Untapped Storytellers

Dear Asian Girls

A Documentary Film Producer by

A Documentary Film about the life of three Asian Female Theatre artists of international backgrounds who moved to NYC to pursue their dream to be on the Broadway stage.

Jessica Wu moved from Canada and “made it” to Broadway Stages and National Tours as a performer. Shino Frances, a Japanese-American actress, has been working both in Japan and in the United States. Cinderella Mayo moved from the Philippines where she is currently based, processing her Artist Visa application. They will each share their experience of the complexity of pursuing dreams in theatre with an international background, type casting and tokenism; how people cast them in specific roles based on their looks or racial background, and their hope for the future of the theatre industry, both as performers and as makers of theatre.

What do you do when you realized that the dream you've been following won't come true the way you envisioned?

ARTISTS MATTER!

The number of arts and culture jobs across the United States is 5.2 Million.

Since the pandemic...

1) 63% of Arts Workers experienced unemployment & 95% lost creative income.

2) BIPOC Arts Workers had higher rates of unemployment than white artists.

3) Anti-Asian hate crime rate increased by 339%.

2018-19 Theater season (the last full season prior to the pandemic shutdown)

1) White narratives were centered with white actors playing 80% of the lead roles in musicals and 89.7% of lead roles in play.

2) Actor’ Equity Association (AEA) had membership restrictions for performers who are not U.S. citizens or do not have a green card. (It was removed in April 2021)

This documentary addresses

Lack of API representation on Broadway (Commercial Theatre)
Path of immigrant artists
Creating sustainable Theatre Industry

"We can't afford to go back to NORMAL"
- Yuko Kudo; Director of Dear Asian Girls -

Press Kit

"This film is amplifying the voice of Asian Girls"
- Veronica. S. -

"Big shift to the cultural paradigm"
- Jen Y. -

"So moving and so vulnerable"
- Alex Q. -

Creative Team

Cast

Shino Frances (She/Her, They/Them)

Cinderella Mayo (She/Her)

Jessica Wu (She/Her)

Executive Producers

Kyle Beckley Abourizk "Full Out Creative

Amanda Kelly Espritu "Creative Surrender Studio

Yuko Kudo "Untapped Storyteller"

Key Creative Team

Yuko Kudo (She/Her) - Producer/Director/Editor

Michael Cutrone (He/Him) - Post Production Consultant

Ko Tanaka (He/Him) - Music Arrangement

Producers

Jerone Hsu

Rachel Diana

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We did it! Thanks to your generous contribution, we were able to raise total $9,400 for the production of "Dear Asian Girls". We are thrilled that this will give us more opportunity to create paid job opportunities for artists, to amplify the voice of API community and to embody ethical production.

Although this crowdfunding campaign is complete, there are still ways you can support this project. For any contribution or partnership opportunities, please email contact@untappedstorytellers.com and let's explore.