YANKEE DAWG YOU DIE to Return to East West Players in July

East West Players has revealed the cast and creative team for the summer 2025 revival of Yankee Dawg You Die, the canonical, compelling, and darkly funny drama by celebrated playwright Philip Kan Gotanda. The cast includes Kelvin Han Yee* as Vincent Chang and Daniel J. Kim* as Bradley
Yamashita.

Originally produced at EWP in 2001, Yankee Dawg You Die returns to the stage in an
insightful new production—incorporating live and recorded video—under the full
direction of Jennifer Chang, who has a 17-year production history with EWP both as an
actor and director.

EWP is thrilled to welcome actors Kelvin Han Yee (Film: May December, Milk; TV: Beef,
The Brothers Sun; EWP’s The Wind Cries Mary) and Daniel J. Kim (TV: Cobra Kai, Bel
Air; EWP’s The Brothers Paranormal) back to the David Henry Hwang Theater, as it sets
the stage for another full circle moment this 60th Anniversary Season. Yee originated
the role of Bradley for the play’s world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 1988,
and now he returns to play Vincent.

This thought-provoking work delves into the heart of Hollywood, exploring identity,
integrity, and the cost of assimilation for Asian American artists navigating the
entertainment industry. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, Yankee Dawg You Die follows the
collision of two actors from different generations: Vincent Chang, a seasoned
Hollywood veteran who built a hard-won career playing stereotypical roles, and Bradley
Yamashita, a rising star determined to break barriers and redefine Asian American
representation on screen. As their paths intertwine, so do their values, resulting in a
powerful confrontation that questions the price of success and the weight of cultural
responsibility.

“This is a seminal work in the Asian American theatre canon that has directly
influenced and inspired countless artists,” shares director Jennifer Chang.
“ A favorite collaborator of mine, Lloyd Suh, writes in an essay about Gotanda’s play that ‘the struggle we're watching is in the psyches of these actors as they attempt to reconcile
that landscape with their ambition, their insecurity, and their own sense of personhood
and responsibility in an industry where who you present to an audience is your primary
currency.’ I’m excited to examine the themes of the play and to bring digital media to
the theatre—to bring Hollywood to live performance.”

This timely revival speaks to ongoing conversations around race, authenticity, and
power in the media. For playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, the revival is also deeply
personal.“Doing Yankee Dawg You Die at EWP is a homecoming,” says Gotanda.
“EWP is where I developed the material for the play. Actors I met, actors I worked with, actors who became good friends. They and their hearts are all in there. The Bradleys, now
Vincents. The Vincents, now mostly angels. All alive, living memories.”

“We chose to program Yankee Dawg You Die for our 60th Anniversary Season because of
the importance of Philip’s work and this play in particular,” says Artistic Director Lily
Tung Crystal. “Philip is one of the main artists who created and defined Asian American
theater, and Yankee Dawg truly gets to the emotional heart of the experience of being
an Asian American actor. Sadly, AAPINH actors still face some of the same challenges
as Bradley and Vincent, even though it’s been nearly 40 years since the play’s premiere.
We’re thrilled to have Jennifer Chang bring her bold, multidisciplinary vision to the
EWP stage as we reflect on how far our community has come and how far we still have
to go.”