BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PYVOBJECT//NONSGML Version 1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:events.uid.5418@www.discovernikkei.org DTSTART:20170720T000000Z DTEND:20170720T000000Z DESCRIPTION:<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"T imes New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\ ;The work of the Crusaders\, although obscure and&nbsp\;unknown\, was a me ans by which young people in confinement were able to prove that no physic al boundaries could stop them from transcending beyond the 'barbed wires.' - Yuri Kochiyama (aka &quot\;Mary Nakahara&quot\;) &nbsp\; </strong>\n\n <p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-heigh t:normal"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Ro man"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Play Title: </str ong> <span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"'> &quot\;Bits of Paradise: Koch iyama's Crusaders&quot\;\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin- bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0p t\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times N ew Roman"'>Playwright/Director/Co-Producer/Actor: </strong> <span style=' font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font- family:"Times New Roman"'>Marlan Warren\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:au to\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><strong><span style=' font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font- family:"Times New Roman"'>Co-Collaborator/Actor/Co-Producer: </strong> <s pan style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\;mso-far east-font-family: "Times New Roman"'>Ariel Kayoko Labasan\n\n<p style="mso -margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><st rong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Cast: </strong> <span style=' font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\;mso-fareast-font-f amily: "Times New Roman"'>Ariel Kayoko Labasan\, Douglas N. Hachiya\; Scot t Shima\; Mack Wei\; Jacky Jung\; Zo&euml\; Kim and Marlan Warren \n\n<p s tyle="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:no rmal"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman" \,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Location: </strong> <span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\;mso-f areast-font-family: "Times New Roman"'>Rogue Machine Theatre\, 1089 N. Oxf ord Ave.\, Hollywood\, CA 90029\n<strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;fo nt-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Ro man"'>Performance Dates and Times: </strong> <span style='font-size:12.0pt \;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times Ne w Roman"'> Thurs. July 20\, 2017 (8pm)\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:aut o\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size :12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"T imes New Roman"'>Doors open 1 hour before showtime.\n\n<p style="mso-margi n-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><strong>< span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-f areast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Admission: $10 </strong> <span style ='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\;mso-fareast-font -family: "Times New Roman"'> [Tickets may be purchased at the Box Office o n the day of performance or on the Rogue Machine Theatre &quot\;Buy Ticket s&quot\; Page at: <a href="http://bit.ly/2tR3FqH"><span style="color:blue" >http://bit.ly/2tR3FqH </a>\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-marg in-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;fo nt-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Ro man"'>Please do not call the theater for reservations. Wheelchair access is difficult (the theater is upstairs) but not impossible. Call theater t o arrange Handicap Access at <span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:" Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>(855) 585-5185.\n \n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto\; line-height:normal"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-fam ily:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'> Rogue Machine Theatre Website: </strong> <span style='font-size:12.0pt\;fo nt-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Ro man"'> <a href="http://www.roguemachinetheatre.net/"><span style="color:bl ue">http://www.roguemachinetheatre.net </a>\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-al t:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font -size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-fami ly:"Times New Roman"'><strong>Play Website</strong> : <a href="http://bit. ly/2tSXRto"><span style="color:blue">http://bit.ly/2tSXRto </a>\n\n<p styl e="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:norma l"><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,s erif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>For more info\, contact Marlan at (323) 347-6762 or Email memoircity@gmail.com </strong>\n\n<p sty le="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:norm al"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;Bits of Paradise: Kochiy ama's Crusaders&quot\; will be presented as a staged reading on July 19 (3 pm and 8pm) and July 20 (8pm) at Rogue Machine Theatre (inside The MET The atre\, upstairs in Hollywood).Tickets: $10\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt :auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font- size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-famil y:"Times New Roman"'>The play\, by Marlan Warren in collaboration with Ari el Kayoko Labasan\, focuses on a women's movement founded by renowned huma n rights activist Yuri Kochiyama when she was known as 20-year old &quot\; Mary Nakahara&quot\; and incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps during W orld War II with her fellow Japanese Americans. Calling themselves &quot\; The Crusaders\,&quot\; the girls and women mobilized a morale-boosting let ter-writing campaign that ensured that &quot\;any soldier missing a letter &quot\; would receive mail. \n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-mar gin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;f ont-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New R oman"'>&quot\;The performances will be more 'staged' than 'reading\,'&quot \; explained Warren\, who co-produces with Labasan\, and directs the play. &quot\;Some actors may not be holding scripts\, and there will be action sequences\, props and costumes.