AAPI Voices is returning virtually this Fall!
APAC’s much anticipated AAPI Voices Finally returns to Baltimore for its second year october 2020!
In the Spring of 2020, the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective announced the cancelation of its much anticipated storytelling slam AAPI Voices due to the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. APAC announced later that Fall that it would be bringing back a re-imagined AAPI Voices virtually on Saturday, October 24! The storytelling event was part of a much larger “Go Vote!” campaign empowering AAPI communities to “Amplify their AAPI Voices” by voting and participating in this year’s presidential election.
APAC’s “Go Vote!” campaign encouraged followers and viewers to recognize the importance and impact of our vote and involvement in the 2020 election. “All American Asians” aimed to highlight the experiences of AAPI in America during a tumultuous election year. Through the works of AAPI artists and performers, APAC explored identity and belonging as AAPI amidst a larger, national narrative that oftentimes drowns out our voices and stories. The evening featured stories and performance pieces by Ryan Artes, Kyunghee Chen, Kyosin Kang, Precious Ringor and Nexus.
AAPI Voices 2020 was produced in collaboration with The Hustling Creative, musical cabaret company La Ti Do and the national movement Unapologetically Asian. It included musical performances by La Ti Do and a special guest appearance by Broadway actor Al Guerzon.
Packed audience for AAPI Voices 2019.
AAPI Voices: All American Asians was also a fundraiser for APAC, which is a fiscally sponsored program of Fusion Partnerships. All tickets were considered a tax deductible donation.
Performer Bios
Sam Brunner
Host
Sam Brunner is a writer and comedy performer based in Baltimore, MD. She is a member of the Asian-American improv team A++ and has studied improv with the Baltimore Improv Group, Magnet Theater, Upright Citizens Brigade, and World’s Greatest Improv School. She is also a graduate of The Second City’s satire writing program.
Nexus
Storyteller
Nexus (he/him/his) was born and raised in the traditional territory of the Pamunkey and the Piscataway, part of which many of us now call Washington, DC. He is black and Filipino American. Nexus is a queer cisgender man, in several ethically non-monogamous relationships. He received his Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Maryland, College Park and his Master of Arts in arts management from American University. Nexus is currently a Synetic Theater company member, on the board of Dance Place, on the Grants Committee for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, as well as an Ambassador for Woolly Mammoth, and a producing playwright with The Welders. Nexus also serves as one of five Regional Contacts for the DC Burning Man community. When not doing the explicitly creative work, Nexus spends his day working with clients via his anti-racism consulting practice.
Kyunghee Chen
poet
Kyunghee Chen is a poet, writer, public school literacy expert, and a certified mindfulness coach residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mostly told from her own experiences as a Korean-American immigrant, she writes to create a safe space for authentic conversations, especially in cultures where vulnerability is not deemed courageous, like her Korean culture. Kyunghee accidently picked up on writing poetry as a way to grieve and heal starting in 2017, during a difficult season in her life. This inspired her to hold spaces for those who were also learning to be true to who they are. Her writing has been featured in Food52 and Darling - an empowerment women-led magazine. Kyunghee works to bring empathy, curiosity, healing, and connections between people through her writing and mindfulness coaching, ultimately empowering women to authentically share their own stories.
You can find her work on her website.
Connect with her on Instagram: @faithkyunghee
Michael Santos Sandoval
Singer (la ti do)
Michael Santos Sandoval is the Technical Director for LA TI DO, a Tenor with The Alexandria Singers, and an actor who has appeared in various stage productions in VA and DC. Past performances include Oberon in City of Fairfax Theatre Company's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Dragon in Washington National Opera's The Magic Flute, the Baker in The Arlington Players' Beauty and the Beast, and the Bartender in Washington National Opera's Faust. He’s also self-published five books of poetry. You can find them at amazon.com/author/michaelsantossandoval.
Ryan Artes
Poet
Ryan Artes is an artist from Baltimore, Maryland. He was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. He is currently publishing his first collection of poetry, After Midnight, due out by the end of the year. His second collection of poetry, tentatively titled Unfinished (All the Poems I Never Wrote), is forthcoming. He is also drafting the first issue of an adoption themed zine titled Bought Magazine. He self-publishes all of his work.
