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{ "url_title": "Plays on incarceration", "title_sort": "playsonincarceration", "links": { "json": "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/api/0.1/articles/Plays%20on%20incarceration/?format=api", "html": "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Plays%20on%20incarceration?format=api" }, "modified": "2024-02-06T02:34:09", "title": "Plays on incarceration", "body": "<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\n <p>\n A wide range of plays that incorporate some significant aspect of the Japanese American removal and incarceration story have been produced since the 1950s. A list of such plays is below.\n </p>\n <p>\n The list includes only plays that have been either published or performed before an audience made up of the general public, whether in a full production or as part of a workshop or staged reading. Though most are set at least in part in the concentration camps, the list also includes plays set during the war years but not in camp, plays set in the resettlement period, and plays set after the war that include flashbacks to the camps or involve significant issues traceable to the incarceration.\n </p>\n <p>\n The range of styles and subjects is a broad. The first produced play set in camp in likely\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"/Hiroshi_Kashiwagi/\" title=\"Hiroshi Kashiwagi\">\n Hiroshi Kashiwagi\n </a>\n 's\n <i>\n Laughter and False Teeth\n </i>\n (1954). Other pioneering works include Sook-tek Oh's\n <i>\n Tondemonai—Never Happen!\n </i>\n (1970) and Momoko Iko's\n <i>\n Gold Watch\n </i>\n . In 1981–82, two Asian American theater companies—East-West Players (EWP) in Los Angeles and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (PART) in New York—devoted their seasons to plays on the incarceration, inspired in part by the ongoing movement for\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"/Redress_movement/\" title=\"Redress movement\">\n redress and reparations\n </a>\n . EWP's slate included Richard France's\n <i>\n Station J\n </i>\n , Dom Magwili's\n <i>\n Christmas in Camp\n </i>\n ,\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"/Wakako_Yamauchi/\" title=\"Wakako Yamauchi\">\n Wakako Yamauchi\n </a>\n 's\n <i>\n 12–1–A\n </i>\n , and Edward Sakamoto's\n <i>\n Pilgrimage\n </i>\n ; PART's also produced\n <i>\n Station J\n </i>\n , as well as Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro's\n <i>\n Behind Enemy Lines\n </i>\n and Lionelle Hamanaka's\n <i>\n Rohwer\n </i>\n .\n </p>\n <p>\n In recent years, there have been several musicals (the first was Gary Iwamoto's\n <i>\n Miss Minidoka 1943\n </i>\n , produced by the Northwest Asian American Theatre in 1987; others include\n <i>\n Christmas in Camp\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Christmas in Camp II\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n A Jive Bomber's Christmas\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Baseball Saved Us\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n The Camp Dance: The Music & the Memories\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Manzanar: Story of an American Family\n </i>\n , and most recently,\n <i>\n Allegiance\n </i>\n ), a number that tell the story through a multi-ethnic lens (\n <i>\n Bronzeville\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Conjunto\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Harry Kelly\n </i>\n , and\n <i>\n Valley of the Heart\n </i>\n ), and two that might be described as puppet shows (\n <i>\n E.O. 9066\n </i>\n and\n <i>\n The Pink Dress\n </i>\n ). Several tell the story of real historical figures, including two on\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"/Gordon_Hirabayashi/\" title=\"Gordon Hirabayashi\">\n Gordon Hirabayashi\n </a>\n (\n <i>\n Point of Order: Hirabayashi v. U.S.\n </i>\n and\n <i>\n Dawn's Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi\n </i>\n /\n <i>\n Hold These Truths\n </i>\n ). Several have also been developed specifically for performance in schools (\n <i>\n The Ancestor's Box\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Baseball Saved Us\n </i>\n ,\n <i>\n Justice at War\n </i>\n , and\n <i>\n Within the Silence\n </i>\n ).\n </p>\n <p>\n There has been no published study specifically on plays having to do with Japanese American incarceration.\n </p>\n <div id=\"authorByline\">\n <b>\n Authored by\n <a class=\"encyc notrg\" href=\"/Brian_Niiya/\" title=\"Brian Niiya\">\n Brian Niiya\n </a>\n , Densho\n </b>\n </div>\n <div id=\"citationAuthor\" style=\"display:none;\">\n Niiya, Brian\n </div>\n <div class=\"section\" id=\"For_More_Information\">\n <h2>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"For_More_Information\">\n For More Information\n </span>\n </h2>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <p>\n Kurahashi, Yuko.\n <i>\n Asian American Culture on Stage: The History of the East West Players\n </i>\n . New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1999.\n </p>\n <p>\n Lee, Josephine.\n <i>\n Performing Asian America: Race and Ethnicity on the Contemporary Stage\n </i>\n . Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997.\n </p>\n <p>\n Morioka-Steffens, Tamayo Irene. \"Asian Pacific American Identities: An Historical Perspective Through the Theatre Productions of the East West Players, 1965 to 2000. Ph.D. dissertation, Claremont Graduate School, 2003.\n </p>\n <p>\n Uno, Roberta.\n <i>\n Unbroken Thread: An Anthology of Plays by Asian American Women\n </i>\n . Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993.\n </p>\n <p>\n Xu, Wenying.\n <i>\n Historical Dictionary of Asian American Literature and Theater\n </i>\n . Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Scarecrow Press, 2012.