Electronic Press Kit

CONTACT: Xavi Moreno Producing & Marketing Director [email protected] (323) 382-5169

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2021 Press Contact: Xavi Moreno [email protected] (323) 382-5169 (for media only)

Company of Angels', Angel City Improv Premieres at Hollywood Fringe Festival 21 with "Welcome to the Vantage Point"

Company of Angels (CoA) is excited to announce its participation in the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival with "Welcome to the Vantage Point," an improvised family-friendly comedy show, inspired by three notable American playwrights. The livestream performances will be broadcast on Company of Angels' YouTube channel and the in- person performance will occur at the Broadwater Theater. Tickets are available at the Hollywood Fringe Festival website with "pay-what-you-can" admission.

In “Welcome to the Vantage Point,” there are no scripts. Audiences will take a theatrical journey through a diverse and inclusive landscape of American theater with our ensemble as they use audience suggestions to improvise one singular, momentous event. Then, our cast will reinterpret the same story using the iconic theatrical styles of three preeminent American playwrights, Luis Alfaro, David Henry Hwang, and Lorraine Hansberry. The improv cast will explore the universal themes at the heart of each playwright’s work and amplify the BIPOC point-of-view through comedy storytelling.

“Welcome to the Vantage Point” features Eric Carthen, Corinne Chooey, Jason Eng, Fernando Fuenes, JJ Joo, Nakasha Norwood, and Heidi Shon.

Production staff for “Welcome to the Vantage Point” includes Director, Armando Molina, Director, Sean Michael Boozer, Dramaturges, Patrice Amon, Mildred Lewis, Jeff Liu, Technical Director, Thien Nguyen, and Musical Director, Allen H. Simpson.

“Welcome to the Vantage Point” is produced by Corinne Chooey

Company of Angels is one of 15 scholarship recipients that the Hollywood Fringe Festival committee believes will enrich audience experience and the quality of the HFF artistic offerings through the presentation of unique and underrepresented themes.

To view Welcome to the Vantage Point, go to companyofangels.org/vantagepoint

About Company of Angels; Founded in 1959 by a group of television and film actors that included Richard Chamberlain, Leonard Nimoy, and Vic Morrow, Company of Angels is now the oldest professional theater in Los Angeles. As such it has a revised mission to provide a space for the voices and audiences neglected by the major regional theaters. Company of Angels now produces original work by professional theater artists who reflect the communities that make up the City of Los Angeles and engages residents from low-income communities including Boyle Heights and Skid Row to develop original theater pieces for performance. In this way CoA re-envisions theater to reflect and respond to the richness, diversity, and complexity that is Los Angeles, entertaining new audiences and serving the City of Angels. Since 1959 Company of Angels productions garnered over thirty Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards including a special award for Continued Excellence, nine Back Stage West Garland Awards, eight Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (three nominations) including a special award for Distinguished Achievement, six LA Weekly Theatre Awards (three nominations), six NAACP Theatre Awards (four nominations), eleven LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, five Dimension Robby Awards nominations and seven Broadway World Los Angeles nominations. The Company aspires to share and give voice to the many stories that exist in our communities. For more information visit www.companyofangels.org

WHO: • Directed by Armando Molina, Sean Michael Boozer • Starring Eric Carthen, Corinne Chooey, Jason Eng, Fernando Fuenes, JJ Joo, Nakasha Norwood,and Heidi Shon • Presented by Company of Angels

LIVESTREAM: IN PERSON: Performances August 7 – August 21 Performance August 28 • Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 7, 14, 21 • Saturday, August 28 at 8 p.m. • Sundays at 2 p.m.: Aug. 8 WHERE: WHERE: The Broadwater (Black Box), 6322 Santa http://hff21.co/7053 Monica Blvd., LA, CA 9003

HOW: • Go to http://hff21.co/7053 • Email us at [email protected] • Visit us on facebook: facebook.com/companyofangels • Follow us on twitter and instagram: @CoAngels

TICKET PRICE: Pay-What-You-Can

At this critical moment for the arts, the country, and the world, Company of Angels believes in the power of representation in theatre and is proud to produce a show featuring our cast and crew of BIPOC artists. The Hollywood Fringe Festival is the largest theater festival in Los Angeles and it is our goal to amplify stories and themes from BIPOC American playwrights. During the last 17 months, we’ve all witnessed profound changes around the world, particularly in the ways that we create and view theatre. At Company of Angels, we feel it is our responsibility to take part in the dynamic conversation surrounding diverse and inclusive storytelling.

