Tenshis
Members
Tomoko Karina
Founder/Writer/Director
Tomoko is a writer/ director of a play, “2 lies, 3 dreams and Hollywood ” which premiered at Atcre Theatre in Tokyo Japan. In 2021, Tomoko received a scholarship from Hollywood Fringe Festival and wrote/ directed/ produced “Japanese Love Story”. In 2022, She Wrote/ directed/ produced a 16th Century Period Japanese Epic play, “Shizuka” at The Zephyr Theatre earning Best Play, Director, and Performer nominations at Broadway World Regional Award.
Tomoko debuted as a film writer/ director with WWII epic, Camellia- Kerria- Pink (山茶花～山吹～撫子), which won the Best Foreign Mini Film at BPPI Film Festival and was a semifinalist at Women-Voice-Now Film Festival.
Tomoko is also an international actress born and raised in Japan and acted professionally both in the US and Japan. Her theater credits include “Balm in Gilead” and “Blood”, both directed by Obie Award-winning, two-time Golden Globe nominee Robert Allan Ackerman, Chekhov ‘s “Three Sisters at Theater Project Tokyo, played 2 lead roles at the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Art Theater, lead role of Himiko in “Tea” with Hero Theater and many others. Her TV/ Film credits include “Cobra Kai” (Netflix), “Haunting in Silver Falls: Returns” (Netflix) “Another Tango” (Hallmark Movie) among others. Tomoko voiced the recurring role in a 2024 version of legendary popular cartoon, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Nickelodeon). She also featured in several music videos including Shawn Mendes and Awolnation.
Yukari Black
Founder/Producer/Actor/Artistic Director
Yukari received a BA from the Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan. She has performed in a variety of styles in Japan and the US and currently is a member of SAG-AFTRA. Her theatrical credits in the US include AEA union stage as Solange LaFitte in Sondheim’s Follies, Lady Thiang in The King and I, Sakiko in Nadeshiko and Wife in Rashomon. Her film credits include Clint Eastwood’s Best Film winner, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Flags of our Fathers.
In 2014, she participated in The Hollywood Fringe Festival with the West Coast premier production of Vengeance Can Wait. For her efforts, she was nominated for the award of best new producer and her lead actor won the best male actor award. Both of them were the first Asian creative artists to receive such acknowledgement. She was awarded for Best Supporting Performer for her role as Kotoji in Japanese Love Story – Shizuka from Broadway World’s 2021 LA Regional Award.
As the executive producer and director of Kuro Productions, she has produced a variety of entertainment projects, from film to stage to music. Additionally, she is active in volunteer work, presenting Japanese cultural shows to local audiences for over 20 years.
Alexander Collins
Actor
Alexander Collins began acting an early age, performing Shakespeare as part of a youth troupe in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He trained with the renowned Shakespeare Theatre Company and is a graduate of USC’s School of Dramatic Arts.
Recent stage credits include “Shizuka” at the Zephyr Theater, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Broadway World’s Regional Awards. Film credits include “Don’t Deport My Luna” (Sereal+), “Buried in the Backyard” (Oxygen) and “Sound Good?” (YouTube), a web series promoting organ donation awareness for the charity Donate Life.
Masako Nikuma
Actor
Masako was born in Osaka, Japan. She studied at Theater February acting School and after graduation she started performing professionally. She moved to Theatre Kazenoko and performed all over Japan.
She has performed on stage more than 4,000 times in a variety of roles, from small children to elderly women and sometimes even animals. She also studied “Kyogen”, Japanese Traditional Comedy under Kyogen performer Shime Shigiyama. She is also trained in Martial Arts and Circus performing.