Al Guerzon
Special Guest Performer
(Unapologetically Asian)
Albert Guerzon is a NY based Broadway performer and singer songwriter. His Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, Ghost the Musical, Honeymoon In Vegas and Escape to Margaritaville. He has toured the country and internationally as a singer and choreographer. He's been an assistant on promo tours featuring Snoop Dogg and Ludacris, as well as performing and choreographing for Macy's. Al is a founding team member of #RacismIsaVirus and #UnapologeticallyAsian and is passionate about Asian artists being seen and heard. "It's about time!"
Precious Ringor
Storyteller
Precious Ringor is a Filipino-American singer/actress/writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. Ringor recently graduated from Cal State University Fullerton with a degree in Human Communication Studies where her research is geared towards Asian-American socio-cultural communication norms. Her work has contributed to preliminary analysis of Filipino-American communication. If not found performing in theatre shows or on indie film sets, Ringor writes poetry for fun and works as a contributor for Film Fest Magazine and Outspoken. Since the lockdown, Ringor has been using her talents to raise funds for various non-profits like Feeding America, RAINN, SoCal Vocalist Fund and, more recently, Filipino Migrant Center.
To view more of her work, visit her website.
Christina Marie McCann
Singer (La Ti Do)
Christina Marie McCann is a performer, teaching artist, and stage manager in the Washington, DC area. Christina most recently appeared in Catholic University's production of A Little Night Music as Mrs. Anderssen.
You can learn more about them at their website.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @xtnamariemccann
Kyosin Kang
Poet
Kyosin Kang (she/her) is a Korean American stage and film actress in the DC, Maryland, Virginia region. She started writing more in 2020 about her experiences as a Korean/Asian/American/Immigrant/Woman after being inspired by events during Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month, the release of the PBS documentary Asian Americans, the Unapologetically Asian movement, and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. She is grateful to APAC for giving her a platform to share her story in its Too Much/Not Enough blog series and its "All American Asian" AAPI Voices event. Kyosin has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Michigan. You can follow her on Instagram @kyosinkang or visit her artist website at kyosin.weebly.com.
About the Producers
Catrece Ann Tipon
Co-Executive Director of Asian Pasifika Arts Collective
Born in St. Louis, MO, but raised in Maryland, Catrece has never been one to stick to one path. As a child, she developed an early attraction to photography, but decided to divert her primary attention to the sciences in high school. Her academic career eventually led her to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, allowing her to give her time and energy to the people who need it most. However, her passion and skills in photography also continued to evolve throughout her time in university and she decided to become a freelance photographer in the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas. These experiences grant her the ability to meet a variety of different people, while learning the art of portrait photography.
Cori Dioquino
Co-Executive Director of Asian Pasifika Arts Collective
Cori Dioquino is a Filipino American actor, producer, arts integration specialist and writer based in Baltimore and NYC. After earning her bachelor's in theatre from Towson University, she worked as a stage, commercial and TV actor. She’s appeared onscreen in Marvel/Netflix's hit series Daredevil, CBS’s FBI and Season 2 of New Amsterdam. In 2018, she co-founded and is a Co-Executive Director of the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (APAC), a Baltimore-based arts organization dedicated to using “art of all platforms to ensure that the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Indigenous Americans are seen, heard and valued”. In the Spring of 2020, Cori helped launch Unapologetically Asian, a response to the growing discrimination towards Asians as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, Cori founded Dioquino Acting Studio, LLC. The studio “integrates on-camera technique with practical business tools and marketing strategies, empowering the individual actor to take control of their career.”
Alex Palting
Founder and Owner of The Hustling Creative
Alexandra Palting (she/her/hers) is a musical theatre performer based in NYC and Washington, DC. She has appeared regionally at Olney Theatre Center, InterAct Theatre Co., Imagination Stage, the Keegan Theatre, and Chesapeake Theatre Co. Post-pandemic, she looks forward to making her off-Broadway debut in Pan Asian Rep’s production of Cambodia Agonistes. She graduated from the University of Delaware, where she earned a degree with distinction for her research on the intersections of celebrity culture, Victorian feminism and art theory. She holds certificates from RADA and Harvard Business School.
