|
Cold Tofu
Cold Tofu, also known as Cold Tofu Improv, is a non-profit organization and Asian American improvisation and comedy group based in Los Angeles. History Cold Tofu was founded in 1981 and is the first and longest running Asian American improvisation and comedy troupe in the United States. For its 35th anniversary, Cold Tofu was featured in ''American Theatre'' magazine's list of "theatrical milestones". Though reputedly an Asian American comedy group, Cold Tofu's roots are multi-cultural. Early members included Amy Hill, Phil LaMarr, Jim MacNerland, Jerry Tondo, Geoff Rivas, Joey Miyashima, Glen Chin and Robert Covarrubias. In its early years, the group trained with Stephen Book (founder of Improvisational Acting Technique and a co-worker of Viola Spolin Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 — November 22, 1994) was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial technique ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nonprofit Organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in contrast with an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a Profit (accounting), profit for its owners. A nonprofit is subject to the non-distribution constraint: any revenues that exceed expenses must be committed to the organization's purpose, not taken by private parties. An array of organizations are nonprofit, including some political organizations, schools, business associations, churches, social clubs, and consumer cooperatives. Nonprofit entities may seek approval from governments to be Tax exemption, tax-exempt, and some may also qualify to receive tax-deductible contributions, but an entity may incorporate as a nonprofit entity without securing tax-exempt status. Key aspects of nonprofits are accountability, trustworth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 — November 22, 1994) was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to find choices improvisationally, as if in real life. These acting exercises she later called Theater Games and formed the first body of work that enabled other directors and actors to create improvisational theater. Her book ''Improvisation for the Theater'', which published these techniques, includes her philosophy and her teaching and coaching methods, and is considered the "bible of improvisational theater". Spolin's contributions were seminal to the improvisational theater movement in the U.S. She is considered to be the mother of Improvisational theater. Her work has influenced American theater, television and film by providing new tools and techniques that are now used by actors, directors and writ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East West Players
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American experience today. Overview Established in 1965 by Mako, Rae Creevey, Beulah Quo, Soon-Tek Oh, James Hong, Pat Li, June Kim, Guy Lee, and Yet Lock as a place where Asian-American actors could perform roles beyond the stereotypical caricatures they were being limited to in Hollywood. An early statement of purpose read: "To further cultural understanding between the East and West by employing the dual Oriental and American heritages of the East-West Players." Current mission statement: As the nation's premier Asian American theatre organization, East West Players produces artistic works and educational programs that foster dialogue exploring Asian Pacific experiences. Current vision statement: * Conti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aquarium Of The Pacific
The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific) is a public aquarium on a site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. The aquarium sees 1.5 million visitors a year and has a total staff of about 1,875 people, including more than 1,500 volunteers and about 375 employees. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aquarium. The aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Exhibits The aquarium features a collection of over 11,000 animals representing over 500 different species in exhibits ranging in size and capacity from about 5,000 to 350,000 gallons. Exhibits introduce the inhabitants and seascapes of the Pacific, while also focusing on specific conservation messages associated with each region. The Pacific Ocean is the focus of three major permanent galleries, sunny Southern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Morita
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on ''Happy Days'', Mr. Miyagi in ''The Karate Kid'' film series, Captain Sam Pak on the sitcom ''M*A*S*H'', Ah Chew in '' Sanford and Son'', Mike Woo in ''The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo'', and The Emperor of China in ''Mulan'' and ''Mulan II''. He was the series lead actor in the television program ''Mr. T and Tina'' and in '' Ohara'', a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead. Morita was nominated for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in ''The Karate Kid'', which would be the first of a media franchise in which Morita was the central player. Early life Morita was born on June 28, 1932, in Isleton, California to Japanese immigrant parents. Morita's father Tamaru, born in 1897, immigrated to California from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s. History Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman and his future wife, Silver Saundors, and located in the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on West 44th near the southeast corner of 9th Ave. The Improvisation was originally an after hours coffee house where Broadway theatre, Broadway performers could unwind after shows with an open mic inviting impromptu musical performances. Gradually comedians would use it as a venue to try out new material and talent scouts from ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' and other New York-based television shows began frequenting the venue looking for new acts to book. After several years of alternating acts between singers and comics, by the 1970s it was a stand up c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Groundlings
