This is my second time enjoying a show at EWP and I am very much impressed as always. And both time were mean to support my friend David's play: The Paranormal Brothers and Paranormal Inside. First of all, happy 60th birthday EWP!!! This is such a milestone and I am so happy to see this fact. Always feel so welcomed and comfortable coming here, staffs are so nice and helpful. Parking is limited but it depends on the time of the day. I really appreciate the inner decoration and how the stage is set up for the show. Seats are fairly comfortable in general, the lighting and sounds are perfectly playing along with the plots. I determine to bring more friends next time to join me with EWP. It will be a lifetime highlight for sure. read more

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Support Asian spots! East West Players is an asian american theater in little tokyo. Haven't been here before so I wasn't sure what I was expecting. For this review, it's for Cambodian Rock Band Upon entering, they will check your ticket and you can buy merch downstairs. Check out the spotlights of different asian actors and memorabilia. Note that they do not sell food and drinks, so they get their proceeds from ticket sales and donations! As you walk upstairs to your seating, you will see more pictures along the wall. Great to take some time to look at everything (but of course don't hold up traffic since people may be heading to their seats). The interior isn't grandest and the seating is wearing down, but this is why the theater will need our support! Overall, I thought it was a great experience, esp to see someone like me reflected on stage read more

East West Players has been around for 60 years and is the longest-running Asian American theater. I have never been here before, but I recently went to a show with an all-Asian cast called Yankee Dawg You Die. I have to say I was pretty amazed at how good the show was! I purchased my tickets online and came with a group of four. You can choose to pick up the tickets at will call or have them emailed to you. I picked the email option, and it was just scanned when we entered the door. The inside has three floors and the largest bathrooms are on the third floor. The theater itself is a little small but that didn't mean the work of the actors was bad or anything like that. We sat quite close to the stage and you could see everything quite close. There is balcony seating as well. Overall can't wait to see another show! Registered to be on the email list so I can go to any events when I'm in Los Angeles. Located in Little Tokyo area! read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed Paranormal Inside last Sunday. Congratulations to the East West Players on their 60th anniversary! That's really something to celebrate! read more

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My group of 7 people attended the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical play of "Flower Drum Song" on May 24, 2026, at 1pm. I had seen the movie version in 1961. Like the movie, the play was outstanding. The talented stage performers had great singing, dancing, & acting skills. This was my first time to the Arantani Theater in Little Tokyo. The theater was comfortable & had good acoustics. My group was scattered throughout the orchestra section. The best seats were in the middle of Row L because you could see more by sitting further back of the theater. Sitting in Row B was too close to the stage, but I could easily see the lead actress cry on cue! All of our orchestra seats were $99 (including a $5 fee). The restrooms are clean. Parking is available on the street, under the theater, & in nearby parking lots. The theater staff were friendly & very helpful. The concession lines were long, & could have used more help. Overall, we had a joyful & culturally rich experience. I highly recommend that others attend plays here, & create a memorable event for themselves. read more

I am African American and I loved seeing other people of color on stage as I am an actress and singer too. I was so proud of all of them that were cast in "flower drum song" If I had a chance I would've seen the show more than once!Everyone was outstanding and everyone had a spotlight. I am a big fan of The East West Players! The orchestra was outstanding so kudos to the musical director and the director! read more

