Youth for Asian Theater

Youth for Asian Theater's 2010 company biographies

Alex Zhu
Amanda Arenas
Amanda Balomaga
Andrew Murphy
Angela Wu
Anita Wu
Brandon Cai
Brandon Cheng
Cathy Huang
Chris Pon
Delaney Woo
Jacinta Wu
Jeffrey Li
Joanne Wu
Jonathan Nguyen
Julie Lam
Kelley Ogami
Kim Do
Marvin Huang
Matt Gee
Matt Kitagawa
Melanie Lee
Norris Almare
Ollie Reyes
Paul Mallari
Polina Litvak
Reza Kurniawan
Robyn Huey
Stephanie Tong
Terry Kitagawa
Tiffany Wong
Vania Quan

	Alex Zhu This is Alex's first year at YFAT. He has always dreamed of acting on-stage. He is extremely excited and worried about his first performance ever. He currently attends Lowell High School and will be a senior this fall. Alex plays Singles One and will be captain of the Boys Tennis Team next year. Despite his calm and collected appearance, he has an outgoing and unique personality. He likes playing basketball, singing, hanging out with friends, reading manga, and watching anime, asian dramas and comedies. Furthermore, he loves flirting with girls (that might be YOU). So, watch out!!! =p top
	Amanda Arenas This is Amanda's 5th year of YFAT, and in the fall, she will be entering her second year at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This does not mean that Amanda's old, though! She is still, very much, a huge kid at heart. Her favorite things include all of (but are not limited to) the following: dogs, friendly people, dancing, YFAT, chemistry, the beach, massages, things that smell good, v-necks, boys that wear v-necks, shopping, playing the piano, sleeping, colorful things, success, flirting, loving, taking risks, deep conversations, good hair days, theater, r&b, hip-hop, Disney movies, gummy candies, free things, mint chocolate chip ice cream, new things, old things, witty responses, being short, and life. top
	Amanda Balomaga Amanda is starting her first year of college at Dominican University this fall. She enjoys playing the piano and the flute and wishes she could drag her keyboard to her dorm. But alas, it it too heavy and space consuming. She has an intense passion for drawing, Asian rappers, Harry Potter, war movies, boots, singing, musicals, fake glasses, pho, shooting games like Call of Duty (although she tends to shoot her own people half the time. By accident of course.), picking out people's outfits and not being on her period. During her spare time, Amanda also teaches karate. Don't ask her to do something cool and flashy, she'll just sock you in the face and call it the "swishing viper" or something. This summer, Amanda will be helping out tech crew and working her amateur hair&make up magic on the cast. So if anyone looks like poo, it's her fault. top
	Andrew Murphy top
	Angela Wu Ready for a fun summer, Angela joins YFAT as a first-time techie and takes on the role of YFAT historian! She hopes to learn new skills as a techie, make new friends, and enjoy her summer as a new YFATer. Angela is entering her senior year at Lowell High School. She can be shy at times but likes meeting new people. She enjoys talking and hanging out with friends, listening to music, and browsing through the explore pages on Flickr. In the future, Angela hopes to travel to different countries around the world, but for now, a simple trip to Disneyland or Disneyworld would make her happy. Angela hopes that YFAT will make Summer 2010 one of her favorite and most memorable summers. (: top
	Anita Wu Starting her pseudo-third year with YFAT, Anita Wu is coming in this year with a more relaxing job - Dance Instructor! While she is glad to put her K-pop interest to use, she also hopes to make friends with the incoming 2010 members. Outside of the rehearsal spaces, she commutes to summer school and work with her research lab at Cal to get ready for her second year of college. top
	Brandon Cai Brandon Cai is a rebel. top
	Brandon Cheng top
	Cathy Huang This is Cathy's fourth year with YFAT. She has just graduated from Lowell HS and will be attending UC Davis in the fall. Go Aggies! Leaving her roles as Program Director and actress, she is now only focusing on directing, one of her greatest pleasures. Besides directing, Cathy also enjoys going to the beach, making faces in pictures, shopping, having fun with friends & family, watching her favorite shows like Boy Meets World & House MD, and of course, laughing! HAHAHA. top
	Chris Pon Chris Pon is an incoming senior at Lowell High School. He was born on October 22, 1993, in San Francisco. He is hard-working, curious, optimistic and likes to try new things. Chris likes to volunteer, swim, and is on the Lowell Dragonboat Team. He likes to meet new people, hang out with friends, and eat cookies n�Ecream ice cream. His favorite tapioca drinks are Taro and Almond. Chris is not the tallest Asian you will ever meet but he is definitely not the shortest. He is taller than his brother in college, but he is almost going to be outgrown by his eleven-year old brother. This is the first year Chris has done YFAT and he wishes to meet new people and have fun during this year�s production. top
	Delaney Woo Delaney is thrilled for her first year in YFAT. She is an incoming senior at Sacred Heart. She is a very active and avid thespian at SH, having been in six productions. During those rare times when she is not busy with schoolwork and theater, Delaney plays the piano, watches The Daily Show with John Stewart, spends too much time on Facebook, and goes on adventures with awesome people. She is very very very very indecisive about her future, but she knows that theater should always be apart of it. top
