East West Players offers Actors Conservatory Summer Intensive

East West Players, the nation's premier Asian American theatre, offers its annual Actors Conservatory Summer Intensive, a 6-week program designed to give actors and others wanting to explore their creative talents an overview of theatre arts through physical, mental and vocal challenges. This year's classes include Dance, Fundamentals of Acting, Improvisation, Movement for Actors, Scene Study, Speech and Musical Theatre.

The Summer Intensive puts students in contact with professionals by setting up informal lunch time Q & A‚s. These sessions supply students with invaluable knowledge that assists them in navigating their way through the film, television and theatre industries. Last year's speakers included actor Alec Mapa (M. BUTTERFLY, UPN's Half & Half), director Henry Chan (UPN's Moesha, NBC's Friends), television executive Damona Resnick (head of diversity at NBC), and actress Emily Kuroda (WB's Gilmore Girls).

More than 3,000 talented Asian American performers have participated in the Actors Conservatory's 25-year history. Many students have gone on to star in feature films and television shows. Perry Shen and Karin Anna Cheung, stars of the Sundance Film Festival hit Better Luck Tomorrow, were both students at the Conservatory as well as Keiko Agena, a regular on the WB's Gilmore Girls.

The Actors Conservatory Summer Intensive is July 3 to August 11, 2006 with classes Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm at the East West Players‚ David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, in the Little Tokyo District of Downtown Los Angeles. The program culminates with a command performance of newly learned skills for friends and family on August 12. The fee to enroll as a full-time student is $1,500. Students must be at least 17-years old to enroll. Individual classes are available.

For more information about East West Players Actors Conservatory Summer Intensive contact Arts Education Director Marilyn Tokuda at mtokuda@eastwestplayers.org or (213) 625-7000 x15.