Probably been 7-8 years since I've been back to the hallowed boards of East West Players, the largest and longest-running Asian American theater company in the nation. So good to see old friends and a stellar preview of Philip Kan Gotanda's "Yankee Dawg You Die" Directed by Jennifer Chang and starring Kelvin Han Yee and Daniel Kim. Looking forward to donating to and supporting EWP (particularly towards re-establishing their excellent David Henry Hwang Writer's Institute which I participated in many times as a student) after having a very inspiring convo with the new Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal. Also incredible reconnecting at the first preview of Philip Kan Gotanda's "Yankee Dawg You Die" at East West Players with old friends/co-conspirators/collaborators Kelvin Han Yee - who delivered a truly phenomenal and moving performance as "Vincent Chang" (so awesome his role has come full circle since he portrayed "Bradley Yamashita" when the play first had its world premiere at the Berkeley Rep Theater in 1988, where Sab Shimono was Vincent) and Jennifer Chang, now also an Associate Professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film & TV, who did an amazing job directing it - very impressed also with all the advanced technology she utilized to tell the story, which included Gen AI video, brand new state-of-the-art digital displays and live cameras integrated with immersive visual designs - remarkable! Also so great to reconnect with Director/Filmmaker Jeffrey Gee Chin who I haven't seen in forever, maybe at least a decade, since our historic short films of "Keye Luke" and "Lil Tokyo Reporter" were touring the Asian American film festival circuit! Looking forward to another preview on 7/5, where playwright Philip Kan Gotanda (a UC Berkeley and UC Hastings Law JD grad like myself) will be in attendance for a Q&A - as well as opening night on 7/6! Do not miss this show if you are in LA. Hell, I flew from Detroit just to catch it! Highly recommend EWP, one of our national treasures for culture! read more

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Went to watch the Crazy Talented Asian last Saturday. Nice sized venue. Located close to restaurants and stores in JTOWN. Street and structured parking available around the place. We'll come back again given a chance. read more

I've seen several well done plays here before and found myself back here again to see Spring Awakening (this will be my 3rd time watching this play-it's so good!) The stage was well made, the singing and dancing spectacular and gotta give a shout out to the make up artist for the male cast-they looked so hip and cool! This is definitely one of my favorite plays and perhaps the best performance of this play thus far would be this production put on by EWP. EWP have really affordable preview night tickets and parking is really cheap just across the theater at $3 after 5pm. They also have free EV charging there too! Come on out and support live theater, enjoy a show here, eateries in Little Tokyo and have fun in DTLA! read more

East West Players - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Such an excellent production of Pacific Overtures! Amazingly talented cast, great set and music! No wonder it sold out... even after extending it! read more

East West Players - Took Mom to see Pacific overtures and she loved it! - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Local theater with amazing talent and diverse casting. I have been here several times, and also volunteered at one of their shows as an usher. The people here are friendly, genuinely excited about theater, and have a reputation for giving a lot of talented Asian American actors their first start! read more

I finally got around to seeing Cambodian Rock Band. Wow! A stellar show. I was blown away! A beautiful and brilliant musical. Loved every song and the cast were amazing. Thank you to Lauren Yee and EWP. I also snagged a Cyclo shirt! read more

East West Players was established in 1965 by Mako né Iwamatsu, Makoto; Rae Creevey; Beulah Quo; Soon-Tek Oh; James Hong; Pat Li; June Kim; Guy Lee; and Yet Lock because they wanted to act beyond the stereotypical roles of houseboy/sexy temptress imposed by Hollywood at the time.  Notable members included by Wikipaedia; Mako (d.), Artistic Director emeritus Nobu McCarthy (d.) Artistic Director emeritus Presently, the East West Players has been housed in their permanent home at the Union Center for the Arts in Little Tōkyō which includes educational training programs and workshops to further Asian Pacific acting skills, writers' institute, touring theatre where an acting troupe visits schools to raise awareness of the Asian American experience.  The many theatre performances reflect on the diversity of Asian & Pacific Islander American cultures. Many Asian Pacific professional artists who have participated in East West Player programs have gone on to win Tony Awards, Obie Awards, Emmy Awards, LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, and Academy Awards.  The main theatre is 240 seats and on the second floor accessible by stairs and small, cramped, slow elevator for the handicapped that must be operated by an employee. Unfortunately, the floor is not pitched at a higher angle so that a tall person or Madge Simpson Beehive Hairdo can block the stage for those sitting in back.  I kind of miss the dilapidated, old, less than 99 seat theatre on Santa Monica Blvd in Silverlake since it was far more intimate where you could reach out and almost touch the actors. Pacific Overtures was so dramatic when it was almost in your face. But time marches on.   4 stars for the present theatre, but 5 stars as a great resource and training ground for Asian Pacific American actors. PS Couldn't place photos of the theatre performance due to "copy write law". Convenient pay parking just next door or right across the street. Great places to eat & shop in the heart of Little Tōkyō pre or post performance. read more

