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To mark the 66th anniversary of the signing of
Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt which led to
the incarceration of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during
World War II, the Smithsonian APA program proudly presents the
critically acclaimed new play, Innocent When You Dream, by
Ken Narasaki.
Fresh from its Los Angeles world premiere, the
cast arrives intact to present a staged reading of their production,
which was named a Critics Choice by the Los Angeles Times
and a Pick of the Week by LA Weekly.
A Nisei father lies in a hospital bed, only partly
aware of his two adult children who have arrived at his bedside,
unsure their father will survive. While the father returns to his
interned past searching for a lost first love, his children bicker
and argue, not quite ready to let their last parent go. Playwright
Narasaki, whose father was a 44nd veteran (the most decorated unit
in U.S. military history, made up predominantly of Japanese American
young men whose families ironically languished in camps, deprived of
their civil rights), brings to life two disparate generations,
separated by age and experience, bound together by misunderstanding
and, ultimately, deep love.
The reading features the venerable Sab Shimono of
stage and film acclaim as the father. Emily Kuroda and Ken Narasaki
appear as his adult children. John Miyasaki, Sharon Omi and Mike
Hagiwara round out the talented cast.
For more information about the production, please
visit:
www.apa.si.edu
This program is presented by the Smithsonian Asian
Pacific American Program and co-sponsored by the National Japanese
American Memorial Foundation, the Japanese American Citizens League,
and the Japanese American Veterans Association.
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