	Jacinta Wu This is Jacinta's second year in YFAT. As Program Director this year, she looks forward to working with everyone and putting on another amazing show at the Herbst Theatre. She is super excited to meet and welcome all the members. She awaits for another fun and memorable time with everyone! Apart from all this, she also loves to eat ice cream, listen to music, joke and laugh around with her family and friends, and be random from time to time. ^.^ top
	Jeffrey Li This is Jeffrey Li's first summer at YFAT and he is an incoming senior at Lowell High School . Joining YFAT would probably be the most productive thing he has done this summer. Some of his interests include watching anime, playing Magic: The Gathering, and hanging out with friends. He is very reserved and shy around new people, but once you get to know him, he can be a very fun guy. He will be joining the tech crew this summer, partly because he sucks as an actor but he hopes to make new friends and learn a few things or two. top
	Joanne Wu Hihi. Joanne Wu is going to be a senior in the fall at Lowell High School. This summer, she is looking forward to gaining new experience, having fun, and making new friends (since the ones she has now are just weird). Okay. Byeeeee!!!! (: top
	Jonathan Nguyen Jonathan is 16 years old and is an upcoming senior at Lowell High School.This is his first year in yfat, and he's hoping to learn several new skills as an incoming techie. His hobbies include anime, manga, video games, and playing the piano. Jonathan loves to travel, and so far has been to France, Germany, Norway, and Vietnam. He wants to continue to travel in the future, and especially wants to go to Japan as he has been taking a class in Japanese for the past 3 years going on 4. He hopes make new friends and have an awesome time with all the YFAt memebers this summer. :D top
	Julie Lam Julie Lam is a incoming sophomore at Lowell High School, and this is her first year in YFAT. She hopes that her experiences at YFAT as a techie will help her in one way or another later in life. She was the King of England in her 2nd grade thanksgiving play and really hamed it up. In her spare time she likes drawing, singing, reading graphic novels, sewing, doing arts and crafts, and playing with her music keyboard. However over the course of this summer, she will have to spend most of her time babysitting her 10 year-old brother. top
	Kelley Ogami Kelley Ogami was born in San Francisco, California. She attended San Francisco Day School from Kindergarden to 8th grade; she then entered Lowell High School as a freshmen in 2009. Kelley will be a junior at Lowell this upcoming fall. She's both excited and nervous for the upcoming school, and she has a lot of hopes riding on this year that it'll be a great improvement from last year. Kelley is glad to be back at YFAT because it's where she can follow her passion for acting without restraints or fears. She hopes she'll be able to continue to improve and learn as the years go by. top
	Kim Do Kim enjoys cooking, reading, and hanging out with friends. She is socially awkward and has a strange sense of humor and an open mind. She loves chap stick, blankets, and thick socks. She is ashamed to admit that she reads more manga than books and spends more time on her DDR pad than on dance floors. top
	Marvin Huang This is Marvin's 2nd year in YFAT and will be the Stage Manager for this summer. So can i get cho numba? He is looking forward to another amazingly fun summer where he will make many more interesting memories. Can i get cho numba cuz the back of yo head look ridikalloooouuussss! Marvin is always up for a laugh and playing sports. You have the boyfrenn? You got boyfriend? Can I has yo seven magic digitsss? And if you want his, go talk to him because he enjoys meeting new people. top
	Matt Gee Hi, I'm Matthew Gee, 5'7'', lean, and I think long walks on the beach are overrated... at least in San Francisco. It's too cold here but luckily yfat keeps me warm. I started yfat in 2008 and it was the best opportunity for me to begin my career in acting! Well... it's not really a career as it is a good way to have fun by being whoever I want to be, unless the director tells me to be another person but otherwise yfat is how I spend my summer. top
	Matt Kitagawa Since trilogies are epic, Matt Kitagawa will be returning for his third and most likely final year of YFAT. He passed through fire and flamboyancy, and has become the black ninja. Music is one of his special abilities and he hopes that he can train under the elite. His arsenal is made up of: piano, vocals, ukulele, kazoo, bass guitar, some drums/beat-boxing, and guitar, being his ultimate weapon. All jokes aside, he is extremely excited to be joining YFAT again. Currently he is a second year student at University of the Pacific in the Music Management program, and is hoping to add Music Therapy as a double major. In his music lessons, he is learning classical and jazz guitar. Little known fact, he pierced his ear within months of turning 18. Quite hardcore. Last but not least, he enjoys anything along the lines of relaxing in a coffee shop, drinking tea; watching the sunset, sunrise, and the stars in between; and fine dining... Ladies. ;) top
	Melanie Lee Melanie Lee is entering her sophomore year at Lowell High School. She is looking forward to her first summer as a YFATer. She has a passion for the performing arts, specifically acting. She enjoys eating, facebook stalking, replaying her lady gaga songs, and giggling. Besides her strange hobbies, she enjoys playing any sport except Frisbee where people throw around a piece of cheap plastic. She will apologize for absolutely everything. She is having mini seizures thinking about how happy she will be this summer in YFAT. top
