Past Performances: 1994
AARisings III Part 1
Featured Performers as AATC Players
July 23, 1994
Asian American Theater, San Francisco
Notes from the show:
The AARisings showcases had been one of our main performing arenas in our previous incarnations. First as the “AATC Players” in AARisings I at AATC (July 31, 1993), then as “Godzilla Theater” in AARisings II at the Cowell Theater (Nov 1993, where we premiered “A John Woo Family Dinner for the very first time).ÊAfter we had established the Rough Edge Writers comedy writing group in May 1994, we appeared on stage once again as the “AATC Players.” At this point in the group’s evolution, we met primarily as a writing group, whose writers also doubled as performers.
Skit:
3 Asian Guys by Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
Synopsis: 3 ordinary Asian guys talking about being an ordinary Asian guy.
Director: Diane Takei
Actors: Yato Yoshida, Grant Imahara, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
AARisings III Part 2
Featured Performers as AATC Players
July 30, 1994
Asian American Theater, San Francisco
Skits:
The Institute by Grant Imahara
Synopsis: An ad from the Lactose Intolerance Institute, from our premiere “poo poo” writer, Grant Imahara.
Actors: Yato Yoshida, Harold S. Byun, Grant Imahara, Susan Wan
Supercops by Harold S. Byun
Synopsis: A takeoff on those real-life police video shows. This one focuses on cops who don’t do anything constructive.
Actors: Grant Imahara, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Beverly Sotello
Genius, Pure & Simple by Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
Synopsis: Two excellent and pretty actors brag about their talents. The 1st genuine bomb in the history of Godzilla/AATC players/Rough Edge Writers. This skit established that Yato Yoshida and Harold Byun had no acting chemistry together, which became a running joke for years.
Director: Pamela Wu
Actors: Harold Byun, Yato Yoshida
“In Deep Shabu Shabu”
Feature Show
September 20-21, 1994
Asian American Theater Company (2nd Stage), San Francisco
Notes from the show:
Director: Marc Hayashi
Cast: Harold S. Byun, Nicole Higashi, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Grant Imahara, Peter Kim, Jennie S. Yee, Yato Yoshida, Greg Watanabe, Pearl Wong
Writers: Harold S. Byun, Valiant Chow, Isaac Ho, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Michael Premsrirat, Yato Yoshida
Board Operator: Valiant Chow
Our first feature production. Before this show, we had to decide on a name for the acting component of the Rough Edge Writers comedy writing group. We didn’t want to call ourselves the “AATC Players” since that was just a temporary name we used for the AARisings showcases while we were still developing. We didn’t want to call ourselves “The Rough Edge Writers” since people might think we were only writers. We had to come up with something more catchy. In August, we decided to call ourselves “The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors,” after a skit one of us had written (which, incidentally, was a takeoff on the Chinese novel “Water Margin”). This then, was the first official production of the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors.
Please note that we held auditions for female performers for this show. Because Leonora Legaspi and Eveline Wu had left the group a couple of months previously, we were short on both female writers and performers. From this audition, Rania Ho was brought into the group, but because of a planned trip to Chicago, was not able to participate in “In Deep Shabu Shabu.” Also auditioning were Jennie S. Yee (who appeared in our first show only) and Corinne Chooey (who appeared in our 2nd show). Pearl Wong was asked to perform by Marc Hayashi. Interestingly, Pearl was present at the auditions, but only as a chaperone. After filling in to read a couple of skits, Marc liked her enough that he asked her to perform.
Skits:
Music, Please by Yato Yoshida
Synopsis: Two Dueling Samurai make their entraces based thematically on the type of music playing. Note: This skit was cut from the lineup during rehearsal because the director thought it wasn’t clicking, thus perpetuating the ongoing joke that Byun and Yoshida had no acting chemistry together onstage.
Actors: Harold Byun, Yato Yoshida
Return to Sender by Isaac Ho
Synopsis: An old-fashioned Chinese mother returns her son because he doesn’t act traditional enough.
Actors: Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Greg Watanabe, Yato Yoshida, Grant Imahara
Sex on the Brain by Yato Yoshida
Synopsis: A retarded young man discusses sex with a female friend.
Actors: Pearl Wong, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
Chinatown Gang Member Tapes by Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
Synopsis: A commerical parody selling Chinese gang curses on tape for those times when your voice gives out.
Actors: Grant Imahara, Harold Byun, Pete Kim
True Dedication by Harold Byun
Synopsis: A couple break up over dinner.
Actors:Yato Yoshida, Jennie S. Yee
Bedtime Story by Harold Byun
Synopsis: Parents tell their child an unusual bedtime story.
Actors: Pete Kim, Nicole Higashi, Yato Yoshida
Crackers by Michael Premsrirat
Synopsis: Racisco Co. president solicit’s ideas for product names that aren’t offensive.
Actors: Pete Kim, Harold Byun, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Jennie S. Yee, Pearl Wong, Grant Imahara
Blaine Asakawa’s Self Defense Class by Michael Premsrirat
Synopsis: A Japanese American teaches Japanese nationals the finer points of survival in the deadly United States. Note: Though we were not soliciting feedback from the audience at this time, it could be argued that this was the best new piece of this show. It currently is a mainstay in our “greatest hits” lineup. At the time this skit was written, Japanese nationals were being killed at an alarming rate in the U.S.
Actors: Harold Byun, Grant Imahara, Jennie S. Yee, Nicole Higashi
A John Woo Family Dinner by Valiant Chow
Note: John Woo was arguably one of the best received pieces form the old Godzilla Theater days. It was decided to use this piece to close this and future new material shows so that each new material show closed with a bang. John Woo, over the course of the next couple of years, became known as our signature piece, and was referred to by some of us as our “cult classic.”
Actors: Grant Imahara, Greg Watanabe, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Harold Byun, Nicole Higashi, Jennie S. Yee
Radio Skits:
Note: These were audio skits recorded on tape. There has always been a controversy surrounding the use of these skits. One camp claims these radio skits, played anywhere, kill the momentum of a show. The other camp claims these radio skits were short enough (about 1 minute each) that they entertained audiences between skits.
18 Mighty Mountain Warriors by Michael Chih Ming Hornbukcle
Synopsis: The original skit from which the group got it’s name. A parody of the Chinese novel “Water Margin.”
18 Mighty Mountain Warriors Go Shopping by Yato Yoshida
Synopsis: A sequel to the previous skit. This time the 18mmw go shopping.
This is a Test by Yato Yoshida
Synopsis: A parody of the emergency broadcast system tests.
Starvation by Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle
Synopsis: A commercial parody. A housewife balances her budget by starving her family.