WELCOME TO THE VANTAGE POINT marks Company of Angels’ debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Our 45-minute, family-friendly improvised comedy show was developed entirely by Angel City Improv, our resident comedy team, which is part of our community-based Arts Education program. Although the popular format of improvising stories in the style of different playwrights is nothing new, our diverse and inclusive approach to the comedy format is performed entirely by our BIPOC cast members whose individual stories are relative to the BIPOC playwrights we have chosen to inspire them. The improvised format allows our storytellers the creative freedom to share their personal experiences through comedy. WELCOME TO THE VANTAGE POINT is supported in part by a grant from the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

STAFF AND CAST Co-directed by Armando Molina and Sean Michael Boozer, WELCOME TO THE VANTAGE POINT’s production team team includes Thien “TinTin” Nguyen (Technical Director), Allen Simpson (Music Director), Justin Huen (Lighting and Sound Design), Dr. Maria Patrice Amon (Dramaturge, Luis Alfaro), Jeff Liu (Dramaturge, David Henry Hwang), Mildred Lewis (Dramaturge, Lorraine Hansberry), JJ Joo (Livestream Design) and Xavi Moreno (Marketing Director). The Producer is Corinne Chooey. The cast features Eric Carthen, Corinne Chooey, Jason Eng, Fernando Fuenes, JJ Joo, Nakasha Norwood and Heidi Shon.

About the Directors

Armando Molina Armando is the Artistic Director of Company of Angels. His theater directing credits include productions at South Coast Repertory, Borderlands Theater, TheaterWorks. Mixed Blood Theater, PCPA Theaterfest, Denver Center New Play Summit, Fountain Theater, and Teatro Vision. Armando is a recipient of the Career Development Program for Directors from the NEA and the Theater Communications Group. He co-founded Latins Anonymous a Latino Comedy Group whose plays have been produced nationally and published by Arte Publico Press. He was a member of Cornerstone Theater Company Ensemble.

Sean Michael Boozer Sean Michael is a multicultural actor, writer and director born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. After graduating from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Eng Lit, Sean Michael considered going to law school until he worked for an attorney. This experience promptly sent him into stand-up then Improv and eventually LA. Since moving to LA, Sean Michael has long running MainStage shows at The Second City and iOWest as Greene Boozer Elixir and stage has provided a Drama Critics Circle Award, Fringe Show and Improv Actor honors.

Sean Michael is a The Second City Directing Alumni and Teacher and also a fancy TV Academy Member, SAG-AFTRA Delegate and Reluctant Producer. “In between gigs” Sean Michael taught high school and is still a big advocate of children and arts education, mentoring with Young Storytellers, which provides underserved public school students the opportunity to write stories and see them brought to life through performance. Sean Michael continues to teach at the SAG Conservatory at AFI. www.SeanMichaelBoozer.com

About the Cast

Eric Carthen Current Impro Theatre company member, Eric is from Highland, CA and is an Actor, Improvisor, and Storyteller. He has done Improv and Sketch at Impro Theatre, California Lutheran Improv Troupe, and Second City Hollywood. Through all the plays, short films, shows, and auditions; progress and the enjoyment of the work is what gets him through. Life Motto: “Live and be a blessing unto someone else.” Instagram: @ericpcarthen

Corinne Chooey Corinne is originally from San Francisco and studied at The American Conservatory Theater, East West Players Conservatory, and UCLA's School of TFT. She began her improv training at The Groundlings and Cold Tofu Improv. She is an improv graduate of UCB and the Pack Theater, where she was on the Decon house team. A past participant in Fox Television’s Diversity Writers Program, Corinne completed the sketch comedy program at ACME and was a weekly performing company member for over three years. She also completed the J. Paul Getty Foundation’s Arts Management program and spent her residency at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. Currently, Corinne performs with The Color Collective Comedy and the improv team, Friday, which is coached by Billy Merritt. She is a company member of the Company of Angels, where she directs the improv comedy program, Sacred Fools Theater, and the Pack Theater. Recent theater and television credits include "Akuma-shin" and "Rose & The Rime" at Sacred Fools Theater, "LA Views IX, X and XI" at the Company of Angels, Code Black (CBS), The Young and the Restless (CBS) and Switched At Birth (Freeform). Follow her IG @corinnechooey or online at https://www.corinnechooey.com

Jason Eng Jason was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. Inspired by his older brother, whose campfire skits would make crowds convulse with laughter, Jason fell in love with humoring others through comedy. Jason went on to make video sketches for Spanish and Chinese class, eventually starting his own YouTube channel for more content creation. In January 2020, Jason made the move to pursue acting in LA and is currently having a blast performing with his improv group, Angel City Improv, led by Corinne Chooey. Instagram: jasonengtv

Fernando Fuenes Fernando is a big brown man who loves comedy, and he’s been doing it for nearly 10 years as a writer, performer, and director. A graduate of UC Berkeley, he has studied improv and sketch at Endgames Improv, Spectacles Improv Engine, and The Pack Theater. Fernando has performed in hundreds of improv shows in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County, and even South America. He has worked very heavily with Spectacles Improv Engine and The Improv Collective in Orange County as player, producer, mentor, director, and community leader.

