ensemble tenshi 天地静
OUR MISSION
Ensemble Tenshi brings authentic and visceral theatre inspired by Japanese history and culture to Los Angeles by creating original plays of powerful stories with exceptional performing artistry and theatre craftsmanship. We bring fascinating historical figures—including samurai heroes, courageous warriors, princesses, and scheming imperial royals—to life with cultural authenticity and dynamic theatricality, inviting audiences not simply to learn about Japan’s history, but to experience it.
Our mission also includes introducing the works of legendary Japanese playwrights whose influential plays remain virtually unknown in the United States.
Ensemble Tenshi cultivates and educates performers from diverse backgrounds to bring Japanese stories to the stage with cultural integrity and artistic excellence, fostering cultural understanding, meaningful connection, and access to stories rarely represented on the American stage.
OUR JOURNEY
– Japanese Drama told through American theatre –
Ensemble Tenshi was founded in 2021 by two artists from Japan, Tomoko Karina and Yukari Black, with extensive experience in traditional Japanese performing arts and storytelling, including classical theatre and Japanese classical dance -Kabuki dance. Since then, Ensemble Tenshi has developed distinctive programming of Japanese period-piece theatre, focusing on original English-language plays based on true historical events, while introducing acclaimed Japanese playwrights through English translations and U.S. premieres.
We are passionate about introducing the gloriously aesthetic world of Japanese period pieces and epic stories to Local Angelinos and, in the future, to entire American audiences authentically, viscerally, and entertainingly with a diverse ensemble of actors and artists.
One of Ensemble Tenshi’s strengths is our multi-ethnic, multi-gender, and multi-generational ensemble of professional performers, artists, and creatives. We provide opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds to develop skills in Japanese theatrical traditions. This approach is a defining characteristic and core value of Ensemble Tenshi. Ensemble Tenshi is committed to nurturing the talent of Tenshi member actors to be crafted, charismatic, compelling, and charming, so the audience wants to come back to see them in different roles every season.
In 2025, Ensemble Tenshi became a nonprofit organization and welcomed Dr. Velina Hasu Houston, USC Distinguished Professor of Theatre in Dramatic Writing and internationally acclaimed playwright, to its Board of Advisors. She is an acclaimed playwright and a leading voice in cross-cultural theatre. With her guidance, Ensemble Tenshi seeks to expand its programming to present socially, culturally, and historically significant stories.
