Listed in the printed program
Storytellers
These profiles follow the names and roles that appear in the final printed booklet, so the digital program reflects the same cast roster guests received in hand.
SR
Show creator | Producer and director | Story contributor | Story performer
Stephanie Reese
Stephanie Reese leads The Asian Monologues as its creator, director, producer, and one of the storytellers carrying the evening in person.
The printed program introduces Stephanie as an international singer, actress, and philanthropist whose work moves between performance, civic care, and cultural celebration. As founder of the Asian Arts and Heritage Festival and host of the Citizen Sister podcast, she built this room as a place where memory, struggle, and pride can stand together.
StorytellerDirectorFestival founder
EC
Story performer
Eloisa Cardona
Eloisa Cardona brings long-rooted Seattle theater experience and a practice of culture-centered storytelling into the room.
The printed bio names Eloisa as a Filipina American actor, director, and teaching artist with deep ties to the greater Seattle theater community. A UW Drama graduate, she began with Seattle Rep’s outreach work and has since appeared with ACT, Book-It, Island Shakespeare Festival, Pork Filled Productions, and other regional companies while championing work rooted in culture, community, and connection.
Story performerTeaching artistSeattle theater
VA
Storyteller | Actor
Vanessa Acierto
Vanessa Acierto speaks from lived experience as the daughter of first-generation Filipino immigrants and a longtime community-theater performer.
Vanessa describes representation as essential, both on stage and in the audience. Her theater work spans Kitsap County productions including Silent Sky, multiple Ten Minute Play Festivals, Doubt: A Parable, Romeo and Juliet, Narnia, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
StorytellerCommunity theaterFilipino American
KT
Story performer
Kevin Tanner
Kevin Tanner is a Seattle-area actor with strong ties to Bainbridge and Kitsap theater communities.
The printed bio highlights work with Bainbridge Performing Arts, Kitsap Forest Theater, Dacha Theatre, Reboot Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, Taproot Theatre, and UW Drama. Across those stages, Kevin’s work reflects a lasting commitment to live performance, community storytelling, and the broader Pacific Northwest arts scene.
Story performerActorBainbridge and Kitsap
TT
Storyteller | Actor
Tim Takechi
Tim Takechi joins the program with a commitment to carrying stories forward for future generations.
An actor and nonprofit communications professional based in Federal Way, Tim has appeared in Okaeshi at Island Theatre’s Ten Minute Play Festival as well as Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Snow Falling on Cedars at Bainbridge Performing Arts. His work in The Asian Monologues is grounded in the act of passing stories on.
StorytellerActorFuture generations