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Everyone needs to come see this historical theater. The David Henry Hwang Theatre. Currently showing.... Cambodian Rock Band. I like the Cambodian Rock group, Dengue Fever, that contributed the music for the show. The actors were incredible, excellent writing and directing!! Loved it show much, will be seeing this 2 more times! read more

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Local Chinatown theater which seems to be inside of an old converted church. The theater itself is upstairs and it definitely feels like an old church, creaky stairs and all. The seats are standard, slightly padded but not a ton. I did find it difficult to see because the rows are not super elevated behind one another. The cast itself was amazing and did an excellent job for a lower budget theater troupe. Sound was well balanced and the actors/singers themselves were impressive. There are definitely some people headed towards stardom here. Seating: indoor slightly cushioned seats Parking: paid garage or paid lot Wifi: no Payment: online ticket or at the ticket booth Vibe: local theater troupe Dress code: smart casual read more

East West Players - Interior - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This repertory company has so much talent and moxie and heart. We saw the musical "On This Side of the World," and it was as good (and even better than, in a few cases) as plays I've seen on Broadway and London's West End. The material is top-notch, from musicals to dramas to comedies. I only wish that they were able to perform more dates. Please take your family and friends to see their plays -- support Asian-American theater! A word on the theater. Pretty much every seat, including those in the balcony, is a good seat. It's not a big theater. Cocktails and other refreshments are usually available outside, at the pop-up drink and food places. Note that the neighborhood is kind of sketch -- I saw a few homeless people passed out on the sidewalk nearby -- but parking is just across the street and it's well-lit. read more

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Such a wonderful experience! The Brothers Paranormal was excellent. My first time seeing a production here and I would definitely recommend and come back here again in the future. We got our tickets in advance online, ticket scanned on our phones very fast and I marveled over how welcoming the ambiance was. Everyone was very nice and I could get the sense of a close-knit community. The theater is very intimate, so even in the back row there was a nice view and I could clearly hear everything. I don't think there could be a bad seat, the chairs were more comfortable than a movie theater to me, and I didn't even get up during intermission. If you're the type to get cold easily, I thought the temperature inside was perfect. A jacket felt too warm, even though it was freezing outside (to me, someone who grew up in LA!). The only mildly annoying thing from my experience was the person in front of me kept trying to record and take photos even after they were told to stop. Definitely check this place out if you get the chance! I regret not knowing of this place sooner. read more

We went to Cambodian Rock Band tonight and had such a great time. We laughed, we cried, we danced together and shared our culture with our kids. It left an impression on our children and helped expose them to their grandparents' generation and their stories. We loved it! If you can make it out for the last week you should really go. read more

What an amazing performance of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. The venue is across from a major parking facility and around the corner from Japantown's Ramen Row. There's a homeless encampment across the street, too, but apparently they've been encouraged to move into more permanent housing. In any case, I highly recommend checking out performances by the E-W Players. Hint: The bathrooms on the top floor are a multiplex so you might try that first. read more

East West Players - Performance flyer - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I go to Little Tokyo a lot, but I wasn't aware that there's a playhouse in the area until a colleague told me. The first show I saw was On this of the World and the production was great. I sat at the back and was able to view fine. Will come again, Definitely recommend this for a date or hang out in Little Tokyo! read more

I love going to East West Players. They do great work in developing, fostering, and expanding Asian Pacific experiences on the stage. The David Henry Hwang Theater is a beautiful, historical space in Little Tokyo. The best place to park is across the street in the parking structure. There's a lot to do in Little Tokyo, so you can enjoy it before checking out a play--lunch/dinner at a Japanese restaurant, desserts, coffee/tea, drinks at the bar, shopping, and just walking around the neighborhood because it's lively. It's Karaoke night on a Friday night, so you can walk around, especially the Japanese Plaza before you head to the theater. Since the last time I wrote, these are what I saw: - MAN OF GOD By Anna Moench, Directed by Jesca Prudencio (saw it tonight 2019). - Next to Normal with music by Tom Kitt, and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey in the 2016-2017 season. Random note. You go into the theater on the second floor. There are restrooms on the first floor and the third floor, so if you see a line on the first floor go to the third. read more

