52 stories by "Diana Chan"
As a pioneering voice in Chicano theater, Luis Valdez played a pivotal role in bringing Mexican American stories and experiences to American stages and screens. Born in Delano, California, h…
After the success of Luis Valdez's play "Zoot Suit" on the west coast, the play was brought to Broadway in New York. When "Zoot Suit" debuted at the Winter Garden Theater in 1979, it became …
Luis Valdez was born in a farm labor camp in Delano, California to farmworker parents, and joined his parents in the fields at just six years old.
The post Luis Valdez’s farmworker origins…
I’ve spent the past four years making a film about Luis Valdez, which meant living inside 60 years of his work. Most people know him as the father of Chicano theater, the man behind Zoot S…
Luis Valdez's television play, "Los Vendidos," or the sellouts, was a commentary on assimilation and cultural, racial, and political identity. Valdez's inspiration for the play came from his…
On February 28, 2017, Brooke Shields sat down with director John Scheinfeld for a conversation about her work with Bob Hope and how performing for the troops in USO tours in the early 80s ma…
Best known for the play “Zoot Suit” and the film “La Bamba,” playwright, director and filmmaker Luis Valdez was born in Delano, California to migrant farmworkers from Mexico. As a ch…
Armed with razor sharp comedy instincts, a legendary talent for physical comedy and a good guy reputation that spilled over into his characters, Dick Van Dyke is one of Hollywood's most belo…
In Dick Van Dyke's memoir, he wrote: "There have only been two times in my career when I have known that I had a chance to be involved in something special. The first was 'The Dick Van Dyke …
Dick Van Dyke's career has spanned almost eight decades across stage, television, and film. His journey into show business started with touring as half of the comedy duo The Merry Mutes, the…
Throughout his 100 years, Dick Van Dyke has enjoyed nearly eight decades in show business. He began his career on radio in Illinois, which propelled him to Broadway, television, and film. In…
Carl Reiner, the creator of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," incorporated Dick Van Dyke's love of physical comedy into his main character's "awkward, bumbling man" persona.
The post How "The Dick V…
There were two variants of the opening credits of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," one where Dick trips over an ottoman and another where he sidesteps the ottoman. This clever change became the sig…
March 30th, 1987"21-year-old Marlee Matlin, bespectacled and in a puff-sleeved purple gown, cautiously took the stage and changed the course of film history. Her Best Actress Oscar for the r…
In 1927, the television was invented: for the first time in human history, technology allowed for a way to transmit information visually. That could have been a breakthrough for Deaf communi…
In this interview from March 6, 2004, actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein talks to director Michael Kantor backstage at the Neil Simone Theatre during the Broadway production of "Hairspray…
Marlee Matlin was struggling with drug addiction and domestic abuse from her partner at the time, William Hurt. After she completed rehab, her friend Henry Winkler took her in for two years …
Marlee Matlin visits the house she grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois and shares stories from her childhood, including how she became Deaf at 18 months old.
The post Marlee Matlin on her chil…
Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin is a trailblazer in more ways than one, breaking barriers for Deaf performers and redefining what inclusion and representation look like in Hollyw…
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore explores the life and career of the pioneering actress, disability rights champion, and author. The documentary takes a closer look at Marlee Matlin's life a…
In these two interviews from March 29, 1999, composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb talk about how they have worked together to make classics like "Cabaret." These two Broadway legends a…
In this interview from 2003, actor, comedian and producer Mel Brooks talks about the first Broadway show he ever saw"Cole Porter's "Anything Goes." He also talks about what makes the Broadwa…
Writer Clover Hope reflects on how artists featured in In The Making Season 3 are using design, photography, mixed media and fashion to reclaim overlooked histories and reimagine the future …
For fifty years, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been a stage for some of the most unforgettable musical performances in television history. From groundbreaking debuts to defining moments, the…
Christina Smith's work as a makeup artist has spanned decades in the film industry, earning her widespread recognition for her skill and creativity. With a career beginning in the 1970s, she…