Fernando performs with the Pack House Sketch Team “Nightchurch” every 3rd Sunday of the month at 8pm. He also performs on “Snack City” every Monday Night at 8pm for Rude Mondays, the weekly showcase for Pack House Improv Teams. A copywriter by day, you can follow Fernando on instagram @fernandoafunes where he publishes a poem everyday. If you need to contact Fernando directly, you can email him at [email protected]

JJ Joo JJ Joo started his acting stint as a member of a touring ensemble group with hereandnow theatre and was the artistic director of the Asian American Community Teen Theater (AACTT). In his role at AACTT, he spearheaded a coalition of various Asian Pacific Islander community agencies, including Asian Pacific Healthcare Venture, Chinatown Service Center, Koreatown Youth + Community Center, and Search To Involve Pilipino Americans. JJ was also a founding member of A Society of Heritage Performers with Soon Taek Oh, Tc Chang, and Philip W. Chung. Notable cast members included John Cho, Dante Basco, Dana Lee, Tim Lounibos and others. During his acting hiatus, JJ moonlighted as a press journalist for international publicity of various film releases, including the following motion pictures: Columbia Pictures’ “Hellboy” (director Guillermo del Toro, actor Ron Perlman); Warner Bros.’ “A Cinderella Story” (actors Hilary Duff and Jennifer Coolidge); Warner Independent Pictures’ “A Very Long Engagement” (actor Audrey Tautou); Warner Bros.’ “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (actors Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Blake Lively); and Warner Bros.’ “Blood Diamond” (director Edward Zwick; actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly.) JJ studied improv at East West Players, Cold Tofu Improv, and Company of Angels, and is thrilled to be a member of Angel City Improv. Instagram: @jjseoulcal

Nakasha Norwood Nakasha is originally from Des Moines, IA, but has lived in FL, VA and NY before setting down in CA. She began to develop her interest in performing while a student at Virginia Tech. Upon graduating, she made her way to New York City and began to study acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting. It was there that she got her first taste of improv and loved it! She continued her studies in acting and improv at Atlantic Acting School. She performed in several off-off Broadway shows, including Convention/Atlantic Theater Company, The C Word/Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Acceptance/Sundog Theatre, Criminal Hearts/Stella Adler Studios and The Women/Stella Adler Studios. Once Nakasha moved to Los Angeles, she immediately got involved in Company of Angels. She performed in the company’s LA Views X: Sanctuary, Short Play Festival: TomorrowLAnd, and Wing’s project: Solidarity Is A Four Letter Word. She’s also been in other projects, including Dracula/New Hollywood Theater Company, We Breathe/Willie Agee Playhouse and the short film Door Post/Screenland Entertainment. Nakasha is excited to not be a member of Angel City Improv, but to co-produce the group with Corinne Chooey and Julianna Stephanie Ojeda. Instagram: @kashigolean88

Heidi Shon Heidi is an LA based actress. She's been doing theater and has appeared in short films. She was in Monsters of Man, an MB Stage Production as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and played the part of Anna in Jennifer Blackmer’s play Unraveled, a Collaborative Artists' Ensemble production. She has appeared in the short films Invisible Child, Half Vanilla, Suburban Jungle, Beam, and the feature film I Can Speak. She is thrilled to be part of the Angel City Improv group! Instagram: @heidishon

About the Production Team

Dr. Maria Patrice Amon - Dramaturge, Luis Alfaro

Dr. Amon is a Director, Producer in Residence at San Diego Repertory Theatre, and Professor. She is the executive producer of Amigos del Rep and launched the Latinx New Play Festival at San Diego Repertory Theatre, and produces a staged reading series, the Amigos del Rep general body, and community engagement events.

Maria Patrice is a co-founder and co-Artistic Director of TuYo Theatre, she directed Fade for TuYo and MOXIE Theatre. Maria Patrice co-directed The Madres at MOXIE Theatre, directed Lydia with Brown Bag

Theatre Company, and directed staged readings with Amigos del Rep and Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble.

