OPM

OPM (Opening People’s Minds) is an award-winning multi-ethnic-cultural-lingual-hyphenate sketch comedy troupe from L.A. As all-American as a Roscoe's Sushi & Tacos in the OC, OPM serves up current events and absurdist bents with relevant and irreverent wit... without the upset stomach. We do toilet humor too. This show contains references to drugs and violence, and a goat.
OPM has performed up and down the West Coast and has won awards in San Francisco and Vancouver, BC.
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OPM tries to prove they're America's TOP MODEL MINORITY at the L.A. Comedy Fest.
STARRING: Vivian Bang, Ewan Chung, Janina Gavankar, Charles Kim, Caroline Pho, Chase Sprague, Dave Wilder, Nika Williams
And now 20% more ASIAN with Deborah S. Craig!!
DIRECTED by David J. Lee
May 4th @ 8:30 PM
May 5th @ 9:30 PM
May 8th @ 8:00 PM JUST ADDED!
May 18th @ 8:30 PM
The McCadden Theatre
1157 N. McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(1 block East of Highland and 1 block N. of Santa Monica Blvd.)
Parking in lot at 1149 N. McCadden Place and ample street parking
For more info, visit www.lacomedyfest.com
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On January 10th, OPM performed in Downtown L.A. at the COMEDY WALK.
www.comedywalk.com
This performance’s cast included Ewan Chung, Janina Gavankar, Charles Kim, Caroline Pho, Chase Sprague, Jae Suh, and Nika Williams.
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We had a blast with TELEMONGOL at the 1st annual National Asian American Theatre Festival at the The Kirk Theatre in New York in June.
It was part of the continuation of the successful run with Lodestone , 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors , and Cold Tofu after L.A. and San Jose! The L.A. Times had this to say.
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THANKS TO EVERYBODY who came out on Oscar night, February 25, and supported OPM, 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, Cold Tofu, and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, at the Oscar Party Fundraiser for TeleMongol!
For those not in the know, TeleMongol is our sketch comedy extravaganza starring, written and produced by OPM, 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, Cold Tofu, and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, and directed by award-winning television director Henry Chan. We've been getting great reviews-- check out the latest, in the blog section!
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To all our Bay Area fans-- especially our newly-earned San Jose peeps-- MUCHA GRACIA from OPM! The San Jose run of TeleMongol, at the Theatre On San Pedro Square, from February 9-18, 2007, was a hit!!
BIG PROPS to AATC, CATS and Gary of TOSPS for all their wonderful work, faith and vision!!!
http://www.asianamericantheater.org/
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JANUARY 5, 2007 @ 8PM
THE HIGHLANDS at
HOLLYWOOD+HIGHLAND
OPM and other troupes rocked the house at "Comedy Cocktail"-- check out www.comedycocktail.com .
OPM performed 2 of its TOP sketches from 2006: Tyra Loves Chic, featuring Tyra Banks and her immigrant models; and Iron Chef North Korea, featuring Kim Jong-Il, Bobby Flay, and the secret ingredient, "grass."
Tyra Banks (Nika Williams) and fashion editor Linda Fawnstrom (Jae Suh) present the looks of the season, while "Chinese Auntie" (Charles Kim) works the catwalk... Fierce!
In this version of "Iron Chef," Number Won (Ewan Chung) stands ready as chairman Kim Jong-Il (Charles Kim) decides who wins and who... dies...
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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006
BURBANK, "Television Capital of The World"
In a 90-seat theatre nestled inside a local park, TELEMONGOL made history with a f***in funny a** show.
THANK YOU to all those who came out and enjoyed themselves...
BIG PROPS to our co-d's: 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, Cold Tofu and Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, AND the most patient, wise and fearless director HENRY CHAN!
Check out the reviews in the blog!
More TELEMONGOL:
February - San Jose, CA (TBA)
June - New York City, NY (pho-show)
The cast includes OPMers Ewan Chung, Charles Kim, Corinne Chooey (also with Cold Tofu) and Aaron Takahashi (also with Cold Tofu)!
TELEMONGOL follows 3 executives at AHOLE (Asia Home of Language Entertainment) as they fight to keep their television network alive. "Behind The Scenes," written by Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, stars (l to r) Ewan Chung as paralegal-counsel Jay Park, Corinne Chooey as AHOLE President Lois Lew, and Michael Palma as director of marketing Paul Manalo.
Every network needs a gritty prison drama... "Chino State Pen," by Charles Kim, features Aaron Takahashi as Gojira-san, Michael Palma as Santos, Robert Covarrubias as Mothra, and Charles Kim as Rodan.
