Join us for a world premiere translation of the Japanese play Manzanar: Our Town by Hisashi Inoue.
Directed and translated by James Yaegashi. Produced by Kimi’iro Playhouse (Akiko Fujiwara and Kaori Takada).

Highly acclaimed author Hisashi Inoue’s Manzanar: Our Town (Japanese title: Manzana, Waga Machi) is an exploration of women’s solidarity in the context of Japanese American internment during WWII. Manzanar, Our Town tells the story of five women of Japanese descent who were sent to Manzanar internment camp and ordered to perform a propaganda play which promotes the camp as a dreamland during WWII. Join us for this special sneak peek into the process of interpreting work across language and culture while remaining true to the author's vision.

Here’s what you can expect for the evening:
At 6:30pm doors open and the reading begins at 7:00pm. Run time is 2.5 hours with an intermission. Join us after the event for conversation, artist talkback and complimentary food and drink.

A suggested donation of $15 per person helps cover artist pay, catering, wine and hospitality costs. Paying artists and hosting our audience is vital to what we do. Thank you for partnering with us in this important work.

Masks and proof of vaccination are required and will be checked at the door.
All events are subject to change or cancellation due to the ongoing pandemic.
Thank you for your understanding!

Cast Bios and Resources for the play can be found on our website

Trigger Warning: "Manzanar: Our Town" portrays an historical event that is founded in racist and reactionary beliefs. The play contains language that may be offensive and depicts and describes situations and acts of racism.

Reading of Manzanar, Our Town by Hisashi Inoue is made possible in part with the support from Japan Foundation, New York, and public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by LMCC.