The Young Shakespeareans
ALISON KORMAN Artistic Director / Founder
Alison is an entrepreneur and classically trained actor who, after working in Mexico and Senegal, returned to New York City's Metropolitan Opera and 92nd Street Y before founding her own arts management company, Korman+Company. During 25 years procuring and producing $5 million annually in still photography, she simultaneously performed off-Broadway and in various theatrical venues abroad. Living in Los Angeles since 1997, she has served as an Account Director for the Taproot Foundation, performed for hundreds of schoolchildren with the LA Assistance League’s Nine O’Clock Players, and began teaching Shakespeare to Title 1 elementary school children in South Los Angeles in 2009. She conceived the idea for The Young Shakespeareans Program in 2010, officially founded the organization in 2017, and has developed its curriculum in the conviction that unleashing the awareness and potential of Title 1 public school children transforms their lives while serving the broader community. Alison continues to perform in theatre, film and television. She received her degree in Special Education and Foreign Language from Washington University in St. Louis.
of John Adams Middle School
SO SUNGWAN
So Sungwan has been a dedicated Teacher in LAUSD since 2003, a GATE coordinator since 2015, currently serves as a fifth-grade Teacher at West Vernon Elementary School in South LA. Born in Hong Kong, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology and a Masters of Philosophy in Anthropology, both from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. So came to the United States at 25 years of age to attend USC’s Visual Anthropology program, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photography from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. He enjoys cooking (and eating), and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. So was instrumental in launching The Young Shakespeareans program at West Vernon Elementary School in 2017, continues to serve as its Liaison Teacher, and is dedicated to its growth and the success of its students. He donates his photographic talents to documenting the students’ achievements at school and benefit performances, and is proud to be a member of TYS’ Advisory Council.
