Writing Her Story . . . And Yours: Introducing the New A.C.T. Board President Kay Yun

By A.C.T. Publications Team

Kay Yun, A.C.T.’s Board President, was a subscriber in the mid-1990s before work commitments drew her to the East Coast. After she returned to the Bay Area, she was lured back to A.C.T. by, of all things, dancing plums. Her daughter took classes in the Young Conservatory, performing for three years in A.C.T.’s holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, first as a dancing French Plum and then as Martha Cratchit.

This experience opened up a whole new side to A.C.T. that Yun hadn’t seen before. “I wasn’t aware of all the educational opportunities that A.C.T. provides until my daughter got involved,” she says. We sat down with Yun to hear her story, and what stories she’s interested in helping A.C.T. tell in the coming years.

Carey Perloff showing set designs to Kay Yun and associate producers Arnie and Shelly Glassberg
at the first rehearsal of Hamlet. Photo by Brad Amorosino.
Was it A.C.T.’s educational programs that first drew you to joining the Board of Trustees?

As an immigrant to the United States, education provided a foundation that allowed me to achieve some success in my career and change my life. I would like as many people as possible to have that same advantage. Many people have told me they wouldn’t have made it without the theater. A.C.T.’s programs help young people in so many ways, and it gives them a place where they can learn to express themselves.

My background is in finance, so when I joined the board, I was put on the finance committee. I asked to be on the education committee, but A.C.T. had many trustees with more experience in that area. And I was happy to contribute where my expertise was needed.

What have been some of your favorite A.C.T. shows?

Oh, there are so many. A Thousand Splendid Suns was just superbly done: the acting, the directing, the writing. The topics it explored were timely and relevant. The play deeply moved me. I’ve also enjoyed some of our newer plays, such as Chester Bailey and The Unfortunates. I loved Satchmo at the Waldorf. John Douglas Thompson is just so gifted; I’m so glad we have him back for Hamlet.

What are you looking forward to as president of the board?

I have the highest respect and love for Carey Perloff, and I’m thrilled to get the chance to work with her before she leaves. Carey has built this organization into an outstanding institution, and I’m looking forward to continuing that good work by taking A.C.T. to the next level, whatever that may be.

I’m also really excited to help A.C.T. reach the broader Bay Area community. The work that we do is so important to the community, and it’s important that we give the community a voice.

Popular posts from this blog

“To Be or Not to Be”: The Iconic Speech’s Origins, Interpretations, and Impact

The American Sound: The Evolution of Jazz

Purely Pinteresque: The Elements of Pinter's Language