Sumiko News

Writer/producer/actor Julia Morizawa's compelling animated short film DRAGONFLY will make its Los Angeles Premiere at the 39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on Sunday, May 7th at 8PM, at the Japanese American National Museum. The film will be screened in the 'Lost and Found' animation program, depicting discarded dreams, forgotten memories, missing pieces and where it can be put back together again.

Following a successful run on the global film festival circuit, Altered Innocence has announced the North American release of Graham Kolbeins' feature debut Queer Japan. 

Following a successful run on the global film festival circuit.

One of Japan's most prolific independent animation artists, Tomoyasu Murata (b. 1974, Tokyo) has steadily created breathtaking, boundary-breaking stop motion animated films over the last two decades. Inspired by the expressive power of traditional Japanese bunraku puppet theater, Murata's films—at once tender, whimsical and mysterious—deal with themes of memory, absence andmujo (the Buddhist concept of impermanence) through the cinematic manipulation of his meticulously handcrafted puppets and fantastical miniature sets.

Rob Maesaka, a St. Louis playwright, receives the opportunity to have one of his works premiered with Mustard Seed Theatre's presentation of his play, WHITE TO GRAY. It's an engaging piece of theatre that tells an interesting story that's dramatic and even occasionally funny at times. Judging a new play can sometimes be a challenge because it's unique; there's never been a production for the viewer to gauge it against. But for viewers and critics alike, that's the fun part of seeing something fresh. We have no expectations going in, so we're being engaged by the actors and playwright for the first time. On the whole, I would say this is an entertaining show that features a number of good performances, and it covers a period of time that is ripe with dramatic possibilities that the writer explores. Maesaka's play, and Mustard Seed's production of it is definitely worthy of your time and attention.

Slaughter House Theatre Company's West Coast premiere of Dirty wonderfully involves, intrigues, then incites indignation while always keeping its audience interested.

RLS Productions will present the West Coast premiere of DIRTY, written by Kennedy Center Playwright Award-winner Andrew Hinderaker and directed by Obie Award-winner Shannon Cochran (August: Osage County, Bug). DIRTY will preview tonight, November 12; Thursday, November 13 & Friday, November 14 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, November 15 at 8pm and will run through Sunday, December 21 at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., in West Hollywood.

RLS Productions will present the West Coast premiere of DIRTY, written by Kennedy Center Playwright Award-winner Andrew Hinderaker and directed by Obie Award-winner Shannon Cochran (August: Osage County, Bug). DIRTY will preview on Wednesday, November 12; Thursday, November 13 & Friday, November 14 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, November 15 at 8pm and will run through Sunday, December 21 at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., in West Hollywood.

Music From Japan and its Artistic Director, Naoyuki Miura, are thrilled to announce Festival 2011: a weekend of events in New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center (Feb 12 & 13, 2011), and a concert at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC (Feb 16).

Music From Japan and its Artistic Director, Naoyuki Miura, are thrilled to announce Festival 2011: a weekend of events in New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center (Feb 12 & 13, 2011), and a concert at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC (Feb 16).

WeildWorks is pleased to announce the New York Premiere of Fêtes de la Nuit, Charles L. Mee's sexy meditation on lust, beauty and the divine experience of love. Fêtes de la Nuit is directed and choreographed by Kim Weild, who incorporates American Sign Language into a production that features three Deaf actors. The show runs from February 8 - 27, 2010 in a limited engagement at the Ohio Theatre, located at 66 Wooster Street (between Spring & Broome) in Soho, NY. Previews begin February 8 for a February 11 opening.