East West Players (EWP) is proud to present Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct)’s “1 Hour Photo,” written and performed by Tetsuro Shigematsu and directed by Richard Wolfe, June 12-20,.
Navigating this new world of social distancing spawned the innovative solution to bring vAct’s award-winning production “1 Hour Photo” across Canada and to EWP. The production is the fourth offering of the Virtual 55th Anniversary Season of East West Players, “Between Worlds,” led by EWP Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai.
vAct collaborated with a Vancouver based film production company, Brightlight Pictures, to produce a high-quality, 75-minute cinematic adaptation of “1 Hour Photo” accompanied by a live talkback with Shigematsu.
Called “superbly written and performed” (Review Vancouver), “1 Hour Photo” is a true, moving portrait of a Japanese Canadian man’s quest to find beauty in the depths of a savage century, as he journeys from finding love in a World War II incarceration camp to rebuilding his life as a scientist, businessman, and father.
A heartfelt exploration of a life well-lived, “1 Hour Photo” employs the use of intricately crafted miniatures to explore the artifact of Mas Yamamoto’s life inside and beyond internment.
“In this elegant, moving production we learn about the forced incarceration of Japanese Canadians from the memories of Mas Yamamoto,” says Desai. “Tetsuro’s animated and heartfelt storytelling, coupled with Susan Miyagishima’s intricate, transporting miniatures, create an experience that you won’t want to miss.”
vAct is the only theatre company in Canada that exclusively creates new Asian Canadian work, at all levels: In scripts, on stage, in the producer’s chair. Bringing artistic excellence from the Asian diaspora, uplifting narratives previously unseen.
Shigematsu is a former writer for “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” In 2004, he became the first person of color to host a daily national radio program in Canada, where he wrote and produced over 50 pieces of radio drama. His solo work “Empire of the Son” has played in 18 cities to over 20,000 people, and was described by Colin Thomas as “one of the best ever to come out of Vancouver. Ever.”
“1 Hour Photo” was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General’s Award Award for Drama.
Showtimes: June 12 at 8 p.m., June 13 at 5 p.m., June 18 at 7 p.m., June 19 at 7 p.m., June 20 at 5 p.m. Single tickets and more information are available at www.eastwestplayers.org.
East West Players is the nation’s largest producer of Asian American theatrical works.