East West Players - Man of God (2019) - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love this theater! Parking lot available, walking distance from the bars & restaurant strip of Little Tokyo. Perfect for pre / post theater drinks or dining. Staff is wonderful, seating chart is great for the stage view and the productions are always entertaining. Mondays are pay what you can for the tickets. What an awesome support for our local artists out there' especially for the Asian American community! read more

East West Players - Balcony seating - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been to a few plays here over the years and the thing that's impressed me most about this place is their business model. Recently I discovered they made the theater very accessible by offering certain seats at a huge discount. They're intended for those who are low in funds but still want to enjoy the theater but yes, anybody can purchase them and that is very generous and kind. They also have "pay what you can" days where basically it's the cast doing a script reading and you can make a donation if you wish but they're still fun because the actors would really get into it and you have the option of attending without paying a cent. The actors get to smooth out their edges and you get a free distraction. Win win. From what I've seen usually the shows at East West Players contain the theme of the Asian American struggle. I don't always completely agree with the commentary but I've always been entertained. This theater is aces in my book. read more

You MUST support East West Players!!! East West Players ROCK!! Not only are they super talented and exceptional, this Asian American cast is constantly breaking new ground in terms of representation and diversity in media and theater! Came to the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo for a performance of the musical Mama Mia on Mother's Day and was completely BLOWN AWAY by their singing talent and ability! Loved LOVED LOVED the cast, especially the female leads as we heard hit after hit of ABBA's classics. Having seen the musical made into a movie and a live performance of Mama Mia in Las Vegas previously, this performance was clearly so much better!! We sat in the second row near the center and had a good view of the performance, as it was the last day of preview week so tickets were only $35. Some of the moments left me teary eyed especially seeing this cast perform, even though I knew what to expect! Lol. At the end of the performance, the cast reprised multiple songs including Dancing Queen. And the cast even invited our friend on stage to sing and dance with the cast!!! Seriously!!! We were so excited for our friend who deserves every happy moment! Thank you East West Players for a wonderful afternoon and your commitment to diversity!!! LOVED IT ALL!!!! read more

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I just saw As We Babble On and completely fell in love with it. It's wonderful to see such a diverse and talented cast and such a modern and relatable script. Pros: - representation of cast - moving story lines - parking across the street is reasonably priced, flat rate after 5pm Cons: -n/a read more

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Great show. Well done. Very professional. Plays are very relevant subject matter in today's challenging environment. Great seating for a comfortable casual experience. read more

For nearly 3 decades, my family has supported the East West Players. We've seen this little playhouse grow and develop into the Nation's premier Asian American theater organization. Over the years, we've flown from Hawai'i to take in their Asian Pacific American plays and musicals. We've seen thought-provoking dramas and humorous performances that are relevant to Asian and Western society. Every so often, we've come up to enjoy EWP's reimagined Broadway musicals that blend Eastern and Western movements, music, costumes and language. We came up for the opening night of EWP's interpretation of Jerry Herman's and Harvey Fierstein's Broadway classic, La Cage Aux Folles. A supporting partner in this production is the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The poignant storyline about love and acceptance transcends time as this classic is 30 years old. This musical brought outstanding musical, hilarious and dramatic performances from leads and veteran actors, Gedde Watanabe and Jon Jon Briones. We were dazzled by the glitzy costumes by Anthony Tran and lifted by the ballet-to-ballroom choreography by Reggie Lee. Also, the expert musical direction by Marc Macalintal kept the performances moving. The actors hit their stride as you could see their excitement and ease in the way they portrayed their roles. Sadly, this musical marks the final production by EWP's Artistic Director, Tim Dang. Bravo to EWP for being progressive to tackle and present projects that excite dialog or awareness. Often, some of these productions have been controversial in subject matter but the dedication and hard work of the actors and crew show their commitment to the theater. We hope that whoever takes over the helm from Tim Dang, he or she will continue the progressive path and attention to detail that many of us "regular" supporters have come to expect. Keep stirring up dialog and our fascination with great live performances! read more