The Groundlings is an American improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin, whose improvisational theater techniques were taught by Del Close and other members of the Second City, located in Chicago and later St. Louis. They used these techniques to produce sketches and improvised scenes. Its name is taken from Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', Act III, Scene II: "...to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise." In 1975 the troupe purchased and moved into its current location on Melrose Avenue. The Groundlings School holds new sessions every six weeks with over 300 students per session, with more than 2,000 students per year going through the program. The competitive program with admission by audition, consists of five levels (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Improv, Writing Lab, and Advanc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Austin
Gary Austin (born Gary Moore; October 18, 1941 – April 1, 2017) was an American improvisational theatre teacher, writer, and director who founded The Groundlings theatre company in 1974. Early life Austin grew up in the Nazarene Church and in Halliburton oil camps in Oklahoma, Texas and California. He graduated from Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Springs, California, in 1960 and earned his BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University in 1964. The Committee After college, Austin moved to Los Angeles where he became a stage manager for the L.A. branch of San Francisco's famed improvisational comedy group, The Committee. It was here Austin worked as an improviser with Second City's Del Close and began to develop characters. When the Los Angeles company closed in 1969, Austin moved to San Francisco where he became a performing member of The Committee. After his departure from The Committee, Austin moved back to Los Angeles and worked at the newly-opened Comedy Store wher ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glen Chin
Glen Chin (January 27, 1948 – August 16, 2018) was an American actor of Chinese descent who starred in film and television. Background Chin was born in Stockton, California on January 27, 1948. He was the eldest of eight children. His father owned the Quong Wah Yen sausage factory and grocery in Chinatown. He attended Amos Alonzo Stagg High School and was active in drama and choir. He studied music at the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music and played the double bass violin with the Stockton Symphony. Chin appeared in ''50 First Dates'' as the humorous Hawaiian café regular, ''The Underachievers'' (1987), and '' After One Cigarette'' as Shigeru. He appeared in Chinese cinema in such films as ''Hollywood Hong Kong''. Chin's television credits include ''Boy Meets World'' (the Eskimo), ''Night Stand with Dick Dietrick'' (Coco), '' Mighty Max'', and ''Seinfeld''. He played a villain's role in the 1998 movie, Knock Off (film). In the ''Seinfeld'' episode "The Opera", Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asian-American Theatre
Asian American theatre is theatre written, directed or acted by Asian Americans. From initial efforts by four theatre companies in the 1960s, Asian-American theatre has grown to around forty groups today. Early productions often had Asian themes or settings; "yellowface" was a common medium for displaying the perceived exoticism of the East in American performance. With the growing establishment of second-generation Asian-Americans in the 21st century, it is becoming more common today to see Asian-Americans in roles that defy historical stereotypes in the United States. Background Asian-American theatre emerged in the 1960s and the 1970s with the foundation of four theatre companies: East West Players in Los Angeles, Asian American Theatre Workshop (later renamed Asian American Theater Company) in San Francisco, Theatrical Ensemble of Asians (later renamed Northwest Asian American Theatre) in Seattle, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City. The Northwest Asian Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joey Miyashima
Joseph Paul Miyashima (born November 18, 1957) is an American television and film actor. Early life Miyashima was born in Los Angeles to Japanese parents on November 18, 1957. Career Miyashima played Pee-wee Herman's Japanese pen pal, Oki Doki, in "Accidental Playhouse", an episode of ''Pee-Wee's Playhouse''. He had a role in an episode ("9 Minutes and 52 Seconds Over Tokyo") of ''The Tracey Ullman Show'', and another in its spin-off, ''The Simpsons'', as the voice of Toshiro, the apprentice chef, in the episode called "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish". In 2006, he played the role of Principal Dave Matsui in the Disney Channel Original Movie ''High School Musical'', and reprised it in '' High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' (2008). In 2009 he had a cameo as a police officer in the DCOM ''Dadnapped ''Dadnapped'' is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered February 16, 2009. Starring actors from Disney Channel Original Series, the movie had 4.6 million viewers for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Tondo
Jerry Shigekazu Tondo (born October 10, 1950) is a Japanese-American actor and voice actor. He is known for providing the voice of the character "Chien-Po" in the animated film ''Mulan''. Other titles Tondo has contributed to include '' Gung Ho'', ''The Secret Saturdays'' and ''Mulan II''.''Variety Weekly'' Magazine, Monday, February 21, 2005 (p.12) Biography Tondo discovered acting while attending high school in San Francisco, California. He was offered scholarships to play football, but decided to study sociology. He then enrolled in a theater course. He served on the board of directors while participating as a company member of the Asian American Theater Co. He moved to Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ... and started working with the East- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_05.jpg "Click for more on -> The Improv")