Don Mike Mendoza
Co-Founder and Executive Artist Director of LA TI DO Productions
Don Michael Mendoza is the Co-Founder and Executive Artistic Director of LA TI DO Productions where he’s collectively produced over 300 cabarets, concerts, theatrical shows, and events throughout Washington, DC (Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center), New York City (Dramatists Guild Foundation, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Bowery Poetry Club), Los Angeles, his hometown of Pittsburgh, and beyond, since 2012. He most recently played a supporting role in the film The Girl Who Left Home (Released October 2020) alongside Paolo Montalban (Whitney Houston’s Cinderella) and is the creator of his re-branded blog: Producing While Asian. Don Michael holds a B.A. in Musical Theatre & Journalism, and a M.A. in Strategic Communication from American University.
About Our Partners
Fusion Partnerships
Fusion was formed by a group of individuals with a common mission to bring people together across diverse perspectives and social divides, to build unity and collaboration for social change. Early on after its inception in 1998, Fusion facilitated numerous educational and community workshops and events to help create bridges of understanding to develop individual and organizational capacity in addressing racial disparities and other social justice issues.
Through their facilitation and work in the community, they saw that many individual leaders and groups had great ideas and wanted to build effective programs but lacked access to the nonprofit and capacity building resources as did larger agencies and organizations. Starting in 2003, Fusion began to offer fiscal sponsorship and capacity building support to grassroots community leaders working for social justice in Baltimore. As their fiscal sponsorship program continues to grow, they are able to provide support and opportunity for their programs to share ideas, resources, collaborate and build their capacity.
Asian Pasifika Arts Collective is a fiscally sponsored program of Fusion Partnerships
The Hustling Creative
The Hustling Creative LLC is a professional services company that strives to help artists hustle with vigor and create with abandon. They has given workshops and keynotes at colleges, conferences and studios across the country, all dedicated to helping artists transition from student to professional by bridging the gap between knowledge and wisdom. Post-pandemic, The Hustling Creative is thrilled to partner with Open Circle Theatre for a workshop hosted by The Kennedy Center REACH Cultural Caucus. They were named one of VoyageLA’s Most Inspiring Stories for their work during the pandemic helping artists start their own companies, as well as producing online fundraisers to help communities most affected by COVID-19.
LA TI DO Productions
Curated and hosted by Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico, LA TI DO made its debut to a full house in Washington, DC on January 23, 2012 at The Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle. Since then, LA TI DO became DC's premiere musical theatre cabaret and spoken word series to serve the artistic community on a monthly basis.
On June 9, 2013, the show opened a touring chapter in New York City, made a special appearance at Feinstein’s/54 Below in 2015, and continues to present cabarets on a bi-monthly basis. In 2017, LA TI DO then became LA TI DO Productions and on March 12, 2018, LA TI DO made its west coast premiere at The Three Clubs in Los Angeles. Recently, the company officially launched its newest chapter in Pittsburgh, PA virtually on June 8, 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Unapologetically Asian
Unapologetically Asian is the campaign to inspire and empower all generations of Asian and Asian Americans to live with pride in who we are, unapologetically. We are dedicated to uplifting Asian American voices and empowering the new Asian American identity, one that is defiant, positive and proud. Reclaim your power. Be unapologetically you. Visit them at www.unapologeticallyasian.com!
AAPI Voices: All American Asians
Official Program
Air Time 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST
WELCOME by host, Sam Brunner
Meet Asian Pasifika Arts Collective’s Co-Executive Directors
Show Start 7:40 PM EST/4:40 PM PST
“Where Are You From?”
Story by Nexus
Poems by Kyunghee Chen
“To American Public Schools”
“Korean Food”
“Color of Me”
“Second Language”
“Wait For It”, Hamilton
Sung by Michael Santos Sandoval (LA TI DO)
Poems by Ryan Artes
“American Indian/Indian American”
“Indian Test”
Special Guest Performance by Al Guerzon (Unapologetically Asian)
Accompanist Christian Almiron
“Leave Me Alone”
“Gonna Get Up”
PERFORMANCE BREAK (8:30 PM EST/5:30 PM PST)
Q&A with Co-Executive Directors, Cori Dioquino & Catrece Ann Tipon
Announcements: What’s next for APAC?
“WAYF”
Poem by Ryan Artes
“The Philippines is a Conundrum”
Piece by Precious Ringor
“What About Us?”, Pink
Sung by Christina Marie McCann (LA TI DO)
“Not Your Alien”
Spoken Word by Kyosin Kang
CLOSING: THANK YOU
With host Sam Brunner
CLOSING PERFORMANCE by Al Guerzon
“Disco Feeling”
