Sunday, August 24, 2025
Tam Tran Goes
to Washington Benefit Premiere Performance
Join East West Players for the benefit premiere performance of the 2025/26 Theatre for Youth touring production of Tam Tran Goes to Washington by Elizabeth Wong, directed by Rona Par and hosted by Clyde Kusatsu.
Tam Tran Goes to Washington Benefit Premiere Performance, Discussion & Reception
Sunday, August 24, 2025, 4:00–6:30 p.m.
David Henry Hwang Theater at Union Center for the Arts
120 Judge John Aiso Street, Little Tokyo, DTLA
Join East West Players for the benefit premiere performance of the 2025/26 Theatre for Youth touring production of Tam Tran Goes to Washington by Elizabeth Wong.
This fundraiser in support of EWP’s Arts Education programs for Youth–Theatre for Youth and EWPlay!–will include the revival premiere performance of Tam Tran Goes to Washington, a post-show conversation between playwright Elizabeth Wong and other guests, and a dessert and drinks reception in our courtyard. Longtime EWP artist, actor, and labor advocate Clyde Kusatsu (Star Trek: The Next Generation, A Man on the Inside) will host the event.
Tickets are $100 each ($85 tax-deductible).
This special event is supported in part by The Beulah Quo & Edwin Kwoh Fund for Arts Education and Cafe Dulce.
About Tam Tran Goes to Washington
Tam Tran, a quiet UCLA senior who prefers life behind her camera, faces her biggest challenge yet. As an undocumented student, she unexpectedly becomes an activist alongside her outgoing best friend, Cinthya Felix. When Congress invites Tam to testify for the DREAM Act in Washington, DC, her world turns upside down.
Event Panelists
About the playwright, Elizabeth Wong
Elizabeth Wong is a playwright, theatre director, sitcom writer, poet, multi-media artist, and a professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Her family plays and musicals are often comedic coupled with social justice issues. She’s received commissions from The Kennedy Center, Honolulu Theatre For Youth, Denver Center Theatre, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her TYA plays include Ibong Adarna: A Filipino Folktail, The Play Formerly Known As The Happy Prince, Prometheus, Goloshes Of Fortune, Boid & Oskar, and Amazing Adventures Of The Marvelous Monkey King. Her other plays include @Lys, Letters To A Student Revolutionary, China Doll, Kimchee & Chitlins, Space Nuns Of The Rescue Mainframe, and Dating & Mating In Modern Times. She recently produced and wrote an immersive multimedia art/ soundscape, Voices Of The Universe, inspired by NASA sonifications with images from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Her installation was exhibited at the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory, Garvey Ranch Park Observatory, and Taxco Theatre gallery. She also writes first-person essays for The Los Angeles Times. Elizabeth also writes with a five-member women's poetry collective founded by novelist E.E. King. Their first book of badass poetry together, An Illegal Feast, is now published by Broadstone Books. She’s a member of the Dramatist Guild and Writers Guild West. Website: www.elizabethwong.net; Facebook: elizabeth.wong8; Instagram: elizabethwong648; Bluesky: elizabeth@elizabethwong.bsky.social
About premiere host, Clyde Kusatsu
Clyde Kusatsu–a prolific character actor with more than 331 film and television credits–launched his acting career with East West Players in 1970 after graduating from Northwestern University. His film credits include Midway and The Challenge with Toshiro Mifune, Black Sunday, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, In the Line of Fire, Paradise Road, American Pie, Shopgirl, The Interpreter, and Shanghai Surprise. His TV credits include series regular and recurring roles on Bring ‘Em Back Alive, Island Son, Star Trek: The Next Generation, All American Girl, Family Matters, and Dr. Ken. Among his TV films are Farewell to Manzanar, Dr. Strange, And the Sea Will Tell, and as Judge Ito in CBS's American Tragedy. He’s also appeared on Kung Fu, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, Lou Grant, Magnum, P.I., Young Rock, The United States of Al, and most recently in season one of A Man On The Inside on Netflix and also in one episode of Season 2. He has recurred on daytime soaps including The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, and, currently, Days of Our Lives. He has voiced characters in Blue Eye Samurai and Avatar as well as dubbing in Hyper Knife on HULU and many other shows. A longtime advocate for union and labor issues, he is Secretary of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, having previously served as four-term LA National Vice-President of the SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local and First Elected President of the Los Angeles Local! He was recently presented on May 10th with The Ralph Morgan Award for Service by The Los Angeles Local.
About Theatre for Youth
East West Players is committed to sharing multi-ethnic perspectives and stories with youth in the Los Angeles area. Our Theatre for Youth touring production offers new ways to see the world through theater that stimulate students to discover the prominent roles AANHPI individuals have played in our history. Created in the early 1970s, Theatre for Youth was designed to promote cultural understanding and racial tolerance. Today, the program strives to expand the history and curriculum to include stories about pioneering and groundbreaking Americans. Each year, an original piece is commissioned, staged, and toured to schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the region. School performances are preceded by visits from teaching artists who employ a bilingual study guide to assist educators in integrating lessons from the plays into their classroom curriculum. The 2024/25 tour of Patsy played to nearly 2,700 students, teachers, parents, and community members. Theatre for Youth is supported in part by California Arts Council, a state agency (learn more at www.arts.ca.gov); Dwight Stuart Youth Fund; L.L. Foundation for Youth; Cathay Bank Foundation; Green Foundation; and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
About EWPlay!
EWPlay! is a residency program that brings immersive, intensive theater arts training to local schools. EWP performer teaching artists lead a twice-weekly after-school program for 7th graders for up to 12 weeks. The sessions are designed to give students a basic foundation in theater techniques as well as foster awareness and appreciation of class members’ cultural heritage. EWPlay! continues in 2025/26 with residencies at Palms Middle School and Sal Castro Middle School. EWPlay! is supported in part by Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation, U.S. Bank, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
Click here for Box Office hours and contact information.
