Los Angeles Theater Companies Depart L.A. Stage Alliance Following Misidentification of Jully Lee

The Geffen Playhouse, Deaf West Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse and Center Theatre Group are among over 25 Los Angeles theater companies that have revoked their memberships from the L.A. Stage Alliance. Deadline reports that the defection is the result of the nonprofit organization misidentifying Jully Lee at the Ovation Awards on March 30. Her first name was mispronounced when the nominees for Best Featured Actress were read, and a photo of another Asian actress was shown onscreen.

"L.A. Stage Alliance takes full responsibility for the mistakes made in last night's Ovation Awards show," reads an apology from the organization. "We sincerely apologize to Jully Lee and the AAPI community as well as to all our members, voters and the community at large. A written apology can only do so much, especially when these are underlying issues that need to be addressed. L.A. Stage Alliance takes its dedication to equality and support of its diverse theater community and representations seriously. With that in mind, effective immediately, L.A. Stage Alliance will focus on undertaking a visible and transparent transformation so it can be held accountable to the community it serves."

Lee was nominated for her performance in Jiehae Park’s Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, a co-presentation of East West Players and the Fountain Theatre. She tweeted in response to the misidentification and mispronunciation on April 1: "I was not the only person misidentified with a wrong photo/name mispronunciation. I was just the first one of the night. #DoBetter doesn't even scratch the surface."

Lee's additional stage credits include Aubergine, Ladies, The Joy Luck Club, Tokyo Fish Story, 36 Views, The Enchanted Nightingale, Mexican Day and many more. Her extensive screen credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Kominsky Method, This Is Us, Veep, Jane the Virgin and more. Lee also serves as Artistic Director of Cold Tofu Improv, the nation's first Asian-American improv and sketch comedy troupe.

East West Players, which also departed the Alliance, posted a response on Instagram Instagram that said, “The mispronouncing of our names combined with the sentiment that all Asians look alike is not new. However it particularly stings when the evening is supposed to be about raising the visibility of LA’s theater community and celebrating our artists...We were deeply disappointed by this, though we are not surprised.”