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In the past five months I've seen three different productions here and I was not disappointed by any one of them. The first production "Be Like Water" was my favorite, it was about a teenage Chinese/Japanese girl growing up in the 70's and the ghost of Bruce Lee appears to her and teaches her about life and what it really means to have strength like water. The second production was "Joy Luck Club" and the third one is called "Ixnay." Ixnay is their current production and will be there until March 15th. My old middle school crush, Dante Basco, who played Rufio in the movie "Hook" is in it. *sigh* It's a small theater so there are no bad seats in the house. Parking right next to the theater is $7 but you can always try to find street parking around Little Tokyo for free. There are also cheaper lots around there too, if you prefer that. I love going here because it's a chance to dine at my fave places: Daikokuya, Sushi Gen, or Komasa, before or after a show. read more

Let me try to keep this brief (ha, ha-once a long-winded teacher, never succinct-lol). Several decades ago, my mother forced me to take a summer workshop at East West Players with my kid brother who was a child actor & was too shy to take the classes alone. Our instructors were Mako & his ex-wife Hoshi. Needless to say, I didn't take it seriously, so I messed up my lines on showcase night & when Mako approached me backstage, he said three words that pierced my inner core, "You BLEW it!!" I had no idea he thought I had some acting talent/skill, so yesterday, I attended (thanks to Eugene, EWP's managing director) their seated preview for the new season of upcoming plays wherein I watched Gedde Watanabe perform one of Steven Sondheim's favorite songs from Pacific Overtures & right after, I ran to the sign-up table and joined EWP (Gedde was my inspiration-smiles). I even posted a donation today in honor of Mako who passed away in 2006-sigh-and THIS time, I promise NOT to blow it-smiles. I feel totally at home with my new EWP membership and look forward to watching their diverse plays, especially Pacific Overtures (this November-December) as well as expanding my horizons, searching for a second calling in life after teaching-smiles. read more

A small theater for Asian American in downtown LA. I've seen here numerous excellent plays written, acting and directing by Asian Americans. I think it's very cool to have our own theater! EWP located right by little Tokyo. Like yesterday, we arrived te area a bit early and stroll around little Tokyo before the show. Cave Quest was the title of the play. It was a good show, overall. read more

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My husband and I went to see The Assassins by Steven Sondheim and John Weidman last night on the recommendation of a friend in NYC. We certainly were not disappointed. It's probably one of the smartest productions we've seen either here in LA or on Broadway. Casting is brilliant. Cast is superb. The lighting and background video effects inspired. I can't say enough about the cast. Both of us are retired professional performers who were thoroughly impressed. If I was to give one bit of a suggestion, it's the orchestration. It was an after thought written for a 13 piece orchestra, which relies heavily upon the synthesizer. In this case, your troop has huge voices up on stage who need more support from the orchestra. If you could fill out the balance between voices and orchestra, it is the show Sondheim called his only perfectly staged musical from inception to final revival production. The show runs through March 20th. Theatre is 240 seats, so there isn't a bad seat in the house. Parking is $7 and Little Tokyo is a happening nighttime place. Lots of restaurants around the corner from the theatre. Put this on you "Must See" list and purchase your tickets now. read more

Checked in here, yes, but I feel it wasn't East West Players that I was actually visiting. EWP is, and has been, a well-regarded Asian American theatre ensemble that performs plays in a big old theatre off 1st Street. I came to the venue to see a monologist, Dylan Brody, perform some of his pieces. He is not East West Players. And, in fact, the actual theatre inside is named the David Henry Hwang Theatre. DHH is an L.A. born playwright/librettist who is perhaps best known for his play, M. Butterfly. He is Chinese/American, and I'm sure his works have been performed by East West Players. OK, so the Event I went to was not by East West Players, but definitlely on their turf. And, I'm glad to have finally stopped in for a show. I would see one of their shows, too, here. The theatre is comfy, if a bit worn. Still, the show came off without a hitch. Plus, they were doing a special celebration which featured some tasty appetizers . Mmm. And, I look forward to a production by the East West Players, too. read more

East West Players - The auditorium is named for David Henry Hwang, in case you didn't know. - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Just saw "Assassins" here...love the company, love the work, love the venue. Doing what theater is about for over 50 years here in LA.