\n </p>\n </div>\n </div>\n <div class=\"section\" id=\"Plays_that_Reference_Forced_Removal/Incarceration\">\n <h2>\n <span id=\"Plays_that_Reference_Forced_Removal/Incarceration\">\n </span>\n <span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Plays_that_Reference_Forced_Removal.2FIncarceration\">\n Plays that Reference Forced Removal/Incarceration\n </span>\n </h2>\n <div class=\"section_content\">\n <p>\n [\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/12-1-A%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n https://resourceguide.densho.org/12-1-A%20(play)/\n </a>\n <i>\n 12-1-A\n </i>\n ] (Wakako Yamauchi, 1982)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Allegiance\n </i>\n (Jay Kuo, Lorenzo Thione, and Marc Acito, 2012)\n </p>\n <p>\n [\n <a class=\"external free offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Ancestors'%20Box%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Ancestors'%20Box%20(play)/\n </a>\n The Ancestors' Box (play)\n <i>\n The Ancestors' Box\n </i>\n ] (Christina Hamlett, 2013)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Baseball%20Saved%20Us%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Baseball Saved Us\n </i>\n </a>\n (Ken Mochizuki, 2003)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Behind%20Enemy%20Lines%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Behind Enemy Lines\n </i>\n </a>\n (Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro, 1982)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/A%20Question%20of%20Loyalty/The%20Betrayed%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n The Betrayed\n </i>\n </a>\n (Hiroshi Kashiwagi, 2010)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Block%208%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Block 8\n </i>\n </a>\n (Matthew Ivan Bennett, 2009)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Bronzeville%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Bronzeville\n </i>\n </a>\n (Tim Toyama and Aaron Woolfolk, 2009)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Cowboy Samurai\n </i>\n (Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro, 1991)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n The Camp Dance: The Music & the Memories\n </i>\n (Soji Kashiwagi, 2003)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Christmas%20in%20Camp%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Christmas in Camp\n </i>\n </a>\n (Dom Magwili, 1981, 1985)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Citizen%2013559%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Citizen 13559\n </i>\n </a>\n (Naomi Iizuka, 2006)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Conjunto%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Conjunto\n </i>\n </a>\n (Oliver Mayer, 2003)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Dawn's Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi\n </i>\n (see\n <i>\n <a class=\"encyc rg\" href=\"/Hold_These_Truths_(play)/\" title=\"Hold These Truths (play)\">\n Hold These Truths\n </a>\n </i>\n )\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Dear%20Miss%20Breed%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Dear Miss Breed\n </a>\n </i>\n (Joanne Oppenheim, 2007)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Dust%20Storm%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Dust Storm\n </i>\n </a>\n (Rick Foster, 2002)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/E.O.%209066%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n E.O. 9066\n </i>\n </a>\n (Liebe Wetzel, 2003)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Gila%20River%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Gila River\n </i>\n </a>\n (Lane Nishikawa, 1999)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Gold%20Watch%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Gold Watch\n </i>\n </a>\n (Momoko Iko, 1972)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Harry%20Kelly%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Harry Kelly\n </i>\n </a>\n (Harold Heifezt, 1974)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Heart%20Mountain%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Heart Mountain\n </i>\n </a>\n (G. Bruce Smith, 2012)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Heart%20No%20Longer%20Silent%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n The Heart No Longer Silent\n </a>\n </i>\n (Megumi and Elaine Sayoko Yoneoka, 2002)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Hold%20These%20Truths%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Hold These Truths\n </i>\n </a>\n (Jeanne Sakata, 2007)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Hotel%20on%20the%20Corner%20of%20Bitter%20and%20Sweet%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet\n </i>\n </a>\n (Jamie Ford; adapted by Annie Lareau, 2012)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Innocent%20When%20You%20Dream%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Innocent When You Dream\n </i>\n </a>\n (Ken Narasaki, 2007)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Japanese%20American%20Detention%20Camps:%20Stories%20of%20Strength%20and%20Hope%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Japanese American Detention Camps: Stories of Strength and Hope\n </a>\n ]\n </i>\n (Megumi, 1997)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/A%20Jive%20Bomber's%20Christmas%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n A Jive Bomber's Christmas\n </i>\n </a>\n (Saachiko and Dom Magwili, 1994)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Justice%20at%20War%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Justice at War: The Story of the Japanese Internment Camps\n </a>\n </i>\n (Mimi Jo Katano, Wendy Lement, and Jordan Winer, 1994)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Laughter%20and%20False%20Teeth%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Laughter and False Teeth\n </i>\n </a>\n (Hiroshi Kashiwagi, 1954)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Letters%20to%20Eve%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Letters to Eve\n </a>\n </i>\n (Daniel Sugimoto, 2016)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Little%20Women%20(A%20Multicultural%20Transposition)%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Little Women (A Multicultural Transposition)\n </i>\n </a>\n (Velina Hasu Houston, 2017)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Manzanar: An American Story\n </i>\n (Philip Kan Gotanda, 2005)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Manzanar:%20Story%20of%20an%20American%20Family%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Manzanar: Story of an American Family\n </i>\n </a>\n (Dan Taguchi and Rus McCoy, 2002)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Miss%20Minidoka%201943%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Miss Minidoka 1943\n </i>\n </a>\n (Gary Iwamoto, 1987)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Miné, A Name for Herself\n </i>\n (Mary H. Curtin and Theresa Larkin, 2005)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Nihonjin Face\n </i>\n (Janet Hayakawa and Tere Martínez, 2017)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Nisei%20Monologues:%20Children%20of%20the%20Camps%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n The Nisei Monologues: Children of the Camps\n </a>\n </i>\n (Crystal d. Langley, 2007)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/No-No%20Boy%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n No-No Boy\n </a>\n </i>\n (Ken Narasaki, 2010)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Old%20Man%20River%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Old Man River\n </i>\n </a>\n (Cynthia Gates Fujikawa, 1997)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Pilgrimage\n </i>\n (Edward Sakamoto, 1982)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Pink%20Dress%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n The Pink Dress\n </i>\n </a>\n (Leslie K. Gray, 2005)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Point of Order: Hirabayashi v. U.S.\n </i>\n (R.A. Shiomi, 1983)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Question%2027,%20Question%2028%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Question 27, Question 28\n </i>\n </a>\n (Chay Yew, 2004)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/A%20Question%20of%20Loyalty/The%20Betrayed%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n A Question of Loyalty\n </i>\n </a>\n (Hiroshi Kashiwagi, 1990)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Rohwer%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Rohwer\n </i>\n </a>\n (Lionelle Hamanaka, 1982)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Santa%20Anita%20'42%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Santa Anita '42\n </a>\n </i>\n (Allan Knee, 1975)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Shoulders\n </i>\n (Jeffrey Kinghorn, 2012)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Sisters%20Matsumoto%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Sisters Matsumoto\n </i>\n </a>\n (Philip Kan Gotanda, 1999)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Station%20J%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Station J\n </i>\n </a>\n (Richard France, 1981)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Strands%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Strands\n </a>\n </i>\n (D.H. Naomi Quinones, 2002)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n Tachinoki\n </i>\n (Robert Schenkkan, 1987)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Tondemonai-Never%20Happen!%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Tondemonai—Never Happen!\n </i>\n </a>\n (Soon-Tek Oh, 1970)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n The Truth of the Matter\n </i>\n (Karen Ishizukia, 1981)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Uncle%20Gunjiro's%20Girlfriend%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Uncle Gunjiro's Girlfriend\n </a>\n </i>\n (Brenda Wong Aoki, 1998)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Unvanquished%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Unvanquished\n </i>\n </a>\n (Holly Yasui, 1990)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Valley%20of%20the%20Heart%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n Valley of the Heart\n </a>\n </i>\n (Luis Valdez, 2013)\n </p>\n <p>\n [\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/What%20We%20Could%20Carry%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n What We Could Carry\n </i>\n </a>\n (Nikiko Masumoto, 2011)\n </p>\n <p>\n <i>\n With Darkness Behind Us, Daylight Has Come\n </i>\n (Jude Narita, 2001)\n </p>\n <p>\n <a class=\"external text offsite\" href=\"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Within%20the%20Silence%20(play)/\" rel=\"nofollow\">\n <i>\n Within the Silence\n </i>\n </a>\n (Ken Mochizuki, 1998)\n </p>\n <!-- \nNewPP limit report\nCached time: 20240418160758\nCache expiry: 86400\nDynamic content: false\nComplications: []\nCPU time usage: 0.009 seconds\nReal time usage: 0.011 seconds\nPreprocessor visited node count: 30/1000000\nPost‐expand include size: 367/2097152 bytes\nTemplate argument size: 58/2097152 bytes\nHighest expansion depth: 4/40\nExpensive parser function count: 0/100\nUnstrip recursion depth: 0/20\nUnstrip post‐expand size: 0/5000000 bytes\nExtLoops count: 0\n-->\n <!--\nTransclusion expansion time report (%,ms,calls,template)\n100.00% 2.842 1 -total\n 49.79% 1.415 1 Template:Published\n 48.45% 1.377 1 Template:AuthorByline\n-->\n <!-- Saved in parser cache with key encycmw:pcache:idhash:2547-0!canonical and timestamp 20240418160758 and revision id 36047\n -->\n </div>\n </div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"toplink\">\n <a href=\"#top\">\n <i class=\"icon-chevron-up\">\n </i>\n Top\n </a>\n</div>", "categories": [ "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/api/0.1/categories/Arts/?format=api" ], "sources": [], "coordinates": {}, "authors": [ "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/api/0.1/authors/Brian%20Niiya/?format=api" ], "ddr_topic_terms": [], "prev_page": "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/api/0.1/articles/Plantations/?format=api", "next_page": "http://encyclopedia.densho.org/api/0.1/articles/Pleasure%20of%20Plain%20Rice%20(short%20story)/?format=api" }