traci has been acting, writing and performing in theatre and performance platforms since 1995, when she began investigating theatre by participating in readings and workshops with artists and other students on and off campus, while a student at Cal State Fullerton studying Criminal Justice, Child Development and Asian American Studies.  She continued to stretch her neck in curiosity but kept her interest in acting, writing and theatre somewhat secret until she saw the Asian American touring theatre company, hereandnow.  Seeing people her age, from her community, taking the stage as principal players in the narrative and PLAYING through sketch, storytelling, improvisation...something clicked inside and resonated deeply with her sensibility of working collaboratively with people to claim their own stories, their own truths. They announced auditions after a show and she knew in a moment that THEATRE, storytelling and connecting with people through ART is exactly what she wanted to do...

Since then, traci has never gone a year without touring - as it has been a great part of her professional career path, but also because it allows her to continually grow in company/collaborative/ensemble practice alongside some of the most exciting inter-disciplinary artists -actors, filmmakers, playwrights, poets, musicians, dancers, choreographers, directors and theatre devisors- from all over the country including, of course, innumerable creative spirits right at home in Los Angeles.  There have been many times, in theatre especially, where she has gone into a residency or production in another city to be able to work with cohorts from back at home.

(to be continued...)

Recent highlights:

Actor - As an actor/writer, she is one half of the award-winning PULLproject, recipient of the sole Continuation Grant award for 2016/2017 from the Network of Ensemble Theaters; East West Players’ “Our American Voice” for the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition, “I Want The Wide American Earth”; Eventual Ashes' "Hiding Words" at EnWave Theatre in Toronto, Canada; Jason Fong's musical "Old People Play" - a workshop production at Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles.

Theatre Deviser - has worked in numerous collaborations to devise performance out of storytelling and writing with artists of multiple disciplines, activists, and students - including several opportunities to work with Japanese American & American Muslim storytellers, elders and young organizers for the Los Angeles Day Of Remembrance and with Edge Of The World, a non-illusory, Neo Futurist-inspired production with shows in New York and Philadelphia.

Writer/Performer - “Homage to Yuri Kochiyama” for the Los Angeles Memorial for Yuri; Keynote & Performer for the 20th Anniversary Dinner of the CSU Fullerton Asian American Studies Program; Closing performance for the NeighborWorks national summit of community development, policy and advocacy organization executive directors and leaders throughout the nation; Getty Arts Foundation Keynote & Poet; Featured poet for Breakin' Down the Beat alongside Mayda Del Valle, Aleshea Harris and Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Skirball Cultural Center.