Good venue for small independent theater. The seats are comfy, but certainly not luxurious. Even though we were seated in the balcony, the view of the stage was fine. The lighting, sound/acoustics were perfect. I will definitely go here for other productions. read more

East West Players - Man of God Set - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We saw" Yohen" starring Danny Glover & June Angela, Excellent production. Beautiful Theater converted from a Church. Friendly & helpful Staff! I can't wait to see more shows. read more

The theater was very nice. We sat at the very back of the nose bleed section and still had no problems seeing the play, the play Chinglish however... Oh no! Not another play about a white male sweeping an Asian woman off her feet! Have we not had enough of those stereotypical plays/movies? I saw Chinglish in the East West Players Theater located in Little Tokyo. A theater that has a large Asian audience, so why show us such a negative portrayal of not only the Asian male but also the Asian female and Chinese as a whole? Apparently, David Henry Hwang, the playwright, did not know the definition of the term Chinglish or decided to stretch the meaning of the term to include - let's make fun of the Chinese and their command of English. Ok, I gotta admit the play was funny... for about 5 minutes but for the rest of the play before intermission, it was all I could but to walk out. I only decided to stay to give the second half a chance. The second half was better but not by a long shot did it come close to making up for the first half. In the first half, the only male, Ben Wang who played the part of Cai Guoliang was portrayed as an effeminate Asian male. His acting over emphasized some of the Chinese traits to the point of insulting. Then there is Leann Lei who played the stereotypical part of the Asian woman who is instantly swept off her feet by the white male, Matthew Jaeger, because she had such an emotionless relation with her Chinese husband. Finally the expected ending, the white male is the big winner and gets what he wanted to begin with and the dutiful Chinese wife goes back to her emotionless marriage/husband but the one she truly loves is... well, I don't have to tell you who that would be. Next time? Hopefully a play that I will enjoy. read more

East West Players is the premiere Asian/Asian American theater. I have seen several productions here and my expectations were not met. For a theater that is supposed to have the best Asian talent in the nation, it was underwhelming. The productions are of average and above-average levels, but never mind-blowing. The musicals are filled with actors cast mainly for their singing talent rather than acting talent. The theater itself is nice and cozy, but these productions are not worth more than $20. read more

Another great time @ EWP for the current production: "Criers for Hire". Went on Friday for Wine Down Fridays...a nice bonus! Hope to attend more shows soon. read more

East West Players - Current production...a great show! - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I was pleasantly surprised by this Asian American theater group. Being an Asian American myself, I was elated to watch this talented group perform "A Little Night Music." It appears as thought the East West Players' performances are permanently housed in this old church. I didn't really know what to expect when entering in this place. There are restrooms on the 1st and 3rd floors. We parked in the lot adjacent to the theater for $7 cash. The entrance is adjacent to the front of the place, but this parking lot exits towards another street. This is a relatively small intimate theater. However, it makes for great acoustics as you can easily hear music and voices throughout the performance. I really enjoyed watching "A Little Night Music." The actors and actresses were definitely of Broadway caliber. read more

My friend and I attended the Nandita Shenoy-Peter J. Kuo production of Washer/Dryer at the David Henry Hwang Theater with no expectations, and were totally blown away by the amazing performances! The production value and stage design were incredible, and the actors made the performance shine with their passionate performances! My friend and I loved the aspect of diversity in cultural background as well as the script. Diversity seemed to be a prevalent theme throughout the performance and venue. We were happy to support such a wonderful cause! Everything about the theater is warm and welcoming, from staff to facility; we were even greeted by one of the actors in the parking lot after, everyone was so personable. We were a bit confused because the theater either used to be, or is still a church, but the interior is incredibly clean and spacious. There is cheap parking across the street for $1-3, and it is in the heart of Little Tokyo; super close to the Metro stop and surrounded by neighboring restaurants. This is the perfect place for a dinner and show! We will definitely be checking out other productions in the near future, our first experience was a memorable one. read more