History and Archive
Our Founders
East West Players began in 1965 when nine artists resolved to create an artistic space for Asian Americans to hone their acting and artistry outside of the stereotypical confines of the contemporary Hollywood environment. On June 28, 1965, East West Players’ articles of incorporation would officially be endorsed, with Mako, Rae Creevey, Beulah Quo, Soon-tek Oh, James Hong, Pat Li, June Kim, Guy Lee, and Yet Lock comprising the company’s founding members. Mako would become the company’s founding artistic director.
Through the early years of East West Players’ history, the founding members would wear innumerable hats, functioning as playwrights, actors, stagehands, designers, directors, as well as business people. East West Players’ first rehearsals, workshops, and performances were held in a church basement. The company’s first production, Rashomon, was met with great acclaim, premiering April 3, 1965 at the Bovard Auditorium at USC through the Asian Studies Program.
Founding artistic director Mako as the Reciter in Pacific Overtures (1979)
(L to R) Ernest Harada, founder Pat Li, and founder Soon-tek Oh in Rashomon (1970)
(L to R) Founder Beulah Quo, John Cho, and Deb Nishimura in Ikebana ( 1996)
(L to R) Founders James Hong and June Kim at the EWP warehouse (2023)
The Union Center for the Arts
From the early days of East West Players’ inception in 1965 until 1998, the company operated out of a 99-seat theater in Silver Lake.
East West Players moved into our current home, the 240-seat David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts in 1998. The Union Center for the Arts was originally the Union Church, erected in 1923, until it was renovated to become a home for arts and culture in Little Tokyo by the Little Tokyo Service Center.
Production Archive
Since 1965, East West Players has pushed the envelope of American theater, staging innovative productions incorporating Asian cultural influence and the color-conscious casting of artists of color. Peruse our groundbreaking history through our comprehensive production archive. For additional inquiries about any of our historical productions, feel free to reach out to our marketing manager Gavin Pak.
Stay Connected With East West Players
Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know about everything EWP! Upcoming productions, tickets, community events, and more, right to your inbox.