[INTERVIEW] Shaun Tuazon: "Taking Up Space is Important"

Shaun Tuazon earned a BA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University where they studied performance, stage management, & design. Also, Shaun has been in various productions such as In the Heights, MAMA MIA, The Nutcracker, Rent, and more. Currently, Shaun is playing Kuya Mar, Macky, Vinzo, Sean, Tatay, and more in the musical On This Side of the World.

In On This Side of the World, a woman flies from the Philippines to America. She holds a one-way ticket and a suitcase full of stories. Each story is collected from immigrants who came before her. Suspended above the ocean, she replays these stories in her mind. This is as she searches for the courage to embrace her future. The world premiere musical gives voices to Filipino immigrants navigating old lives and new beginnings, eight-thousand miles from home.

Snehal Desai is the Producing Artistic Director of East West Players (EWP). EWP is the nation’s longest-running Asian American theater. It’s also the largest producer of Asian American theatrical works! They announce the world premiere musical On This Side of the World. With music & lyrics by Paulo K Tirol and created with & directed by Noam Shapiro.

Introduce yourself to our HypnoticAsia Readers.

My name is Shaun Tuazon, my pronouns are they/he/them/him. I am an actor, theatrical designer/artist and I play Macky/Vinzo/Sean/Kuya Mar/Tatay and others in “On This Side of the World” at East West Players.

What was it like being a part of the “In The Heights” musical? Did you watch the movie version? Any thoughts on that?

Being a part of “In the Heights” back in 2014 at Cabrillo Music Theatre was such a dream come true. I saw a preview performance on Broadway in 2008 with the original cast and seeing that cast and that staging truly changed my life and motivated me to continue to pursue musical theatre! But I’ll never forget the original date I was supposed to see the musical on Broadway.

The house was packed several minutes after what was supposed to be curtain time- the show was delayed for an undisclosed reason. To stall for time, an unknown person to me at the time, Lin-Manuel Miranda, stepped out onstage where he explained the team was having issues with the sound board and that he was going to do some freestyle rap to entertain us while we waited. Long story short, the show never happened that day because they had apparently, “Lost all sound cues.” I was bummed, but we were able to rebook tickets later that week. I think that anticipation may have made the show even more special for me.

When the cast finally made their way onto the stage, I finally saw a musical theater production filled with faces that looked diverse and familiar- I knew I had to be a part of the show one day. When the opportunity to do the show at Cabrillo Music Theatre came about, I knew I had to audition. I was extremely excited when I was cast in the ensemble and even more hyped when I learned we would be doing the original Broadway staging and choreography by Thomas Kail and Andy Blankenbuehler reset by Morgan Marcell & Jose-Luis Lope Jr. The production was truly magic and the show innately creates a familial bond with every cast that gets the chance to perform that music and story. A true familia.

I watched the movie in a private screening at a local theater filled with all my close theatre collaborators and friends and it was such a special experience witnessing this musical in that space. I cried my eyes out when a member of the original cast (and the first person to ever audition for the show), Doreen Montalvo, sang her solo vocal line in “Breathe”. I got to meet Doreen several times after seeing her on Broadway and in a show at The Old Globe in San Diego, but tragically, she passed in 2020 just ahead of the movie’s premiere. The movie was such a beautiful re-telling of this incredible Broadway show.

Is there a reason why you wanted to be a part of “On This Side Of The World” musical?

The short answer: A musical about Filipinos? I’m in! In my 14+ year career as a working actor, I never had the chance to play a Filipino character who was written to be Filipino. So this truly is a milestone moment in my life and career.

The long answer: I first heard about “On This Side of the World” when I got a notification about auditions for a workshop production at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach. I was seriously shocked in utter disbelief to hear that a theatre I was familiar with was interested in producing a workshop of a musical that had an all-Filipino cast that told Filipino immigrant stories. I think I was doing another show in San Diego at the time so, sadly, I could not audition or even see the workshop. I kind of forgot about the show until another email about auditions popped into my inbox, this time at East West Players.