	Norris Almare SOOO NORRIS ALMARE?? THIS GUY. IS. MY. HERO. Sort of. He buys old textbooks at Goodwill and reads them. HE SAVES BOOKS FROM BEING THROWN INTO THE LANDFILLS. WHAT A GUY. He's pretty awesome at biology; explains why he wants to be an astrobiologist when he grows up. THAT'S BAMF-NESS RIGHT THERE. To do so, he'll have to major in physics at UCSB for some reason. His favorite movie is How to Train Your Dragon, and he's kind of obsessed with American Sign Language right now. Play video games with him and he'll love you forever. Expecially if you let him win. EXCEPT FPSs. If you let him win, he knows you just feel bad for him. Because he SUCKS. He's a recent graduate of SHCP. During his time in high school he was part of the Concert Choir, Chamber Ensemble, Concert Band, and the Theater Company. He only joined for the the spring musical his senior year, though. He didn't realize how much he'd enjoy theater, which is one of the main reasons he joined YFAT. ALSO HE LOVES MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND LOVERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. Another reason to join YFAT. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH YOU SHOULD TOO. top
	Ollie Reyes This is Ollie Reyes and it is his first summer in YFAT. Even with little experience in acting or drama, he is directing one play and acting in three others. Although he has previous experience in the school choirs, he decided to take on this new and different kind of challenge: Drama. With Ollie's loud, distinct, and fearless nature, YFAT becomes fun for him. Ollie, at times, can also be very clever with practical jokes and pranks; commonly "presented" with his best friends Paul, Terry, and Reza. Now this year at YFAT, more victims have become available! wheee! top
	Paul Mallari This is Paul Mallari's second year in YFAT and first year as Program Director. He is an incoming senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, where he is student leader of guitar club, band captain of concert band, and a member of SHCP's theater program. Overall, he hopes for a successful show and another great summer with YFAT. He spends an unhealthy amount of time playing video games, listening to and playing music, staring at the computer, and sleeping. That said, he is rather tired and would like to go back to staring at the computer, which is blasting music at the moment. top
	Polina Litvak Polina Litvak is a slightly crazy teenager. She loves musical theatre, Doctor Who, acting, books, writing, BBYO, chocolate ice cream, and generally being her nerdy self. She has previously performed in school productions and with the Moveabout Theatre Company. She thinks referring to herself in third person is incredibly cool and wishes she could do so more often. DFTBA! top
	Reza Kurniawan His name, Reza Kurniawan. His Age, 17. It is now his second year at YFAT. He is an incoming senior atSacred Heart Cathedral Prep. He plays guitar, loves science, and loves to rollerblade around on in-line skates. He is also a very lazy person, but is always enthusiastic and willing to do the things he loves. Shiny sharp objects, fire, and electricity entice his mind to no end. He usually has a question that bugs him everyday (usually science related). He is looking forward to having a great time with YFAT once again and putting on a wonderful show for all to enjoy. top
	Robyn Huey With a passion for visual and performing arts, Robyn Huey begins her first summer at YFAT as production manager! In the fall, she will embark upon her final year at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory where she is editor-in-chief of the Emerald newspaper and one of the electric bassist in Concert Band. Outside of school, Robyn enjoys drawing and experimenting with different artistic mediums in addition to playing the classical guitar, teaching herself how to play the accordion, taking pictures, and expressing her love of rats, birds, dik-diks (go look them up), and animals in general. Her favorite film and music genre is indie. If you mention synesthesia around her, she will recite a detailed description of the neurological condition complete with hand motions. Her greatest passion is for the visual arts and often speaks of obtaining a minor in graphic design and a major in something science related. Robyn expresses great enthusiasm for her first summer at YFAT since she has never worked with a theater group before. She hopes to make new friends, gain memorable experiences, and go on tons of adventures! top
	Stephanie Tong This is Stephanie's third and last year with YFAT. She has gained fond memories and experiences as a techie in her first year and as an actress, playwright, and director starting her second year. Stephanie enjoys writing, listening to music, gaming, and picking up dance choreography with many failed attempts. She loves Pikachu, Hello Kitty, Jack Skellington, and Stitch. Oh, and dinosaurs. top
	Terry Kitagawa Terry is an incoming Senior at SHCP. He very excited to be in YFAT for his second year. He also is playing drums and is part of the SHCP Concert Band. He is looking forward to all the good times that will happen in Disneyland... YFAT. top
	Tiffany Wong Tiffany Wong is an incoming senior at Lowell High School, and this is her first year in YFAT. She is looking forward to meeting new people and having some fun (: You can say she had some experience in theatre since she took drama class freshman year first semester hahaha. Tiffany also likes to play the piano, surf the net, eat, hang out with friends, WATCH KOREAN DRAMAS, listen to music, play volleyball, and laugh. top
	Vania Quan Vania is new to yfat. She found out about the program through a friend. She has no previous acting experience but is excited for what's to come. Although Vania is a shy person, she is willing to try new things. She enjoys listening to music and eating. nom nom nom =) top