TeAda Productions is proud to launch the Pasifika Artists Exchange (PAE), featuring three Pacific Islander theater artists Kathy Martin (Chuukese), Kiki Rivera (Samoan/Pilipino) & Misa Tupou (Tongan/Samoan). As a new Partner of the National Performance Network, this residency is TeAda’s first Artist Engagement Fund project to take place in Los Angeles County. This residency will feature a series of workshops between May and June 2026 in the community, and an intensive week-long ensemble building process, culminating in a public sharing on June 20, 2026 in Culver City.
The Pasifika Artists Exchange program focuses on enriching, enhancing, and advancing Pasifika Arts & Performance by utilizing devised theatre to support Pasifika artists exchanging stories and creative expression. Participants will have the opportunity to train with lead artists Misa Tupou and Kathy Martin. We are seeking up to five Pacific Islander (Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian, and Oceania Islanders) ages 18 and older to form the ensemble of contemporary performance artists including theater artists, dancers, musicians, and storytellers.
Pasifika Play Date is a workshop facilitated by Kiki Rivera hosted by TeAda Productions. Join us for a play date!
We invite Pasifika community members to come have fun, play, and explore their inner theater person. Arrive as a community member and leave as a storyteller as we connect theater games, storytelling practices, and activate our bodies and voices. Leave behind your inner critic and allow your creative self to take the lead.
Following this workshop, participants are encouraged to apply to the Pasifika Artists’ Exchange Ensemble taking place between June 13-20. This eight-day residency is a paid opportunity with a culminating performance on June 20 at the Wende Museum at 4pm.
See this link to preview the application: bit.ly/pae-ensemble
About the facilitator: Kiki Rivera - is an internationally produced theatre artist, playwright, educator, and arts activist. Their work focuses on the intersections of cultural, sexual, and gender identity within the context of post-colonial society and is one of many Pacific Islander voices in the diaspora who believes in the value of self-reflective storytelling from a contemporary indigenous perspective.
What: Pasifika Play Date, MidCity LA | led by Kiki Rivera
When: Saturday, May 17th, 2026 — from 10am to 12pm PST
Where: TeAda Productions, MidCity LA (register for address information)
Register: Button to sign up for this workshop is below, or click here.
Prices: FREE
This workshop will support, prioritize, and center voices of Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian, and Oceania Islanders.
TeAda Productions is a Los Angeles based non-profit theater of color rooted in the stories of immigrants and refugees. We are committed to healing and honoring the lives of the displaced, exploited and overlooked. Our artistic process starts and ends with conscious listening, community building, and creative courage. Through theater workshops and performances, TeAda offers acts of service that are transformative and impactful.
