A high school English and drama teacher for 38 years, writer, director, and actor Steve “Spike” Wong is the founder and creative director of Soaring Dragon Endeavors.

He was born in Watsonville in 1952, an era when it was common in town for any neighborhood, like his own, to have households of Croatians, Japanese, Hawaiians, Filipinos, Mexicans, Chinese, Native Americans, and Europeans.

He grew up listening to and experiencing multicultural family stories and cultures. This created in him a lifelong fascination with the heart of every story. He has written, directed, and acted for Santa Cruz Actors’

Theatre for many years, and also for Cabrillo College. His plays Dragon Skin, Driving Lesson, Countess Befits Her, and Habits appeared originally at the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre “Eight Tens @ 8” Festival; Dragon Skin subsequently played in San Francisco at The Marsh theater in 2019, Habits proceeded to Off Broadway in New York City at the Lion Theatre on W.42nd St., and Driving Lesson was produced in Sydney, Australia.

His recent major work, White Sky, Falling Dragon, a story inspired by his father’s military service in World War II, played at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in 2022, and at the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre in 2024. It is currently being adapted into a screenplay.

Published works of his range from stage plays to academic essays to creative nonfiction, and even some ski writing, appearing in such publications as Climbing magazine, play collections published by Smith and Krauss, and anthologies of short
nonfiction. His academic essay “The Pursuit of Authenticity in Chinese American Writing,” developed in the MFA program at San José State University in 2004, launched his focus on the Chinese American experience. Spike’s passion for pursuing playwrighting reflects his penchant for difficult challenges, artistry and late nights.