access to stream all six episodes on PBS Passport starting October 4.
About East West Players
East West Players (EWP), the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, was founded in 1965, at a time when Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) 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 API stories are told, but works to increase access, inclusion, and representation in entertainment and media. Learn more at eastwestplayers.org.
About ARTBOUND
ARTBOUND is the award-winning series that captures the spirit of the arts and culture community in Southern California and beyond. The Original series explores and illuminates the cultural issues of our times, providing critical in-depth analysis of how arts and culture affect society. ARTBOUND recognizes the need for access to the arts, arts education and connecting local artists with audiences and in fact, acts as Southern California’s largest stage. Utilizing public media as a space to find quality arts and culture programming, ARTBOUND reveals cultural touchstones that have shaped the fabric of the region’s communities and a nation whose story is indelibly linked to the arts.
Tickets may be reserved for free online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling the box office at (213) 625-7000.