Cast
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Jade Duong (she/her) is honored to debut her journey with East West Players in a program and production she cares very deeply about. Having graduated from UC Riverside with degrees in Political Science and Theatre, she is very grateful to be telling Tam’s story today. Jade is a multi-faceted Vietnamese performer based in LA; doing film, theatre, commercials, and voiceover work. Recently, she was seen as Miss Honey (Matilda), Joanne (RENT), and Kim (Miss Saigon). Outside of her acting career, she is a Disneyland performer and proud dog mom.
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Gabby Montejo is thrilled to be making her professional theatre debut with East West Players in this powerful and inspiring piece. Montejo is originally from Palo Alto, California and recently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Acting from Pepperdine University. During her time in university, some of her credits include Passage (B) by Christopher Chen, Lost Girl (Nina) by Kimberly Belflower, Silent Sky (Margaret Leavitt) by Lauren Gunderson, and no one is coming to save us (Shy) by Lewis Hetherington, an original work on climate change and world premiere at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Montejo believes in the power of the arts to spark dialogue, inspire empathy, and create change. She is honored to join such a talented team and to take this show on tour. Endless thanks to her family and friends, and for your support in arts education. @gabby.montejo
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Nina Santoyo is an LA-born and based actor and Teaching Artist. A recent graduate from USC's School of Dramatic Arts, they have performed in Productions including "WE, THE INVISIBLES", "GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT", and various Hollywood Fringe productions. They are a nominee of Hollywood Fringe's Award for Immersive and Games category, and are so excited to share this story with you. They would like to thank their parents, sister, and loving husband for their never-ending support.
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Stephanie Lee is a theatre, film, and television actor based in Los Angeles. Tam Tran Goes to Washington is her East West Players debut. Recent stage credits include Mama Mama Can’t You See and Hunnysweet with Coin & Ghost. She was a company member at The Actors' Gang for eight years, performing in The New Colossus (South American and U.S. tours, directed by Artistic Director and Academy Award winner Tim Robbins), The Ghost Sonata, Violence: The Misadventures of Spike Spangle Farmer, The Queen Family’s Very Special Holiday Special, The Hot Chocolate Holiday Club, and Aphrodite’s Holiday Show. Film/TV credits include Everybody Is Doing Great (Apple TV), High, Without Regret (Amazon Prime), and LifeLike, along with national commercials. She directed the first high school production of David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face at Culver City High School in collaboration with East West Players. Stephanie holds a BFA from Chapman University. @realstephanielee
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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alyssa graduated from AMDA College of the Performing Arts with a BFA in Musical Theater. She is honored to be a part of this production as a proud Mexican-Filipino American and 1st gen college graduate. Alyssa has a deep love for theater and has been performing from a young age. She is deeply happy to be making her L.A theater debut with the East West Players. She can be found via her Instagram @adorkable.amc
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Alexandra is a Los Angeles based actor, singer, and writer and is very excited to be working with East West Players for the first time, especially on a production like this. Some favorite theatre credits: “The Witch” in Into the Woods, “Enid Hoopes” in Legally Blonde (SRT), and “Krystal” in the world premiere of RUN by Roxie Perkins. Recent TV/Film: Ballard, Winter Island, This is Fine. Alexandra holds a B.F.A. Degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan, and is a LACHSA alumna.
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Rica Anonas (she/her) is a Filipina American actress and intimacy/movement choreographer and is currently working on her MFA in Television, Film, and Theatre at Cal State LA. Some of her previous roles include: Tita in Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles(Cal State LA), Dr. Violet Garcia in Fourth Planet (Fullerton College) and Irina in As We Know Them (The Larking House). She is also a budding intimacy choreographer and most recently worked on Romeo & Juliet at Fullerton College, Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors at Long Beach City College, along with a few short films. She is excited and grateful for the opportunity to perform her first show with the East West Players and would like to thank her friends and family for their unwavering love and support.
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Pauline is elated to return to Theatre for Youth after appearing as Congresswoman Patsy Mink in last season's production of Patsy. She has an extensive commercial career and can be seen in ads for Volkswagen, Avocados from Mexico, State Farm, Google, Homes.com, and McDonalds, just to name a few. TV shows include "Criminal Minds" and "Ballard" with Maggie Q. She is also a professional stand-up comedian and was finalist in the 2019 San Francisco Comedy Competition and winner of California's Funniest Female Competition in 2013.
Credits
Playwright
Elizabeth Wong
Director
Rona Par
Stage Manager
Ashley Macalino
Sound Designer
Gavin Higa
Costume Designer
Mika Dyo
Scenic/Properties Designer
Iliana Cusak
Assistant Director
Evelyn Wu-Coffey
Tour Coordinator
Phoenix Lee
Advisories
Content & Trigger Warning
This production discusses deportation, the struggles of living as an undocumented immigrant in the US, detention under ICE, and death caused by drunk driving.
We understand that this is the reality of many members in our community. Should you feel discomfort or distress, please feel free to step outside and take a break during the performance.
Our Study Guide is a tool that can be used to help facilitate important conversations, process these important themes, and provide resources to find support for yourself and others.
A Content Warning is a verbal or written notice that precedes potentially sensitive content, allowing for the viewer to prepare themselves so that they are able to engage or disengage with the content. Trigger warnings are of a more serious nature that may cause a physiological and/or psychological response, such as anxiety. There may be overlap between the two.
If you would like to learn more about the content warnings of this show, please reach out to boxoffice@eastwestplayers.org.
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