creativity
on the radio
COMMERCIAL RADIO, Hong Kong
I partnered with an imaginary sidekick: a precocious tap dancing, curly topped 5-year old named "Shirley" when I first arrived in Hong Kong.
She spawned an episodic soap opera that had her driving a taxi, making a bundle of money on the stock market, featuring in a martial arts movie, and getting kidnapped by a triad gang. Featured voice talents were Mr. Sammy her Cantonese tutor, Andy Chworowsky, Job Stewart and Ajay Mehta.
Program Director Mike Souza gave me a lot of creative freedom, but Shirley retired her tap shoes when I left Commercial Radio's English channel and that crazy Saturday afternoon show.
1979 - 1993 Guam USA, Hawaii USA, Hong Kong
KUAM, Guam USA
My first job in radio at a little station on the top of a hill in Agana Guam. I was mentored and encouraged by Station Manager Jon Anderson, newsman Rick Hutto. Channel Director Dave Hoebing and Morning Drive host JQ Fanihi aka Jerry Roberts pictured here.
Here we are at what might best be described as a greenhouse for past, present and still gestating creative projects, all of them collaborative in one way or another, giving me an opportunity to introduce you to some of the talented people I've worked, and I am working with.
KKUA, Honolulu, Hawaii USA
My next radio gig was the 7pm to midnight slot at KKUA Honolulu where I populated my radio show with a cast of characters I performed live.
FM Select, Hong Kong
I was approached to help build a radio station from the ground up. I responded with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" to join Hong Kong's first fluidly bilingual radio station.
I interviewed a number of local fellows before landing on the talented Harry Wong to co-host the show. We were the first voices heard on air when the station launched. Great fun!
CAUGHT IN THE ACT, Hong Kong
This small professional company was formed with old friend and actor Andy Chworowsky. Directors Hilary King and Scott Williams flew in France and the UK respectively to direct "The Baltimore Waltz" and "Ancient History".
Doug Baker directed and performed in four productions. Wonderful talents included: Wendy Mok, Andrea Miller, John Tustin, Gus Scott, Sheri Dorfman, Charles Teo, Peter Lally and Scott Gibson.
BACK TO THE WALL, Hong Kong
In 1995 I approached writer Nury Vittachi to collaborate with me on a one-woman show about what Hong Kong. He agreed assuming it would be a comedy but the journey to the end result took me back to a personal tragedy I witnessed one night on a quiet street in Northpoint.
Back to the Wall is one of the projects of which I am most proud, and made possible through generous sponsorship from Allan Zeman, Daniel Ng and David Tang and many others behind the scenes including
We toured the show along with my Stage Manager, Susan Lim to the 1996 Edinburgh Fringe Festival where we received a glowing 5 star review in The Scotsman... two days before we closed. We performed the show in Australia, Manila and in two separate runs in Hong Kong. It was published in City Stage Hong Kong Playwriting in English.
1976 - 2000 San Francisco USA, Hong Kong
SF OPERA COMPANY, San Francisco USA
My first professional job in the theater was with the San Francisco Opera Company's Spring production of "La Traviata". Quite the thrill! I had done a lot of community theater but that gig as a chorus member officially made me a "pro".
THE ACTORS’ REP, Hong Kong
Founded by Seppie Hope and Sheelagh Cullen in the 1980's, The Actors' Rep was Hong Kong's only fully professional English-language theater company. My first role was as a frog in a show for the Mobil Children's Festival.
I worked with the company as an actor for 7 years and was a contributing writer for the original musical satirical revues "Skitsoid", "Bastoid Son of Skitsoid" and "Paranoid" presented by Commercial Radio.
The creative teams for those shows included, Barry Bakker, Peter Lally, Harry Rolnick, Stuart Wolfendale, Andy Chworowsky, Jenny Tarren, Claire Vousden and Hilary King.
HARMONY & GLITZ, Hong Kong
Hilary and I also produced and directed a Broadway revue the original cast of which was Lindzay Chan, Martin Clarke, Dominic Holmes, Sheri Dorfman and Scott Gibson. Later iterations included Beth Blatt, Jane Fondiller, Allan Seiler and me.
ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ART, Hong Kong
I was invited to teach acting to the dance students at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and directed the Dance Department's first musical production, "Bye Bye Birdie", which I set in a housing estate. Script all in Cantonese, lyrics in English.
curtains up!
PARTNERS IN CRIME Interactive Mystery Theatre, Hong Kong
Co-created with my dear friend Hilary King we wrote, directed and produced seven insane shows, each culminating in either the decapitation, kidnapping, theft, poisoning, electrocution, stabbing or hatchet-ing of a nefarious doctor, rich young playboy, priceless sculpture, rock radio DJ, rising young Broadway star or rightful heir to the jewel encrusted chastity belt of Saint Ammonia The Chaste, hitherto sunk in a trunk at the bottom of the South China Sea.
1999 - 2005 Hong Kong
While pioneering theater as a tool to train and coach clients in Asia, I was also producing corporate entertainment as Strategic Entertainment,
Charles Teo, an HKAPA student was a talented singer, dancer and musician and played a big role as choreographer, composer and co-director at Strategic Entertainment for the many, MANY shows we produced for Sun Hung Kai Properties' shopping malls.
The Good Buddies, a live weekly bilingual, musical, interactive, family show, ran for 4 years at New Town Plaza in Shatin. I wanted to create entertainment that got kids talking with their parents. It was thrilling to watch that happen! Delightful writer Rebekah Walters joined us late 2003. Many HKAPA students were Good Buddies and performed in our seasonal shows.
strategic entertainment
the write stuff
Other creative bits and pieces over the years included a rock n' roll riddle comic strip, contributing a chapter to a great book on applied improvisation, getting a play published, blogging for the Harvard Business Review, and publishing a compilation of the first 4 years of the SCMP newspaper columns as Mixed Nuts.