Established in 1965 by Mako, Rae Creevey, Beulah Quo, Soon-tek Oh, James Hong, Pat Li, June Kim, Guy Lee, and Yet Lock as a place where Asian-American actors could perform roles beyond the stereotypical caricatures they were being limited to in Hollywood.

[4] Current vision statement:[4] East West Players has been called “the nation’s pre-eminent Asian American theater troupe”[5] for their award-winning productions blending Eastern and Western movement, costumes, language, and music.

[7] Notable EWP alumni include actors Mako, Nobu McCarthy, Pat Morita, James Hong, Yuki Shimoda, John Lone, Rodney Kageyama,[8] BD Wong, James Saito, Freda Foh Shen, Lauren Tom, Amy Hill, Alec Mapa, Alan Muraoka, Emily Kuroda, Sala Iwamatsu, Chris Tashima, Anthony Begonia, John Cho, Kal Penn, Daniel Dae Kim, Matthew Yang King, Parvesh Cheena, James Kyson-Lee, Masi Oka, Francois Chau, Jeanne Sakata, Rachna Khatau, Greg Watanabe, Dante Basco, and dramatists Wakako Yamauchi, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, David Henry Hwang, Philip Kan Gotanda, Roberta Uno, R.A. Shiomi, Judith Nihei and Soji Kashiwagi, and Clyde Kusatsu.

East West Players has also had the opportunity to work with many respected artists and faculty such as actors Dennis Dun, Danny Glover,[9] Bill Macy, Takayo Fischer, George Takei, Tsai Chin, and Nancy Kwan, directors, Lisa Peterson and Oskar Eustis, musician Dan Kuramoto and instructors Calvin Remsberg and Fran Bennett.

Past honorees include Tia Carrere, John Cho, Tim Dang, Prince Gomolvilas, Amy Hill, Mako, Mike Shinoda, BD Wong,[12] and Michelle Yeoh.