The Web premiere of “Garage Door Opener,” hosted by Grateful Crane Ensemble and JAMPilgrimages, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
To watch, go to: https://youtu.be/hqVAI-5hmd0
Just the mention of a “Japanese American Dysfunctional Play” has brought smiles and laughter from Baby Boomer Sansei who grew up in a uniquely JA family environment.
Why is this so? What is it about growing up Sansei and family dysfunction that brings immediate recognition from those who were there to experience it?
These questions and more are addressed in Soji Kashiwagi’s comedy/drama “Garage Door Opener.” In the play, we meet Glenn and Sharon Tanaka, a Sansei brother and sister faced with the daunting task of cleaning out their deceased parents’ garage and house.
As they sift through dozens of empty tofu containers, kamaboko boards and broccoli rubber bands, Glenn and Sharon begin to uncover items from their past that they knew nothing about, and in the process, begin to gain a better understanding of their parents — and themselves — by the items their mom and dad left behind.
The play has been performed at several community events. The video to be shown is from the Tule Lake Pilgrimage..
With special guests The Minidoka Swing Band, and Q&A with Dr. Satsuki Ina, a clinical psychologist and expert on Japanese American family dynamics..She has studied how the camps have impacted not only those who were incarcerated but also subsequent generations.