Library of Congress
Asian Pacific American
Performing Arts Collection

A portfolio of my plays (and our film) were inducted into the Library of Congress Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection in 2010. I am so thrilled that the Library of Congress, in creating the APA Playwright Series, is acknowledging the importance of the Asian American playwright in the landscape of American storytelling -- and of course honored beyond belief to be a part of this collection!

JACL Honor

On September 16, 2010, I was honored by the JACL (Japanese American Citizens League, the nation's oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization) in their "Salute to Champions". It was an amazing evening and I am so humbled by the JACL's faith in me and my work. The other very distinguished honorees were Senator Dianne Feinstein, Community leader Etsu Mineta Masaoka and journalist Roxana Saberi. My brilliant husband Bruce made this video for my introduction

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On May 16, 2010, in celebration of Asian Heritage Month, my dear friend Jose Llana and I produced and sang in a concert version of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND with an all Asian American cast of Broadway singers. It was an amazing experience! Directed by original cast member Gerry McIntyre, the rest of the cast included Yuka Takara, Telly Leung, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Jason Ma, Hazel Anne Raymundo, Deborah Lew, Alan Ariano and Kylie Liya Goldstein. Special thanks go to the EEOC of Actors' Equity Association and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund for providing funding and support. Here are some excerpts, edited by Bruce Johnson.

Stay tuned for news about our 2012 Asian Heritage Month Celebration: a concert reading of Jason Ma's new musical GOLD MOUNTAIN on May 21 at a location TBD.

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Since its debut, our film,
TRANSCENDING – THE WAT MISAKA STORY
has made some powerful waves:

On August 7, 2009, Wat Misaka’s profile was finally added to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts

On October 14, 2009, President Barack Obama invited Wat to be present at the signing of his Executive Order restoring an Asian American and Pacific Islander initiative, and acknowledged Wat’s achievements in his introductory remarks.

On December 20, 2009, the New York Knicks will celebrate Wat on the court at Madison Square Garden, recognizing, at long last, his place in basketball history.

Dreams do come true.

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News about my plays (for details about and synopses of my plays, click here):

THE NEW DEAL was given the honor of being the first play to be developed by the Roundabout Theatre Company in its "Different Voices" program in June 2006. Based on my family's life in the restaurant business as well as my own cultural ephipany as a proud Asian American, it was a joy to see it come to life in that setting.

THE NEW DEAL's prequel, PAPER SON, is included in the "Multi-cultural Drama" curriculum at the University of Michigan/Flint, and has been in the Playwriting curriculum at Wesleyan University.

INTERNAL BLEEDING was developed with Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey in their 2010 Genesis Festival and in a 2011 workshop starring Daryl "Chill" Mitchell.

ADVENTURES OF A FAUX DESIGNER HANDBAG was developed in August, 2010 with Leviathan Lab in NYC and was part of the 2011 Playwriting Curriculum at Wesleyan University.

TANFORAN was produced by the Barrow Group Theatre Company in February , 2011, was part of the International Art of Public Memory Conference in April, 2011 and Leviathan Lab's Asian American Women Writers Workshop Short Play Festival in May, 2011.

DO THESE GENES MAKE ME LOOK FAT? was supported by a grant from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance in January, 2011.

PEACE PLAZA was part of Leviathan Lab's Dark Night Series in November, 2011, with research supported by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.

WELCOME TO TELEVISION is part of The Barrow Group Theatre Company's FAB Women Reading Series in January, 2012.

EYE D will be presented with support from Actors' Equity Association's Equal Employment Opportunity Committee in December, 2012.

SECONDARY IMPACT has had developmental workshops in NYC at the National Dance Institute in December, 2011, continuing in January, 2012.

I am the proud recipient of a grant from the Boomerang Fund for Artists in recognition of my writing and acting careers. http://www.boomerangfund.org

Click Here to read more about my writing, or to visit our production company's website:

reimaginedworldentertainment.com

I join such luminaries as the late great Lloyd Richards, Jane Alexander and Tina Howe in a wonderful, comprehensive book called" THE WORLD OF THEATRE, Tradition and Innovation". My profile is an interview about a subject near and dear to my heart: Non-traditional Casting.

I am also now listed in "Who's Who of American Women".

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