From DiscoverNikkei.org

Philip Kan Gotanda

Ceramist, musician, playwright, filmmaker (b.1951)

"If August Wilson is deemed to be the voice of African America, then undoubtedly Philip Kan Gotanda is the chronicler of the Japanese American experience."
Describes the home Gotanda and his wife, actress Diane Takei, recently built in the Berkeley Hills area.
"Several tansu chests are found along the walls as well as two wood sculptures carved by Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II. One of them, an eagle on a perch, was given to Gotanda's father, a doctor at an internment camp in Rohwer, Ark. The wry message -- liberty, democracy, in the face of imprisonment -- is not lost on Gotanda or his wife."


Works

  • After the War (2007)
Commissioned by San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, After the War sheds light on the ghost town that was World War II–era Japantown, when more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned by the U.S. government. But what happened when the Japanese Americans came back? Set in the Fillmore District in 1948, After the War tells the story of Chet Monkawa, a second-generation Japanese American and gifted musician, just returned from an internment camp. There, Chet was branded a "No-No Boy" for refusing to sign a loyalty oath to America and be drafted into battle. Now "home" in San Francisco, Chet finds himself having to reconcile his guilty feelings for his brother––a fallen veteran—while fighting against the Japanese American community's shame at the "No-No Boys'" actions, as well as the racist and antipatriotic sentiments that have taken hold within his community. Vowing to make the most of circumstances beyond his control, Chet forms unlikely bonds and deep connections with his boarders––an unexpected array of characters who struggle to breath new life into their neighborhood while redefining themselves for a postwar world.
After the War. American Conservatory Theater Performance Program vol. 13, no. 6 (March/April 2007). (PDF; 3.2Mb)
The published program for the play's world-premiere production includes "From the Playwright" (pp. 10-11), an illustrated article about San Francisco's historic Japantown during World War II by Elizabeth Broderson ("The Fillmore was Tough but Happenin'", pp. 12-16), and a timeline of Japanese-American internment during World War II (pp. 17-18).
Caridad Svich, "Philip Kan Gotanda's After the War". Theatre Bay Area (2007).
"Philip Kan Gotanda's plays have been captivating audiences in the Bay Area, nationally and internationally for more than 10 years. His newest play, After the War, captures the post-World War II lives of 11 Americans of diverse backgrounds who end up living in the same boarding house in San Francisco's Japantown. Reexamining the history of a specific neighborhood, Gotanda continues his career-long obsession with the reclamation of lost or misunderstood stories. Indeed, After the War brings Gotanda back to issues surrounding the internment crisis, which he originally explored in his play Sisters Matsumoto."
"Philip Kan Gotanda". SPARK - KQED Arts and Culture, May 2007. (Video, 13:50) (requires RealMedia player)
San Francisco public television station KQED interviews Gotanda about his latest play, After the War. Includes an Educator Guide (PDF).
Reviews:
Dennis Harvey, Review. Variety, March 30, 2007.
Carol Benet, "Bumping Along, After the War". artssf.com vol. 9, no. 77 (March 30, 2007).
Dan Balcazo and Michael Portaniere, "All Over the Map". Theatermania.com (March 26, 2007)
Nina Thorsen, "New Philip Kan Gotanda play premieres". The California Report, March 23, 2007. (RealMedia streaming audio)


  • Under the Rainbow (2005)
Comprised of two one-act plays. The first, "Natalie Wood Is Dead," focuses on a mother and daughter and their experiences with the Hollywood acting scene. The second piece, "White Manifesto," is a monologue by a privileged white male with a penchant for Asian women.
Production web site (Asian American Theater Company)
Under the Rainbow had its world premiere production at the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco, February 24-March 12, 2005. Includes extensive links to articles and reviews about the production.


  • Yohen (1999)
Set in California in 1986, Yohen is about James, an African American ex-GI, and Sumi, his Japanese wife. After 30 years of marriage, Sumi re-evaluates the relationship and separates from James. Attempting to reconnect, the couple must face their differences and look back before they can move ahead. Yohen is a Japanese pottery term that refers to irregular color mixing which takes place in the kiln. The results are as unpredictable as the evolution of a marriage. In the end, it is up to the viewer to decide whether or not the creation has been made more beautiful by the imperfection.
Reviews:
Terry Hong, "The Gift of Yohen". AsianWeek, September 5, 2003.
Robert Hurwitt, "'Yohen' hits most of its targets while pulling no punches". San Francisco Chronicle, September 16, 2003.
Anita Gates, "A Kiln Test for a 30-Year Interracial Marriage". New York Times, October 24, 2006.


フィリップ・カン・ゴタンダ／作　吉原豊司／訳　高橋清祐／演出
Play by Philip Kan Gotanda. Story about three sisters of Matsumoto family during and after the World War II. It was translated into Japanese and played in Japan in 2004.
メープルリーフプロデュースで、日系三世フィリップ・カン・ゴタンダ氏の作品が、神山寛の主演で、三百人劇場にて上演（2003年）。父親をモデルに作られた作品で、第2次大戦期の日系2世の苦悩を描く。
Story about the hardship of Nisei during the World War II.
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