UCLA Library to preserve rare audiovisual recordings from the East West Players theater company

UCLA Library has been awarded a $37,073 Recordings at Risk (RaR)(opens in a new tab) grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for the project “From Frank Chin to Wakako Yamauchi: Preserving the Formative Years of East West Players (1965-1992).” East West Players(opens in a new tab) (EWP) is the longest-running Asian American theater in the United States and focuses on the production of Asian American theatrical works, as well as the broader representation of Asian American actors in the performing arts.

The funding will support the preservation and digitization of over 173 recordings from the EWP records,(opens in a new tab) which are stewarded by UCLA Library Special Collections. The materials to be preserved include a mix of analog media formats from open-reel audio to VHS tape and more. The project will be overseen by the audiovisual preservation unit in the UCLA Library Preservation & Conservation Department.

“We’re so excited to be awarded the CLIR grant to preserve these original recordings and make the early history of EWP more accessible to the public,” said Yasmin Dessem, head of audiovisual preservation at UCLA Library. “We’re especially grateful to the EWP community and leadership for their enthusiasm and support and can’t wait to work with them in preserving their legacy as a pillar in the Los Angeles community.”

This year-long project will ensure that these heavily deteriorated tapes — which are among the only existing documentation of EWP during this formative time period — are preserved before they are lost forever. Digitizing these materials not only provides invaluable reference and research material for scholars in fields such as Asian American studies and theater, but also preserves the rich legacy of the founding members of EWP within their community.

Lily Tung Crystal, the artistic director of East West Players, said these 173 recordings span nearly three decades of groundbreaking work. “To be able to preserve so many of East West Players' early recordings is a significant milestone in safeguarding the legacy of Asian American theater. We are grateful and excited for UCLA Library to begin this important work, especially as we prepare to kick off our 60th season.”

A selection of digitized materials will be made publicly accessible online through UCLA Library Digital Library Collections. The entire digital collection will be available to researchers in Library Special Collections, beginning fall 2025.

The audiovisual recordings are part of a larger EWP collection(opens in a new tab), which includes scripts, photographic material, programs, and publicity materials. Miki Bulos, Library Special Collections performing arts curator, said “The records in the collection provide a view into EWP's early years, revealing how an ambitious and collaborative group worked to raise the visibility of the Asian American experience through new, experimental and reinterpreted works, while also dealing with the hard practicalities of running a theater company.”

Watch for updates on social media from the UCLA Library Preservation & Conservation Department on their preservation of this community history.