C.Y. Lee, born in
Hunan, China, received a B.A. degree from Southwest Associated University,
Kunming, China, and an M.F.A. with a major in playwriting from Yale
University.
Before
his Amerproican education, Lee worked during World War II as Secretary
to the Sawba of Mangshih, a small principality on the China-Burma border.
The experience resulted in a series of articles published in the New
Yorker magazine and, later, a book entitled The Sawba and his Secretary
(British edition: A Corner of Heaven). A television series based on
the book was made and aired in Taiwan.
Lee wrote his first novel,
The Flower Drum Song, in San Francisco while he was city editor of a
Chinese language newspaper in Chinatown. The book was a New York Times
best-seller; as FLOWER DRUM SONG it subsequently became a Rodgers and
Hammerstein Broadway musical and a Universal film.
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Jodi
Long |
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A
native New Yorker, Jodi made her Broadway debut at age 7 in Nowhere
to Go But Up directed by Sidney Lumet. Other Broadway credits
include Loose Ends with Kevin Kline, The Bacchae with Irene Pappas,
Sondheim/Furth’s Getting Away with Murder, and most recently
as Madame Liang in the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
Flower Drum Song written by David Henry Hwang.
For
the same performance at The Mark Taper in Los Angeles she won
The Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Off-
Broadway: Roundabout Theater; McReele. Lincoln Center; Wendy Wasserstein’s
Old Money. Public Theater; David Hwang’s Golden Child and
Family Devotions. Manhattan Theater Club; Chay Yew’s Red
and Phillip Gotanda’s The Wash. LaMama; The Tooth of Crime.
Regional credits include The Mark Taper, Long Wharf, Arena Stage,
Actor’s Theater, South Coast Repertory, in parts ranging
from Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (Pittsburgh Public),
Cherie in Bus Stop, (River Arts), to Marina in Mark Lamos’s
Pericles, (Hartford Stage). Jodi was “M” in Philip
Glass/David
Hwang’s world tour of 1,000 Airplanes on the Roof, a 90
min. monologue.
As
the lead singer in The Asian American Art Ensemble, she released
a jazz album, Bamboo That Snaps Back. Television audiences know
Jodi as series regulars Mme. Ybarra in Café Americain,
Margaret
Cho’s Mom in All American Girl, David Caruso’s
assistant in Michael Hayes, and most recently as Alicia Silverstone’s
secretary in NBC’s Miss Match. Film credits include Paul
Schrader’s Patty Hearst, Mike Newell’s Sour Sweet,
Striking Distance, The Pickle, and The Hot Chick.
Jodi
was recently honored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern
California for her contribution to the visibility of Chinese Americans
as an actress. She is also the recipient of the Los Angeles Woman’s
Theater’s Maverick Award 2000, The Titan Theater of New
York ’s Earthshaker Award 2001 and Pan Asian Rep’s
2001 Award, all for her work in the theater. |
C.Y. Lee is the
author of nine novels and two non-fiction books published in English
and many European and Asian languages. His works include Lover's Point,
The Sawba and His Secretary, Madame Goldenflower, The Virgin Market,
Land of the Golden Mountain, Days of the Tong Wars, China Saga, Gate
of Rage, Second Son of Heaven and others. Besides writing books, short
stories and articles, Lee also worked with David Brown in 1960 as a
script writer for 20th Century Fox studios.
He is the recipient
of a California Commonwealth Club Gold Medal Fiction Award, a San Francisco
Press Club and Union League Annual Award, a Writers' Guild Annual Award
for Writing Achievement and a Box Office Blue Ribbon Award. He has received
the key to the City of San Francisco.
A member of the
Authors' League and Dramatists' Guild of America, a C.Y. Lee archive
has been established at Boston University's Mugar Memorial Library.
The annual C.Y. Lee Creative Writing Contest for the encouragement of
Asian American literature and scholarship has been established at Cal
State L.A.
SUZANNE
WHANG - Actor/Comedian/Host/Author
Suzanne Whang is an actor, television host, stand-up comedian, author,
public speaker, dessert topping, and floor wax - along being a graduate
of Yale University with a B.A. in Psychology, and holds a Master's Degree
in Cognitive Psychology from Brown University. (More
on her secrets can be found at www.thesecret.tv)
As an actor, Suzanne has appeared in numerous television series, including
a hilarious recurring role as Polly the oversexed spa manager on Las
Vegas, a memorable guest starring role as the young Mrs. Lee on Cold
Case, and co-starring roles on Two & a Half Men, Boston Legal, Still
Standing, Criminal Minds, Nip/Tuck, The Practice, Strong Medicine, Robbery
Homicide Division, Norm, and NYPD Blue.
She appears in the
Keanu Reeves feature film Constantine as a screaming mother whose daughter
is possessed by soldier demons, cameo appearance in the Hilary Duff
feature, Material Girls. Suzanne is a graduate of the acting program
at the William Esper Studio in New York City, and also studied with
Milton Katselas, Richard Lawson, Gary Imhoff and Jeffrey Tambor at the
Beverly Hills Playhouse.
As a host, she is
currently in her fifth season of hosting House Hunters, the #1 rated
show on HGTV (Home & Garden Television Network), and she also hosts
the new hit spin-off show, House Hunters International. She was the
host in programs such as Homes of Our Heritage: Great American Women,
Homes of Pasadena, Blitz Build 2000, Holiday Windows, and The Making
of Rose Parade 2005 and 2006. She has co-hosted TV's Censored Bloopers
for NBC (w/Dick Clark) and New Attitudes on Lifetime Television. Prior
to that, she was a field host/fill-in co-host for FOX After Breakfast,
and a field host for Breakfast Time, Personal FX, and The Pet Department
on the FX cable network.
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DI QUON (Producer of "My
Life . . Disoriented") |
Di Quon made
her big screen debut as "Lily Kim" - hotel seamstress
in, Maid In Manhattan starring Jennifer Lopez and directed by
Wayne Wang. In the past, she has had recurring roles on Boston
Public and Groundeded for life, Guest star roles on Medium and
Campus Ladies, shot several pilots, including one for the WB in
Barcelona, was in the feature film Pulse and the indie film Space
and Time and numerous commercials.
In
2006, she produced and acted in her own TV pilot for PBS called
My Life… Disoriented. My Life… Disoriented is the
first ever Asian American Dramedy television pilot in the "High
School Genre" that also starred Tamlyn
Tomita, Karin Cheung, Dennis Dun and Autumn Reeser.
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As an accomplished
emcee, she has also been a red carpet host for An Evening at the Academy
Awards on ABC, and she hosted the 20th Anniversary Gala Concert of the
Korean Concert Society at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She
also emcees many charity events, including a Lupus Gala Charity Benefit
and a Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Benefit. And Suzanne does humorous
and inspirational public speaking gigs across the country, at high schools,
universities, conventions, and whatever else floats her boat.
As a stand-up comedian,
Suzanne won the First Annual ANDY KAUFMAN AWARD at the New York Comedy
Festival. She also won Best Up & Coming Comedian at the Las Vegas
Comedy Festival, playing her controversial, shocking, and politically
incorrect alter-ego, SUNG HEE PARK. The act is a satire of racism in
America, reminiscent of Archie Bunker's character in the phenomenal
sitcom, All In The Family. Suzanne regularly performs one-week stints
at the Improv in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. One can contact
her through Ken Kragen at 310-854-4400.
