Alice Tuan is a playwright inspired by “human wisdom” based in Valencia, CA. She vividly remembers “the first moment [she] became a playwright at the age of 17 in the kitchen with her grandfather, but worked outside the realm of writing as an ESL teacher and Universal Studios tour guide before professionally committing to her craft with the Mentor Playwrights Project. Her works includeLast of the Suns, produced by Ma-Yi Theater in NYC, Ajax (por nobody)at SummerWorks in Toronto,Ikebanaat East West Players in LA, andBATCH:A Bachelor/ette Party Spectaclein collaboration with New Paradise Laboratories. Tuan set a goal to write 40 plays, and is currently 8 original works in! She’s also “a playwright associate with East West Players, the longest running non-white theater” in America, which places special emphasis on Asian American stories and voices. Tuan’s advice for young artists is to discover and “follow [their] values” to create a path uniquely for them and their success. Read on to learn more about Alice Tuan and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Erica Wong was almost a civil engineer before dance called her to NYC! Now based in Union City, she got her start with a ballet company before a beauty pageant video submission booked her In Your Arms with renowned choreographer Christopher Gattelli. From that moment on, Wong knew theatre was her home. The King & I marked her Broadway debut, and since then, she’s worked on projects such as Jerome Robbins’ Broadway at The Muny and M. Butterfly, and now performs in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway! She is currently hosting an intermediate ballet barre on Zoom to aid a GoFundMe benefitting the AAPI Community Fund, and hopes to begin exploring film and television opportunities in the near future. Wong advises young artists to “always be open to learning -- not just about [their] craft, but about the world and beyond,” and to practice care of one’s “mind, body, soul, and finances.” Read on to learn more about Erica Wong and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
May May Luong is a film producer based in fabulous Las Vegas! After leaving the tech company she worked for, Luong began honing her craft in Las Vegas by joining the Film Department at UNLV. Since getting her MFA in Writing for Dramatic Media, she’s accumulated some impressive credits, including filming the Stanley Cup tour for the VGK’s first season, controlling the Bellagio Fountains and the Mirage Volcano, and the film Popovich and the Voice of the Fabled American West! Luong also works on advertisements and commercials, and teaches at Nevada State College and UNLV. She names writing, collaboration, and empathy as some of the most important skills in her arsenal, and advises young artists to “notice that everything around [them] is art,” and to press on as creators, no matter the obstacles ahead. Read on to learn more about May May Luong and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Christine Toy Johnson is an actress, writer, and activist based in New York City. Her upbringing in NYC exposed her to the world of theatre, and inspired her to begin auditioning. With her equity card in hand after graduating from high school, Johnson went on to join Broadway’sThe Music Man(recent revival) and the national tours ofCome From AwayandFlower Drum Song. In addition to her impressive resume, Johnson explored writing her own shows! Her original work includesNo Wave(with Charles Randolph-Wright),The Secret Wisdom of Trees,Empress Mei Li Lotus Blossom,Barcelona(with Jason Ma),Till Soon Anne(with Bobby Cronin), andPaper Son. On top of all this, she “was recently elected treasurer of the Dramatists Guild” as the very first Asian American guild officer, serves as the “Chair of the Guild’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee,” and co-founded the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC)! Her advice to young artists? “Do the work and keep showing up!” Read on to learn more about Christine Toy Johnson and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Courtney Liu is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer living between New York City and Durham, NC. She initially began her ballet career performing corps de ballet at age 14 years old with theCincinnati Ballet. However, her college path almost led to her becoming a clinical or research psychologist! She’s performed in Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera (Ensemble, Meg Giry u/s), Kristen Sandler’s Gilded, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Queen of the Night, and the Broadway Dance Lab. In addition to performing, Liu recently completed her MFA at Duke University! This summer Courtney is the Artist-In-Residence at Thistle, a NYC-based company. She is also teaching various summer intensives and on Zoom, performing/choreographing locally, and co-choreographing wedding dances with her fiance through their company, Save the First Dance. She advises young artists to seek out alternative sources of income to the Arts to help