Factory to Present Toronto Premiere of EMPIRE OF THE SON This January

Factory will present the Toronto premiere of EMPIRE OF THE SON, the exhilaratingly original multimedia one-man show by actor, comedian, writer and former CBC radio broadcaster Tetsuro Shigematsu.

From the ashes of Hiroshima to swinging 1960s London, EMPIRE OF THE SON tells the dynamic story of Shigematsu and his emotionally distant and stoic father, Akira, also a former public broadcaster. A compelling father and son story, EMPIRE OF THE SON is also the story of three generations of a Japanese family separated by language, culture and history.

Told through a blend of dramatic storytelling, family video footage, archival audio from Akira's CBC interviews, recordings of phone calls between father and son, and intriguing miniature worlds projected on a screen, EMPIRE OF THE SON is a deeply thoughtful portrayal of parent/child relationships.

Nominated for six Jessie Awards, EMPIRE OF THE SON first wowed critics and audiences when it sold-out its first run at The Cultch in Vancouver, in 2015, before it even opened. Now on a mini-tour of eastern Canada (with stops at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and the Centaur Theatre in Montreal), the show first returned to the Cultch in November for a second smash engagement.

Called the "the voice of our Azn generation" by Ricepaper magazine, Tetsuro Shigematsu was the first person of colour to host a daily national radio program in Canada for CBC Radio. A former writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Shigematsu currently writes for The Huffington Post; can be seen on Spike TV's reality program The Deadliest Warrior, where he talks smack and kills Vikings; and is a PhD student at UBC.

Director Richard Wolfe is a specialist in Contemporary Theatre and performance. Vancouver productions he has helmed have received over 60 Jessie nominations for outstanding artistic achievement in professional theatre, including Canadian premieres of international work such as Ayad Akhtar's The Invisible Hand, Wil Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing), and Jez Butterworth's Mojo.

EMPIRE OF THE SON marks the first presentation of work from Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre at Factory. It also marks the start of Factory's renewed commitment to bring the best of new Canadian writing from across the country to Toronto.

IF YOU GO:

FACTORY presents the 2016/17 Season
"Beyond the Great White North"

EMPIRE OF THE SON
Written by Tetsuro Shigematsu | Directed by Richard Wolfe
January 18 - 29, 2017 (no previews)
OPENING NIGHT: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 @ 8pm
Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street
Starring Tetsuro Shigematsu
Set design by Pam Johnson | Costume design by Barbara Clayden
Lighting design by Gerald King | Sound design by Steve Charles
Documentary audio by Yoshiko & Akira Shigematsu
Produced by Donna Yamamoto
A Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre Production

Tuesday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 2pm,
Saturday, January 28 @ 2pm & 8pm

Ticket prices range from $25-$35
Student, Arts Worker and Senior Prices also available
Purchase in person at Factory, 125 Bathurst Street,
visit factorytheatre.ca or call 416.504.9971

Founded in 1970, Factory was the first theatre company in the nation to devote itself to producing 100% Canadian content. 46 years later, Factory continues to lead in the development and sharing of Canadian stories having produced more than 300 productions from a diverse source of Canadian playwrights and launching the careers of countless theatre professionals.

The 2016/17 Factory season looks beyond Canadian borders to navigate new identities and redefine the meaning of home, as citizens, residents, and visitors, in six plays charting new Canadian experiences.