East West Players will present a timely revival of Philip Kan Gotanda’s “Yankee Dawg You Die,” a valentine to Asian American actors past and present, through July 27 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St. in Little Tokyo.
Directed by Jennifer Chang, this groundbreaking play illustrates the complex, often fraught journey of Asian American actors in Hollywood. Through the lens of an unlikely friendship between two artists, Vincent Chang (Kelvin Han Yee) and Bradley Yamashita (Daniel J. Kim), at different stages of their careers, Gotanda’s masterful storytelling exposes the painful compromises actors make to succeed in the industry.
Understudies for Vincent and Bradley are Grant Chang and Jonathan Cheung, respectively.
Premiering in 1988 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and first performed at EWP in 2001, “Yankee Dawg You Die” has long been an indictment of the stereotypes and limitations imposed by the entertainment industry on actors of color. This play ignites crucial conversations about representation, identity, and the resilience of Asian American artists – how far we’ve come and how much further there is to go.
Showtimes:
Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. Preview and Playwrights’ Conversation with Philip Kan Gotanda and EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal
Sunday, July 6, at 5 p.m. Opening Night
Thursday, July 10, at 8 p.m. Student Night
Friday, July 11, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 12, at 2 p.m. (Masked Matinee and Artist Talkback) and 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 13, at p.m.
Monday, July 14, at 8 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can Night
Friday, July 18, at 8 p.m. Understudy Performance
Saturday, July 19, at 2 p.m. (Masked Matinee) and 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 20, at 5 p.m.
Monday, July 21, at 8 p.m.
Friday, July 25, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. (Masked Matinee) and 8 p.m (ASL Interpretation)
Sunday, July 27, at 5 pm. Closing Performance
For more information and reservations, call (213) 625-7000, email [email protected] or visit www.eastwestplayers.org. Box office hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and one hour before each performance.
Philip Kan Gotandahas been a major influence in broadening how theater has been defined in America. Through his plays and advocacy, Gotanda has been instrumental in bringing stories of Asians in the U.S. to mainstream American theater as well as to Europe and Asia.
The author of one of the largest collections of Asian American-themed work, he is a seminal figure in the field of Asian American drama. Gotanda’s plays are studied and performed extensively at universities, colleges, and learning institutions in the U.S. and abroad. His career in American theater has been one of articulating and championing the stories of the marginalized and the underrepresented, the Other – in particular, the stories of the Asian in America.
This will be EWP’s second time mounting “Yankee Dawg You Die,” which was first presented in 2001. Gotanda’s other EWP credits include “The Avocado Kid, or Zen and the Art Of Guacamole” (1979), “The Dream of Kitamura” (1983), ”A Song for a Nisei Fisherman” (1984), “Fish Head Soup” (1993), “in the dominion of night” (1995), “The Wash” (2001), “Sisters Matsumoto” (2002), “The Wind Cries Mary” (2004), and “Yohen,” co-produced with the Robey Theatre Company in both 1999 and 2018.
Jennifer Changis a multi-disciplinary artist who is committed to anti-racist practices and diversifying storytelling aesthetics. Select theatre directing credits: “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (Pasadena Playhouse), “Primary Trust” (Barrington Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford), “What Became of Us” (Atlantic Theater Company), “The Far Country” (Berkeley Rep), “King of the Yees” (Signature Theatre D.C.), On Gold Mountain (L.A. Opera), “The Heart Sellers” (Milwaukee Rep, Theatreworks Silicon Valley/Aurora Theatre/CapStage), “Vietgone” (LADCC Award for Best Direction).
New play/musical development/residencies: Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, The Mercury Store, The Geffen Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Ashland New Plays Festival, O’Neill Playwrights Conference, New Harmony Project, Center Theatre Group, S?ng Collective, Black and Latino Playwrights’ Conference, Theatre Mu, Chance Theater, Boston Court, PlayOn!, Circle X, EWP, Artists at Play
Playwriting: “The Devil Is a Lie” (Quantum Theatre), “Matter” (Beatrice Terry Residency), Geffen Writers Room 2023-2024 for “Beer!” (bookwriter, semi-finalist O’Neil MTC).
An accomplished actor and educator, she is an associate professor at UCLA’s School of Theater Film and Television, a recipient of the Drama League New York Fellowship, and a classical directing fellow at The Old Globe.
Kelvin Han Yeeis a Los Angeles-based actor with over 40 years of experience in film, television, and stage. A pioneering AAPI presence in American theater, Yee began his career as a company member for six seasons with The American Conservatory Theatre. He played Bradley in the world premiere of “Yankee Dawg You Die” (opposite Sab Shimono) and has now come full circle by playing Vincent.
Other theater credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland), Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Asian American Theater Company (San Francisco), Lodestone, and EWP, were he is a longtime collaborator.
Recent TV appearances include: “Beef,” “The Brothers Sun,” “9-1-1,” “S.W.A.T.,” “Blue bloods,” “Quantum Leap,” “Magnum, P.I.,” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Film credits include: Todd Haynes’ “May December” (with Charles Melton), “Destroyer” (with Nicole Kidman), “Milk,” “Lucky You,” and the upcoming John Turturro feature “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.”
Daniel J. Kimis an L.A.-based actor and alumnus of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). Some of his recent TV credits include the latest season of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” “Bel Air” on Peacock. and “Fatal Attraction” on Paramount+. Film appearances include “Paper Flowers” and “The Brink Of” (2024). Theater credits include “Macbeth” at A Noise Within and “Are You Listening” at The Actors Coop.
He is honored to be making his EWP onstage debut and grateful to the whole EWP team who continue to create the best space for AAPI artists and stories. He would like to thank Jen Chang for her incredible direction and trust in him, Kelvin Han Yee for his guidance and joy, and his friends and family for their constant love and support.