better provide for themselves, and states from personal experience that these “odd jobs” can be enjoyable! Courtney will be returning to New York this fall for reopening rehearsals for the Broadway company of Phantom of the Opera! Read on to learn more about Courtney Liu and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Melissa Tong is a musician, yoga/AcroYoga teacher, and co-creator of “B Neutral” based in NYC. After moving to the city, she pushed through temp jobs until an old friend connected her with her first NYC opportunity. She’s played for Broadway (Ain’t Too Proud), String Quartet (Five for Fighting), the Met Gala (with Rhianna!), and for artists like Sara Bareilles, Riley Etheridge Jr., and performed with an artist who opened for Leon Russell! In addition to her artistry, Tong serves as a Broadway Ambassador with Broadway for Arts Education, which is currently working with children from India and Haiti, as well as a Teaching Artist with Buffalo String Works (a program that works with refugee communities). She’s also involved in the Youth Pride Chorus and Urban Assembly Programs in New York City, and supports Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (where her sister is the Associate Artistic Director), which is currently producing a project entitled "Unboxed," which was included in a piece called “Final Bow for Yellow Face” to acknowledge Asian stereotypes within the dance industry. She advises young artists to “stick with it… be someone with whom you want to work… [and] do [art] for the love!” Read on to learn more about Melissa Tong and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Nissa Tzun is a bilingual artist and advocate across multiple arts disciplines based in Las Vegas. Tzun’s artistry spans her entire life, but first truly fell into place as a special needs teacher in Brooklyn experiencing the “marginalization and oppression of Black and Brown [students].” This fueled her to seek outlets for her antiracist campaigns in New York. Her work has continued to include co-founding the Forced Trajectory Project (a PR and media advocacy organization for survivors and victims of police violence), producing at Residuum Docuseries (a series about police violence in Las Vegas), and co-establishing the New York City chapter of Families United 4 Justice (an organization made up of families and survivors impacted by police violence), later bringing another chapter to Las Vegas. In addition to her activism, Tzun is pursuing her Masters in Social Work and Masters in Journalism & Media Studies at UNLV! She urges young artists to discover their “why,” and is a firm believer in “being rooted in your purpose.. [to] help young people understand where their artistry can fit into society.” Read on to learn more about Nissa Tzun and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Elaine N is an actress, host and model based in Los Angeles. The accomplished multilingual entertainer was first spotted by a studio executive, and ever since has taken on numerous roles and projects in the arts. From television to film, her work includes performances on shows for TruTV, Oxygen Network and Discovery Life, and her incredible voiceover talent has been featured in commercials, video games, public service announcements, educational videos and more. Along with the passion, devotion and appreciation she carries for her craft, Elaine N also makes time to give back. She currently sits on the board for Girls IN Focus, an organization with a mission to connect girls and non-binary youth globally with film programs so they emerge as industry leaders. She encourages young artists just starting their career to not settle for average and, “if you don’t succeed wake up the next day and keep going.” Read on to learn more about Elaine N and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jessica Wu is a writer, director and songwriter based in New York City. She began her professional theatre career over a decade ago, performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, Television, YouTube and more. Highlights of her work include the Broadway Revivals of Miss Saigon and a Chorus Line; Shakespeare in the Park; The Radio City Spring Spectacular; Goodspeed Musicals; National Tours of Doctor Dolittle; and appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She also has written several short films and theatrical works, such as “You, Me, I, We,” that won multiple development awards, including The National Asian Artists Project’s Discover: New Musicals Series. Her new musical, “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” based on the original bestselling book and Japanese stage play by Akihiro Nishino, is slated to debut in Tokyo, Japan in Fall 2021 and the 2022 season Off-Broadway in NYC. In addition to her already busy schedule, Jessica also is an adjunct Theatre Professor at American University, a mentor with Harvard-Radcliffe G&S Players and she spent several years in Non-Profit Arts Leadership as an Associate Artistic Director. Read on to learn more about Jessica