&quot\;\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:aut o\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size :12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"T imes New Roman"'>Warren originally directed and produced &quot\;Bits of Pa radise&quot\; as a Reader's Theater piece at The Marsh Theatre in San Fran cisco in 2008.\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt :auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Ti mes New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\; Bits of Paradise places its footprint on the timeline of a much-needed the atrical examination of the Asian American journey.&quot\;--<strong><em>Asi an Week</em> </strong>\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bo ttom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-fa mily:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"' >Recently\, the play was reworked and re-titled &quot\;Bits of Paradise: K ochiyama's Crusaders\,&quot\; after Warren joined forces with actor/playwr ight Ariel Kayoko Labasan\, whose solo show\, &quot\;Yuri Speaks Out!&quot \; played to packed houses at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Labasan will reprise her role as Yuri Kochiyama\, portraying the activist from ages 20 to 84.\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;My first encounter with Yuri Kochiyama was while I was in New York\,&quot\; said L abasan. &quot\;As an actor\, I was seeking out roles that made me feel bra ver. I searched online for 'strong Asian American women in history'...and suddenly she popped up!&quot\;\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-m argin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\ ;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;We wish to thank Rogue Machine Theatre for this amazing op portunity\,&quot\; said Warren. &quot\;They are currently featuring 'Les B lancs' by Lorraine Hansberry\, and their set looks exactly like the interi or of a Japanese American Internment barracks.&quot\;\n\n<p style="mso-mar gin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span s tyle='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast -font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;Before she was nominated for a Nobe l Peace Prize and before she held Malcolm X while he lay dying and before she occupied the Statue of Liberty in protest of injustice\, Yuri Kochiyam a was a young woman in love named Mary Nakahara whose fianc&eacute\;\, Bil l Kochiyama\, had volunteered to fight in order to prove loyalty to the U. S. while the people he loved were held in an American concentration camp.\ n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line-he ight:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman"\ ,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;It sounds like a very dark time\, and in fact it was\,&quot\; said Warren. &quot\;But the contents of The Crusaders Scrapbook in the Japanese American National Mus eum are full of humor and cheer and flirtations.&quot\; In 2001\, Warren w as granted permission by JANM to adapt the scrapbook into a play for educa tional purposes.\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-a lt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:" Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The c ast members are a mix of Asian American heritage\, including two--Douglas N. Hachiya and Scott Shima--who have family members who fought in the lege ndary 442nd Combat Team. \n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin -bottom-alt:auto\; line-height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font -family:"Times New Roman"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roma n"'>The play is an ensemble effort\, as Warren notes: &quot\;Actor Mack We i has outfitted the men with uniforms and rifles from a short film he made \, and Progressive Rags print shop owner\, Radical Jack\, in Miami\, Fla. has donated three 'Free Mumia Abul-Jamal' t-shirts for Yuri to wear.&quot\ ; \n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line -height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roma n"\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The young women pla ying The Crusaders will also appear as octogenarians being interviewed for a documentary. In fact\, Warren has been making a film with the elderly & quot\;Original Crusaders&quot\; since 2008 (&quot\;What did you do in the War\, Mama?: Kochiyama's Crusaders&quot\;). The women in the film are Yuri Kochiyama\, Ruth Ishizaki\, Patricia Goto Takeshita\, and Rinko Shimasaki .\n\n<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto\;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto\; line- height:normal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt\;font-family:"Times New Roman "\,serif\; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>&quot\;Working with this material has been a healing process\,&quot\; said Warren. &quot\;For those whose family history incurred these scars\, it is very personal. And for those of us who feel empathetic with its story of loss and love\, it is also very meaningful.&quot\;\n\n DTSTAMP:20240419T033647Z SUMMARY:Play honors Yuri Kochiyama\, The Crusaders\, and 442nd Infantry: "B its of Paradise: Kochiyama's Crusaders" URL:/en/events/2017/07/20/play-honors-yuri-kochiyama-the-crusaders-and-442/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR