Mark is the executive director of the Cantonese Opera Association in Silicon Valley, which is a nonprofit organization that puts on performances of Cantonese opera in the South Bay.

Mark's organization recently got a boost when Applied Materials and Arts Council Silicon Valley awarded the Cantonese Opera Association a $5,000 grant. The money is part of an annual grant that Applied Materials gives the council to support small and mid-sized cultural groups in Santa Clara County.

Grants administrator Judith Fleitman says Arts Council Silicon Valley selected the Cantonese Opera Association because of its unique cultural offering and Mark's dedication to promoting Cantonese opera.

Mark plans to use the money for a performance San Jose's Historic Hoover Theater on June 18, in which professional performers will enact excerpts of several operas.

Mark says the small theater provides an ideal setting for the performance.

"It's very cozy," she says. "It's perfect because Cantonese opera is intimate. The performers play for the audience and try to interface with the audience. They rarely talk to each other."

Mark has lined up local performers who are professionally trained in Cantonese opera.

"There are no amateurs [in the performance]," she says. "I wanted to present something that's good."

Mark is targeting a diverse audience. For one, she would like to attract immigrants who are already familiar with the art form and want to participate in their culture while living in the United States.

She says she also hopes to instill in Cantonese Americans a renewed interest in their culture.

"The Cantonese people were the first to arrive in California during the Gold Rush," Mark says. "Since then, four to five generations of Chinese-Americans have lived here. I would love to recapture the culture and teach them to appreciate the art of Cantonese opera."

Furthermore, Mark wants to make Cantonese opera accessible to non-Chinese-Americans as well. Each of the association's performances is translated so English speakers can understand the stories.

"My goal is to create a good first-time experience for everyone," Mark says.

For more information about the Cantonese Opera Association or to purchase tickets for the June 18 performance, email Mark at coasv@com cast.net or call 408.855.9999.