Maria Patrice has a PhD in Drama from University of California, Irvine with emphasis in Critical Theory and Chicano Studies and a Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. She teaches theatre at San Diego State University and CSU San Marcos. https://www.mariapatriceamon.com

Justin Huen - Lighting and Sound Design

Justin is a born and raised Los Angelino. Some of his favorite Theatre credits include: El Nogalar (Fountain Theatre), Oedipus El Rey (Boston Court; 2010 Ovation Award nomination for ‘Best Lead Actor’), Farragut North (Geffen), Electricidad (Mark Taper), Strike-Slip (Humana), Stones (Kirk Douglas), Zorro (TheatreWorks), My First Radical (Ojai Playwrights Festival), Aesop in Rancho Cucomunga (Lewis Family Playhouse), Dias Y Flores (Company of Angels; 2009 TicketHolders Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’), dAWGS (Ivar Theatre), The Legend of Jane & Joe (Ricardo Montalbán Theater). Film: Angel of Death, Better Half, Maddoggin’, Hood Vengeance, Chris/tina, The People I’ve Slept With, S.E.R.E, Ten ‘Til Noon, American Flyer, Love Sick Diaries. TV: Justified, Dexter, NCIS:L.A., Law And Order:L.A., Weeds, and NYPD Blue.. He is also an accomplished director, lighting designer, and Ovation Award-nominated set designer.

Mildred Lewis - Dramaturge, Lorraine Hansberry

Mildred writes and directs for theater, film and the digital space. A member of the Dramatists Guild, she belongs to the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, Company of Angels, Ensemble Studio Theatre- LA, and Playground-LA playwriting groups. She earned an MFA from UCLA’s film school. Most recently she directed for the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. Cast Me! which she wrote and directed screened at Outfest and Outfest Fusion (2018). Recent productions of monologues include Pat’s Place and Unrendered Aid for Theatre is the Cure, Content Moderation for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference and Between Me and My Man for the Black and Brown Theater. Short Plays produced in 2020 include Discharge Your Power and The Peace of Home for We, the People (Sacred Fools), Piece Work at the Roots and Wings Project, and Submerged for the Actors Circle Ensemble. Recent publications include Roost First, Then Fly for Applause Books’ 10-Minute Play Collection and CowGirls for Breathe Fire literary magazine. She is looking forward to a staged reading of her full-length dark comedy Bad Paper from Coast to Coast Theatre Ensemble (UK).

Jeff Liu - Dramaturge, David Henry Hwang

Jeff is a writer and director for theater, film and web, was the former Literary Manager for East West Players, and is a member of the O’Neill National Directing Fellowship cohort of 2016. He is currently a Resident Dramaturge for the Ojai Playwrights Conference.

His productions include Paletas de Coco by Franky D. Gonzalez (Ars Nova ANTFest, June 2021), the LA premiere of Chinglish by David Henry Hwang, as well as the world premieres of The Brothers Paranormal by Prince Gomolvilas, Two Mile Hollow by Leah Nanako Winkler, Mexican Day and The Chinese Massacre (Annotated) by Tom Jacobson, Texas and Solve For X by Judy Soo Hoo, Murderobilia and Terminus Americana (Ovation Award nominee for Best World Premiere) by Matt Pelfrey, and The Golden Hour and Grace Kim and the Spiders From Mars by Philip W. Chung.

He also adapted and directed the Pulitzer nominated play Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang for the YOMYOMF Network on YouTube, where it is available to watch for free.

Thien “TinTin” Nguyen - Technical Director Tintin Nguyen grew up in Arcadia, CA and is now an LA-based stage manager, musician, and streamer. He started working with Company of Angels in 2018 as a stage manager in L.A. Views: Sanctuary. Since then, he has been the in-house stage manager for a variety of their shows. He has also worked with many other theatre companies including: The Actors' Co-op (The 39 Steps), The Pacific Opera Project (La Traviata), and The Playwright's Arena (The End of Beauty). As a musician, he's been playing and performing in concerts since 5 years old. His instruments of choice are the piano and the ocarina and he sings! Tintin also streams video games on Twitch.tv/Szyael under the pseudonym, Szyael (pronounced Zile like File with a Z). While playing the games: he also plays his ocarina, tells stories, and screams a lot.

Allen Simpson - Music Director Allen is a composer/songwriter and has written music & multiple songs for The Simpsons, The Sarah Silverman Program and others. He’s currently writing songs and music for the upcoming PS5 video game Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach. Allen is also an animation voice director and works regularly as an animation consultant for theatrical features from Pixar, DreamWorks and other studios. He’s currently consulting on DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys (2022).

About the Company of Angels

MISSION Honoring our history as the oldest non-profit professional equity waiver theater in Los Angeles, Company of Angels produces theater that reflects and responds to the richness, diversity, and complexity that is our city. Our Company of diverse theater artists fosters mutual learning partnerships with the residents of Los Angeles through artistic development opportunities, community building enterprises, and life experiences. Company of Angels develops emerging artists, creates new work, and re-envisions theater to entertain new audiences and serve the City of Angels.

VISION Company of Angels is dedicated to creating theater that is deeply connected to its community. We aim to share and help give voice to the many stories that exist in our community. With a collective of Actors, Directors, Playwrights, Designers, and Administrators, our company forges ongoing and meaningful relationships with the residents of Los Angeles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Please visit us at https://www.companyofangels.org/