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Youth Tour
Created in the early 1970s, the East West Players' Theatre for Youth was
designed to promote cultural understanding and racial tolerance among
youth. Today, the program has grown to meet the ever-increasing
diversity in our society. Stimulating the minds of youth through
performance based and participatory theatrical programs, Theatre for
Youth illustrates the incredible wealth of the Asian American cultural
experiences and is the perfect platform for discovering Asian Pacific
people and cultures.
This year, East West Players' Theatre for Youth is proud
to present DAWN'S LIGHT: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi.
What people are saying about Dawn's Light: The Journey of Gordon
Hirabayashi:
"I was going to text, but couldn't help but pay attention."
-student at San Gorgonio High School, San Bernardino
"Performances
like Dawn's Light are a vital component of the cultural enrichment
experience in libraries, and I'm thrilled that East West Players chose
the San Fernando Library as a venue."
-Lydia Harlan, Librarian at San Fernando Public Library
" Thank
you so much for inviting us to the play today, my students were talking
about it all afternoon and were really impressed with the actor. They
also noticed the connection between how Japanese Americans were treated
and how they feel they are sometimes treated as Mexican Americans -
interesting."
-Kerrie Egerton, Teacher at Los Angeles High School
"The students gained immense knowledge of the
time from the content of the play and its delivery. Students could
easily understand the play and were completely engaged for the entire
production. Afterwards, the actor and the play’s author took time to
answer the students' questions. The time was extremely valuable as the
students processed the content of the play and made connections to
their prior learning. Los Angeles High School would welcome East West
Players anytime and would wholeheartedly recommend any other
school inviting theater to their campus."
-Cynthia A. Headrick, Assistant Principal at Los Angeles High School
"Dawn's
Light was a very powerful performance at Pacific High School. It was
great to see our students be exposed to the performing arts and
Japanese American history, which is something our students definitely
need. All students from various ninth to twelfth grade classes
benefited from this great program from East West Players."
-Roderick Conwi, Teacher at Pacific High
School
"I was very
moved by Mr. Kushi's powerful performance and am sure others were too.
At the end of the program, one woman in the audience stood up and
reminisced about the hardships, indignities and prejudices that
Japanese Americans went through during WWII."
-Rafael Gonzalez, Community Library Manager at Baldwin Park
Library
" We
have worked with East West Players for three years. The student
performances are outstanding and engage middle school learners.
Dawn's Light is entertaining, while shedding light on the injustice
during the time of Japanese Internment. Our students leave the
performance with a knowledge of the historical context of these events,
and an appreciation for the civil liberties that we now enjoy. The
shows are designed to promote understanding of the Asian American
experience, and build tolerance for other cultures. East West Players
is an invaluable part of our diversity curriculum.”
-Donna Jacobson, Principal at Richard Merkin Middle School
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Dawn's Light:
The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi
(2010 Tour)
Featuring Blake Kushi
Directed by Leslie Ishii
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Download the DAWN'S LIGHT Study Guide
East West Players - Theatre for Youth
presents
DAWN'S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASHI
by Jeanne Sakata
A one man show based on a true
story. During the Japanese Internment of WWII, UW student Gordon
Hirabayashi refused evacuation orders as a violation of his civil rights
and become a federal prisoner. His 1942 conviction was not overturned
until 1987. The story begins in the early 1980's retired professor of
sociology Gordon Hirabayashi has arrived home when he receives a life
changing phone call. Although the caller's identity remains unknown,
we learn the call concerns a court case Gordon passionately fought in
the early 1940's as a college student, and the recent discovery of some
secret papers that could result in the historic re-opening of his case.
Through the play we will follow the historical journey of one man's
conviction and passion for the US Constitution.
DAWN'S LIGHT is suitable
for grades 7-12 and toured from February 15 to
March 30, 2010.
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This program sponsored by |
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Contact Arts Education Coordinator Yumi Iwama to book now at
213.625.7000 x21 or ewpyouth@eastwestplayers.org.
East West Players - Theatre for Youth program is supported by:
- Southern California Edison
- California Community Foundation
- City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs
- Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
- Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County
Arts Commission
- California Civil Liberties Public Education Program
- Met Life Foundation
- LAArtsEd.org
- And supporters like you!
© EAST WEST PLAYERS
The Nation's Premier Asian American Theatre.
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