Jesse Thorn at Sketchfest​ (Jan. 2018- click to see more)


ASAWA SOTA THEATRE DEPARTMENT AND THE TONY AWARDS

Congratulations to Sydney Maresca (Theatre '94 –– pictured above with Mr. Rayher during his 2012 visit to New York)  and the Cast & Creative Team of “HAND TO GOD” by Robert Askins on their Tony Award nomination for Best Play. In addition to being a faculty member at Marymount Manhattan College, her work includes the costumes for Hand to God (MCC, EST), When January Feels Like Summer (EST), Il Turco in Italia (Peter Jay Sharp Theater), 16 Words or Less (Clubbed Thumb), Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief (TheaterWorks USA), Year of the Rooster (EST, Henry Hewes Nomination), Square Peg, Round Hole (Tectonic Theater Project), Blood Play (The Debate Society), Finks (EST), Alice in Wonderland (New York City Opera), and Buddy Cop 2 (The Debate Society, Henry Hewes Nomination). Film work includes Sin Matador, Breakup at a Wedding, and Movie 43’s “Superhero Speed Dating.” She received her MFA from NYU.
  
To Learn more about HAND TO GOD on their website: http://handtogodbroadway.com

And speaking of Tony Awards, last week we were honored to have Lena Hall  –– 2014 Tony Award Winner BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for “HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH” and Asawa SOTA Alumni (Dance '97) –– visit the Theatre Department! She spoke about her life after graduating from SOTA, her experience and preparation for her roles in CATS, 42ND STREET, Disney's TARZAN, KINKY BOOTS, what it was like auditioning for John Cameron Mitchell, and what it's like performing on Broadway eight shows a week!
You can catch the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 7th at 8pm on CBS. For more information on the Tony Awards and this years nominees, visit: http://www.tonyawards.com.

TWO THEATRE DEPARTMENT ALUMN TEAM UP TO MAKE COMEDY MAGIC ON “SIRENS”

If you watch the USA Networks hit series SIRENS starring Asawa SOTA Theatre alumn Kevin Bigley (Theatre ’05), keep an eye out for Asawa SOTA Theatre alumn Aya Cash (Theatre '00) who will be making a very special guest appearance (Aya and Kevin graduated 5 years apart)! We're so proud to see not ONE, but TWO Theatre Department alumni in the same T.V. Show!

Aya also just did a guest spot on the ABC hit series “Modern Family”, and can also be seen on her FX Series “You’re The Worst”. 

On June 16, 2014 Michelle Ang (Theatre 2012) performed with five recent YoungArts and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts alumni at the Kennedy Center. “SIX AMERICANS” is an original theatrical performance exploring American identity and celebrating the history of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program featuring: Analisa Guiterrez (2013), Steven Lee Johnson (2009), Christian Strange (2014), Michael Silberblatt (2010) and Devyn Tyler (2009). CLICK HERE to watch the performance.

CLICK HERE to watch highlights from the Los Angeles debut of the Broadway production of Theresa Rebeck's comedy Seminar, starring Aya Cash (Asawa SOTA Theatre ’00), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Jennifer Ikeda and Greg Keller, all circling Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Jeff Goldblum ("The Fly," "The Pillowman"). The play about a corosive editor and a group of young novelists, Seminar (directed by Sam Gold) opened October 17, 2012 at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre.


Congratulations to members of the Intermediate Two Class who won awards at the 2014 CETA NorCal High School Theatre Festival.

Congratulations to our Shakespeare 2014 winners: Gabriella Maalihan ('14) third place, William Lanier ('14) Second Place, and Matthew Avery ('16) first place. Matthew will advance to the English-Speaking Union San Francisco Region Shakespeare Competition on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Archbishop Riordan High School.

Click here to read A Note About the Asawa SOTA Theatre Drama Studio Closure.

"KATHLEEN TURNER: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS" - Oscar and Tony nominated actress Kathleen Turner mentors four young students (including Michelle Ang, SOTA Theatre Class of 2012) aspiring to become professional actors by helping them work through prepared monologues, and offering insight into life as a actor. It premiered on MAY 22, 2013 on HBO, and is still available on HBO On Demand and the 
HBO GO app. Click here to watch the trailer on YouTube.

Asawa SOTA Theatre Alumni News

Aya Cash (Theatre '00) is guest starring in two episodes of HBO’s series “The Newsroom”. Additionally, Aya will be featured in the upcoming comedy “Can A Song Save Your Life” with Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, Adam Levine and CeeLo Green; and Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” staring Leonardo DeCaprio (Opening Fall 2013).

Kevin Bigley (Theatre '05) will be starring in the new USA Network Series “Sirens” with Michael Mosley, Kevin Daniels, and Jessica McNamee. Premiering this fall, Sirens follows three of Chicago’s best EMTs whose sometimes silly, self-righteous and even self-destructive personalities make them unqualified for sustaining relationships, friendships and most occupations. They are, however, uniquely qualified for saving anyone who winds up in their ambulance. 

Congratulations, Aya and Kevin!

Congratulations to Annabel Hope ('14) on competing as a semi-finalist in the Annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center. Click here to read more

  • The Intermediate One Class will present scenes from "A Galimaufry" TOMORROW - Wednesday, March 6th at 1:30pm, at the SFUSD Arts Festival Hosted by the Asian Art Museum in Samsung Hall. For more info on the Festival, visit http://sfusdartsfestival.org/


  • Congratulations to Annabel Hope (’14) for winning First Place at the San Francisco Region English-Speaking Union High School Shakespeare Competition today at Archbishop Riordan High School! Annabel will now advance to the 30th Annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition to be held at Lincoln Center Theatre in New York City April 21-23, 2013!



  • Scenes with 3+ Actors
  • 1st place – Rosario Corado-Biggs, Andrea Juarez, Ilana Kasner, and Sarai Velasquez in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller


  • 2nd place – Kristen Sinclair, Matthew McLaughlin and Ashlyn Hurley in “Baby With The Bathwater” by Christopher Durang


  • Monologues


  • 2nd Place - Andrea Juarez, "Blood Wedding" by Federico Garcia Lorca


  • 3rd Place - Kristen Sinclair, "Little Murders" by Jules Feiffer


  • SOTA Theatre Alumni Kevin Bigley for being mentioned tonight in Julianne Moore's Screen Actors Guild Acceptance speech! Ms. Moore won Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A TV Movie Or Miniseries for her role in "Game Change". Click here to watch her speech.


  • Congratulations to Mr. Rayher who was given a Certificate of Honor from Mayor Ed Lee for his 22 years of Leadership as the Chair of the SOTA Theatre Department and for championing the Theatre Department’s participation in the English Speaking Union of the United States National Shakespeare Competition.


  • Congratulations to Annabel Hope ('14), Natalie Morace ('14) and Andrea Cuellar Juarez ('13) for winning the SOTA Theatre Department's 2013 Shakespeare Competition! Annabel Hope will move on to the San Francisco Region English-Speaking Union High School Shakespeare Competition on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 9:30am at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco.


The Asawa SOTA Theatre Department Congratulates Senior Michelle Ang for being selected as a 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts (One of 20 in the country) & Congratulations also to Mr. Rayher for his award of a
 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Teacher Recognition Award
   Click here to read more 
Click Here to watch Michelle's Performance at the Kennedy Center (it begins at 31:40)

News

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Ruth Asawa San Francisco

School of the Arts Theatre Department

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