and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jennifer Kumiyama is a singer, actress and speaker based in Long Beach, California. Born with Arthrogryposis, a condition defined by multiple congenital joint contractures, Jennifer uses a wheelchair daily, however, she has shown the world that talent sees no limitations. She received vocal lessons at Long Beach College and California State University of Long Beach, propelling her into an incredible singing career. In 2000, Jennifer appeared on Warner Bros. reality TV show “Popstars 2,” receiving praise for her voice from national publications such as Variety magazine and TV Guide, and, two years later, was cast in Disney’s “Aladdin: a Musical Spectacular” at Disney California Adventure Theme Park. She performed four times a day in front of thousands of international guests and was the first performer in a wheelchair to ever be on any Disney stage. It was here that she became an advocate for people living with disabilities and a strong voice that would break barriers. In 2010, Jennifer was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California followed by Ms. Wheelchair America 2011, First Runner Up and used her platform, “Empowering Children with Disabilities to Make Their Own Dreams Come True” to spread the message of hope. Read on to learn more about Jennifer and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Selina Pope is an Eurasian portrait artist based in London. She has studied under portrait artist Nicole Porter while growing up in Aberdeen and has completed short courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the London Art Academy and the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy. Selina mainly utilizes graphite and oils in her art and is influenced by traditional “old master” techniques, such as the limited palette. A mixed ethnicity background, along with growing up in Scotland, inspires the theme of identity depicted throughout her works. In February, her drawing of TV and radio presenter Norman Busigu was accepted into the 2021 Royal Society of British Artists exhibition at the Mall Galleries, one of the oldest art exhibitions in Britain. Following, another prestigious organization, the Royal Scottish Academy, accepted the piece for their online exhibition. These artistic achievements along with a creative spirit continue to ignite passion and purpose for Selina as she balances her full-time law career with being an artist. Read on to learn more about Selina and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Alex Lin is an award-nominated playwright, screenwriter and journalist, based in Saddle River, New Jersey. Her work is powered by a drive to bridge the gap between science and entertainment industries. As a space journalist and executive producer with Supercluster, Lin has worked with former astronauts, NASA executives, Hollywood celebrities and others to bring powerful stories to life. On Real Astronaut/Play Astronaut, a Supercluster content series that brings real life and silver screen astronauts together in conversation, a recent episode Lin produced highlights actor David Oyelowo and former astronaut Alvin Drew discussing the 2020 American sci-fi film, The Midnight Sky. Along with exclusive coverage of the Netflix movie, the episode raised awareness for Drew’s initiative, the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship – a scholarship empowering Black Excellence in the aerospace industry. As a playwright, Lin’s scripts have been workshopped and produced with Women’s Theatre Festival, Miami University, University of Idaho, Actors Theatre of Louisville (PTC) and more. She is a 2020 Pass the Pen nominee at Ashland New Plays Festival, a 2020 ScreenCraft Stay Play Quarterfinalist and a member of the 2020/21 Asian American Arts Alliance Virtual Residency. Read on to learn more about Alex and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Bri Ng Schwartz is a facilitator and curator of artistic community engagement programming based in Brooklyn, NY. She is passionate about creating programs, performances and digital spaces for and by intersectional communities, working with groups such as the National Queer Theater, New York Theater Workshop and Theater Communications Group. Her future goals include getting a PhD in Performance Studies and teaching university-level classes in Applied Theater. Read on to learn more about Bri and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rebecca lee Lerman is an actor, singer, dancer, and writer based in New York City! She is also a staff writer for Hapamag, an online magazine for mixed race Asian, and wrote an original musical called Her Hotel which won Jury Selection Best Production at the Women’s Theatre (Virtual) Fringe Festival this summer! Keep reading to find out more about what makes Rebecca an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jennie Kwan is an actor, singer, and vocal coach based in Los Angeles!! She has been on stage with shows like Miss Saigon and Avenue Q, and also in the TV/Film industry in California Dreams...