And now, a pubic service announcement courtesy of "Project APPLE (Asian Porn Performers for Literacy Education)," written by Aaron Takahashi. Featuring porn stars-turned-educators (l to r) Yung Ho (Wanru Tseng), Long Duk Dick (Greg Watanabe), China Doll (Jully Lee), and Bang Cock (Denise Iketani).
Keeping it relevant and irreverent, much like your typical OPM show. "A Very North Korean Holiday," written by Charles Kim, features Wanru Tseng as Marilyn Monroe, Charles Kim as Kim Jong-Il, and Robert Covarrubias as Osama Bin Laden-- all doing the Axis of Evil dance... And dance shows are hot these days.
EVERYBODY! Pictured to the left of Osama is OUR DIRECTOR HENRY CHAN and to the right of Osama, are actor JAMES HONG (guest in the audience) and our guest actor-celebrities in the show that night: TAMLYN TOMITA and ABC NEWS anchor DAVID ONO.
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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2006
HOLLYWOOD
OPM performs the very best of GET LAUGHS OR DIE TRYIN', to sold-out houses, at the 5th annual L.A. Fest of Sketch (LAFS) on October 20, 28 & November 3!
OPM is the ONLY sketch group to perform at LAFS every year-- that's 5 for 5, yall!
BIG THANKS to all our friends and supporters for making this run so much FUN!!
Much love to Lawrin Goulston-Salazar, producer of L.A.F.S.!
Check out www.4LAFS.com .
THE CAST: (l to r) Dave Wilder, Nika Williams, Ewan Chung, Charles Kim, Jae Suh, and Andrea Apuy
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SEPTEMBER 2006
SAN FRANCISCO
OPM awarded BEST SKETCH GROUP at the 2006 SAN FRANCISCO FRINGE FEST (September 8-10, 15-17)!
THANKS to our friends and supporters-- you made it so much fun!! :)
MUCHO KUDOS to Christina, producer of the Fringe, Richard, our light tech Ryan, our sound tech Ian-- when you're in The Bay, check out his band The Get Down (for info go to www.the getdownonline.com )-- and theatre manager Amanda!
The cast & crew in front of the EXIT Theatre, in the Tenderloin, before hitting the road: (l to r) Jae Suh, Dave Wilder, sound tech Ian, Andy Apuy's duffel bag (she had to leave right after the show to catch a flight back to Burbank), Nika Williams, Ewan Chung, and Charles Kim.
HUGE SHOUT-OUT to Rachel Rehmet, whose support and generosity made this traveling show possible-- check her out at www.addsomefun.com !!!
BIG HUGS to our fellow Fringer, Thessaly Lerner, who also rocked the house-- check her out at www.ThessalyLerner.com !
THE CAST: (l to r) Dave Wilder, Nika Williams, Ewan Chung, Charles Kim, Jae Suh, and Andrea Apuy.
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JUNE 2006
VANCOUVER, CANADA
BIG PROPS to the VANCOUVER ASIAN CANADIAN THEATRE (visit WWW.VACT.CA for more info) & its producer extraordinaire, JOYCE LAM, for bringing OPM up to lovely Vancouver for its very own show. OPM closed its 4th year in Vancouver with a grand finale, after winning the top prize in the sketch comedy competition 3 years in a row.
The OPM cast & crew with Joyce Lam, at The Roundhouse, in Vancouver, 2006: (l to r) Philip Gurney, Jae Suh, VACT producer Joyce Lam, Ewan Chung, Janina Gavankar (holding the top prize OPM won 3 years in a row), Charles Kim, and Betty Lang.
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JUNE 2006
LITTLE TOKYO, L.A.
MUCH RESPECT to EAST WEST PLAYERS for setting the standard and putting on the Asian American Theatre Conference. OPM was honored to perform as one of a few selected artists in the showcase!
Support the APA theatre and arts movement, and check out to WWW.EASTWESTPLAYERS.ORG as well as WWW.NEXTBIGBANG.ORG .
"Interracial Relations," written by Charles Kim, features Nika Williams as Black Woman and Charles Kim as Korean Man, doing what Black women and Korean men do best... (You'll just have to see it.)
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APRIL - MAY 2006
HOLLYWOOD
This 5-week run of GET LAUGHS OR DIE TRYIN' at the Flight Theatre @ The Complex WAS A BLAST... The cast of April-May 2006: (l to r) Chase Sprague, Nika Williams, Ewan Chung, Charles Kim, Jae Suh, Janina Gavankar, and Aaron Takahashi.
What cultural differences? Dave, played by Chase Sprague, squirms as he witnesses an unorthodox greeting between father and daughter (Charles Kim and Jae Suh, respectively), while mother (Ewan Chung, in drag) keeps a watchful eye, in "Meet The Korean Family," written by Roy Eisentsein.