East West Players has anchored Asian American theatre nationally since 1965, and its education wing gives working and aspiring actors a rare thing: craft training inside a producing professional company, culminating on the actual mainstage. The David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo is home.
The adult track, branded the Actors Conservatory under the company's Professional Enrichment umbrella, runs Acting I through III in open-enrollment evening classes; Acting III is a nine-week showcase course ending in a public performance on the EWP stage, published at $425 with payment plans. The David Henry Hwang Writers Institute mirrors it for playwrights with an eight-week online workshop at $400. Scholarships are offered for both, youth are served through EWPlay! school residencies and a touring theatre-for-youth production, and enrollment runs through a simple online portal.
Summer 2026 classes were enrolling at verification, with the 2026-27 mainstage season announced. Metro's Little Tokyo station is a five-minute walk and validated garages sit across the street, details the company publishes because it actually wants you there. For actors seeking community and stage time alongside training, this is one of the best value propositions in the directory.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
Open enrollment via CourseStorm; no audition indicated for classes. Schedule: Evening classes (e.g., Acting III Mondays 6:30pm; Writing Workshop Tuesdays 7-10pm online); rolling sessions listed on CourseStorm. Duration: Acting III: 9 weeks incl. tech and public showcase; Writing Workshop: 8 weeks.
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| Acting III, Showcase (9 weeks) | $425 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Writing Workshop (8 weeks, online) | $400 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Instructors
- Dom Magwili, Acting instructor. Teaches Acting III, Showcase (summer 2026)
- Nicholas Pilapil, Playwriting instructor. Teaches 8-week online Writing Workshop (fall 2026)
Practical notes
Parking: Aiso Street underground garage (101 Judge John Aiso St): $1/hr first 2 hrs, $14 daily max, $3 flat after 5pm; Lot 7 (140 Judge John Aiso St): $10 flat
Transit: Metro A/E lines, Little Tokyo/Arts District station, ~5-minute walk
Scholarships: Limited number of scholarships for Professional Enrichment classes and the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute; application via online form
Location
Questions actors ask
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When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- East West Players Classes (CourseStorm), accessed 2026-07-16
- Professional Enrichment, East West Players, accessed 2026-07-16
- Plan Your Visit, East West Players, accessed 2026-07-16
- Youth & Community, East West Players, accessed 2026-07-16
- About Us, East West Players, accessed 2026-07-16
- East West Players homepage, accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
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