Artists at Play and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Share Women's Stories of Internment and Resilience

Chay Yew's frank drama, Question 27, Question 28 will be presented by Artists at Play and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066. The reading is directed by Alison De La Cruz and will perform on Sunday, February 26 at 3 pm at the Black Box in the Aratani Theatre. Ticket reservations are available at http://bit.ly/2k4KJku.

In 1942, ten weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The order authorized the removal and unjust internment of 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II. Yew's play traces this moment in history serving not only as a reminder of the past, but as a cautionary tale for the present.

"During this time of increased racial and religious tension, Artists at Play felt it was necessary to join the many voices speaking out against discrimination towards the Muslim community," said Producing Artistic Leader Stefanie Lau. "Question 27, Question 28 provides another avenue to show that xenophobia and the scapegoating of an entire group of people is wrong, dehumanizing and not representative of the American values we hold dear."

Based on transcripts, documents, personal testimonies, Question 27, Question 28 weaves stories of the struggles, resilience and courage of female Japanese American detainees held in the American internment camps and the painful aftermath.

The cast includes Shannon Holt, Dian Kobayashi, Marilyn Tokuda and Tamlyn Tomita. The stage manager is Cailin Luneburg. The reading is pay what you can to attend.

About Artists at Play

Founded in 2011 by Julia Cho, Peter J. Kuo, Stefanie Wong Lau and Marie-Reine Velez, Artists at Play is a collective of Asian American creative professionals who have come together to curate quality theatre in Los Angeles. Producing Member Nicholas Pilapil joined Artists at Play in 2013. Artists at Play presents theatrical productions missing from Los Angeles' local landscape to tell the stories of communities underrepresented in theatre, with a focus on the Asian American experience. Past productions include Lauren Yee's Ching Chong Chinaman, A. Rey Pamatmat's Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, Michael Golamco's Cowboy Versus Samurai, playwright Julia Cho's 99 Histories, Madhuri Shekar's In Love and Warcraft and most recently the world premiere of Carla Ching's The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up. Dedicated to new play development, Artists at Play has also developed new works by Boni B. Alvarez, Sanaz Toossi, Alice Tuan and Leah Nanako Winkler, among others as part of their Artists at Play Readings.