#greg watanabe

L.A. Theatre Works has released an audio theater recording of Innocent When You Dream by Ken Narasaki. The newest addition to the company’s Civil Liberties podcast series, Innocent When You Dream is now available for digital download for $4.99 at latw.org. Continue reading ‘Innocent When You Dream’ is newest audio theatre recording to L.A. Theatre Works

A look at costume designer Alejo Vietti’s sketches.

“In a time of war, it is necessary to forego some civil liberties to keep America safe.”

It once was, but no longer. I went to CalArts for theater when I was 15 and left so that I could be practical and get a "real job". (A decision I regret, as I'm sure In and Out Burger would have stayed afloat without my chopping the lettuce.) 

That said, I love to support the arts, theater especially, whenever I get the chance. Last night, Natalie and I schlepped out to Hollywood during rush hour, to see Michelle Krusiec (Saving Face, Nice Girls Crew) perform an excerpt from her solo show, Made in Taiwan. We have been so busy lately that we failed to learn what the event was about before showing up - we are just huge fans of Michelle's work and the Masonic Lodge as a venue. To our pleasant surprise, it was an event that celebrates Asian Pacific Americans in theater. So, not only were we treated with a hilarious rendition of "Part of Your World" by Deborah S. Craig, but we were privy to a panel discussion featuring Parvesh Cheena (who we think is SUPER funny), Jodi Long, Tzi Ma, Jeanne Sakata, Tamyln Tomita (who hasn't aged since Karate Kid, Part II), and Greg Watanabe, calling everyone to action with their personal stories and views on the entertainment industry as it is and was. 

Being an Asian-American, I felt incredibly connected in this room of Asian artists (with a few white people sprinkled about, Natalie included) - as I generally feel a bit set apart from my culture. 

We watched a short excerpt from Jeanne Sakata's "Hold These Truths" that was both intense and inspiring, leading nearly everyone in the audience to the nearest library to learn more about her historic hero, Gordon Hirabayashi, deemed the Rosa Parks of the Japanese American community. 

Michelle's performance was well worth the wait and quieted the stomachs that had begun to rumble at the late hour. Her comedic timing is unmatched and bleeds truth to anyone who can relate to having a Tiger Mom. While she started us off laughing to the point of tears, she proceeded to yank us in the opposite direction, with a painful scene of her standing up to her Tiger Mom and being struck down, quite literally. It was a jarring performance that made a MK fan for life. 

Only the Brave movie download

Actors:

Kipp Shiotani Jason Scott Lee Mark Dacascos Greg Watanabe Lane Nishikawa Tamlyn Tomita Yuji Okumoto

Download Only the Brave