Youth & Community

East West Players provides increased opportunities and education for Asian Pacific American artists on stage and in other media. As part of its ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent, East West Players offers several youth education and professional development programs for artists of all ages and backgrounds.

Theatre For Youth

As part of EWP’s mission to create educational programs that explore AAPINH experiences, East West Players is committed to sharing multi-ethnic perspectives and stories with youth in the Los Angeles area.

EWP’s latest touring production, WHEN YURI MET MALCOLM, written by Rosie Narasaki, is returning for our 2026-27 season. First commissioned by EWP in 2022, this play explores the legacy of Yuri Kochiyama through her friendship with Malcolm X, tracing her journey from Japanese American incarceration camps to a lifetime of activism. What does it mean to be a citizen of a flawed country, and how much can one person do to change it? The 2026-2027 production will be directed by Khalif J. Gillett.

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EWPlay!

EWPlay! is a residency program that brings EWP programming to local schools, especially those without other arts education funding. EWP teaching artists lead a weekly after-school program designed to give middle school students a basic foundation in theater techniques as well as foster awareness and appreciation of class members’ cultural heritage.

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Study Guides

EWP has curated and designed study guides for students to follow along with the theatrical plays. Click learn more to find all of the study guides available here.

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Arts Education programming is supported by Cathay Bank Foundation, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Green Foundation, Amy Hill, L.L. Foundation for Youth; NBCUniversal; The Sun Family Foundation; The Tsao Family Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

Theatre for Youth is supported in part by Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, L.L. Foundation for Youth, Cathay Bank Foundation, Green Foundation, The Sun Family Foundation, The Tsao Family Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

EWPlay! is supported in part by Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Find Your Light Foundation, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

East West Players is a recipient of the 2026 THRIVE! Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for theatre leading for a just and thriving theatre ecology.