When I got the audition notification, I was living in Northern California in Berkeley, even farther away. But I also noticed that this time around, this would be a fully staged and produced version, not a workshop. I had waves of emotions- excitement, fear, joy, and sadness. I was excited the show was finally being fully produced. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to even submit being so far away. I was joyful that it was just happening, period. And I was sad that it would likely never happen for me. But I told myself I could not miss the opportunity this time around.

After consulting with my spouse, Juztine, I took the leap of faith and submitted for an audition/callback. We were already planning on a move to LA in June of 2023, so working on this production would have me heading South just a little earlier than planned. I got a callback, took an 8 hour bus ride to Los Angeles, did the two callbacks, and bussed back up to the Bay Area. I presumed I wouldn’t get cast because I was seriously a fan of every actor in that room and I was sure someone else would be cast over me. Typical actor thoughts, you know. But I’m truly thankful for this opportunity and I pinch myself every day because being able to play these characters in this musical, with this cast and team is a dream come true.

Which character’s story from “On This Side Of The World” resonated with you the most and why?

I don’t know if I can choose just one character. Perhaps one that I resonate most with I don’t even play! The song, “In this Kitchen” features a character cooking with his Lola. I was really close with my Lola Moding (Modesta), and I carry her spirit with me every day. I got her signature tattooed on my forearm shortly after she passed so I would see her name every day as a reminder of the respect, kindness, joy, and love that she taught me and all of my siblings and cousins. But there are characters anyone can connect to, whether you’re Filipino or not, that’s why this show so beautiful. Humans experiencing human emotions, struggles, and triumphs.

Can you share any anecdotes/fun stories from rehearsals?

Our rehearsal journey was so much fun but it also brought a ton of tears. Our ASM, Mikayla Bettner, was so wonderful by being prepared with tissues at the ready at any given moment. I can say with confidence that one or more of us cried every single rehearsal. Happy tears, for sure. We’re just so proud of the work everyone on the team (cast, crew, design team, etc.) has put in and it’s been such a pleasure to see everyone’s work shine. Sometimes while driving home after work, we just start crying thinking about the work done that night or just about the existence of the show in general.

Throughout our time with HypnoticAsia, we’ve seen Asian American representation blossom in the last few years. As we reflect on AANHPI/AAPI Heritage Month, what are your thoughts on this evolution and what do you think the next milestone will be?

It really has been really exciting seeing these historic moments in Asian American history as we prepared and rehearsed for this show. Just before we started, we saw incredible wins at the Oscars, and as we rehearsed, the first all-Filipino cast on Broadway also started their journey to the Great White Way for “Here Lies Love”.

I love this AAPI community for being so supportive of one another- from video shout-outs on social media to shout-outs in live speeches. Representation is so important. Taking up space is so important. We’ve been excluded for so many years, forced in the background or supporting roles. It’s exciting to see all of the stories and productions that are premiering around the world with Asian voices. We’re just scratching the surface at all the stories we Asian people can share and I look forward to all of the artists, the actors, the writers, etc. that will develop in young minds as a direct result of this visibility.

Is there a musical you’ve always wanted to be a part of?

I’ve had a wonderful career thus far that has given me the chance to check off roles/shows from my bucket list, but I’ve always wanted to do Little Shop of Horrors and maybe the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

If you were not acting, what do you believe you would be doing instead?

When I’m not onstage I love my work backstage as a theater designer! I couldn’t decide one particular focus when I went to college, So I just studied it all- costumes, sets, lighting, sound, and stage management. Professionally, I’ve directed, choreographed, and done scenic, props, and costume design- I love being creative and using all parts of my brain apparently. And when I’m not onstage, I’m also helping plan and organize educational conferences around the nation.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I’m hoping to start doing more work in TV & Film. Work on camera scares me, so that must mean I should try it out, right? The last few years, I’ve been trying to push myself to do things that scare me. It’s worked out alright so far!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a musical actor?

There is no one way to become a musical actor and it’s never too late to start. But I say study the craft, watch shows, take classes, rehearse. And when you’re performing a scene, a song, a dance- make strong choices that align with the story you are telling. Be fearless. And also know your wants, desires, objectives and know the things that might stand in the way of achieving those and think about how those obstacles affect your acting choices.