Leilani Chan is Founding Artistic Director of TeAda Productions (teada.org); a nomadic theater of color based in Los Angeles. Chan served as Co-Chair of the National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival held in Hawai’i in 2024 and was one of the founding Board Members of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (caata.net). Her latest work, Nothing Micro About Micronesia, (NMAM) premiered at the Honolulu Theatre for Youth and has toured inter-island to Hilo and Maui, and internationally to Guam and Saipan. NMAM is set to follow in the path of Masters of the Currents, (MOC) which also toured to the continent including San Francisco’s Mission District (Brava Center for the Arts), Minneapolis (Pangea World Theater), Salt Lake City (Utah Presents), Los Angeles (USC’s Visions and Voices); and internationally to Guam (Breaking Wave Theatre/University of Guam). Both plays received  NEFA’s National Theater Project and MAPFUND and is Chan’s 4th NPN Creation Fund. Chan has taught at both University of Hawai’i at Manoa and CSULB Theatre Departments. Born & raised in Hawai’i, Leilani currently resides in Los Angeles. Leilani attended Hampshire College and obtained her M.F.A. from U.C. Irvine. Chan also Directed Red Summer for Carpetbag Theatre in Knoxville, TN.

Ova Saopeng (he/him) is associate artistic director and producer with Los Angeles based TeAda Productions. He is an accomplished actor, teaching artist and playwright. He is a refugee from Laos and is passionate about elevating the refugee and immigrant experience on the American stage. Community and ensemble based creations include: Masters of the Currents, Refugee Nation, Global Taxi Driver and Native Immigrant. These critically acclaimed plays received numerous development and touring awards including NEFA, MAP, NEA, NPN Creation and NET funds. He has worked with national theatre companies: The Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis Dragonwings and Center Theater Group’s Wondrous Tales of Old Japan and East West Players Twelf Nite O’Wateva and has toured colleges and universities with Asian American led hereandnow theater company, and Southern California primary schools with children’s theater companies We Tell Stories and Waters Edge Theater.

Taloo Carrillo (she/her) is a Chicana activist who has worked as a grassroots organizer and advocate for Indigenous repatriation and environmental issues. She is a singer, performance artist and writer who emerged from the creative cauldron that was Troy Cafe in Little Tokyo, downtown LA of the early 1990’s. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, at a time when many diverse communities co-existed and demographics were changing, Taloo is keenly aware of the need for cross-cultural connections and appreciation for diversity. Taloo feels that TeAda’s mission perfectly encompasses her values and provides her the opportunity to continue her advocacy work. Taloo also had the great privilege of working with Leilani Chan in the formative years of TeAda Productions.