Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre to Present 'HOLD THESE TRUTHS', 4/15-5/3

Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre (CVRep) concludes its 2014-2015 American Melting Pot-themed season with HOLD THESE TRUTHS, The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi, by Jeanne Sakata. The solo play stars Blake Kushi in a tour de force performance as Gordon Hirabayashi and multiple other roles.

HOLD THESE TRUTHS is the story of Gordon Hirabayashi, an American sociologist best known for his principled resistance to the Japanese-American internment during World War II. As one of only three Japanese-Americans to openly defy internment, Hirabayashi was sentenced to 90 days in federal prison for curfew violations.

"Gordon Hirabayashi should be a household name, like Rosa Parks. While defending his own unyielding position, he was also advocating for 120,000 other Japanese American citizens when he was imprisoned during World War II for defying the federal government's internment of Japanese-Americans," says CV Rep Artistic Director, Ron Celona. "When I saw HOLD THESE TRUTHS several years ago at East West Players in Los Angeles, I knew this was a story that must be told, and that I would one day bring it to the Coachella Valley. While figuring out the right timing to present this production at CVRep, the idea of creating a thematic season of The American Melting Pot came to fruition," Celona explains.

Though the subject matter is serious, HOLD THESE TRUTHS is lighthearted, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny. Described as "surprisingly humorous and openhearted" by the Seattle Times, Jeanne Sakata's script was inspired by hours of interviews conducted with Gordon Hirabyashi and several of his friends from the 1940's.

In May 2012, Gordon Hirabayashi was posthumously awarded our nation's highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama.

HOLD THESE TRUTHS will be performed at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre located at 69930 Highway 111, Suite 116, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 from April 15 to May 3, 2015 with evening performances on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $45 for Adults. $15 for children and college students with ID. To purchase tickets call 760-296-2966, visit www.cvrep.org or purchase them from the CVRep Box Office. The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre (CVRep) is a 501(c)3 Non Profit.

The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre (CVRep) is an educational and dramatic theater organization that presents innovative productions and children's outreach programs designed to enrich the quality of life for Coachella Valley residents and visitors. For more information, call 760-296-2966 or visit www.cvrep.org.