Since 1965 this institution (which prides itself on being the nation's premier Asian-American theater organization), has been bridging the gap between—yup, you guessed it—east and west.

The New York Times called the East West Players "the nation's pre-eminent Asian American theater troupe," so there. Performing in the Union Center for the Arts in Little Tokyo, these players are also behind a wide variety of training programs—it's estimated that 75 percent of all Asian Pacific performers working in Los Angeles have worked at EWP. In addition to staging Asian-themed pieces (such as a recent production of the Hawaiian-themed Stew Rice), the theater company also stages renowned Broadway shows like Sweeney Todd and Equus. Famous alumni include actor B.D. Wong and screenwriter David Henry Hwang.