“Paper Flowers,” adapted by screenwriter/director Alli Kiko Masloske from her award-winning teleplay, is making its stage premiere at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Upcoming performances at the Promenade Playhouse at LAPAC (Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory), 1534 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood: Saturday, June 20, at 8:40 p.m.; Saturday, June 27, at 3:10 p.m.; Sunday, June 28,at 2:40 p.m.
In 1970 Chicago, a Japanese American family finds their seemingly peaceful routine upended by racial tensions over the Vietnam War. With its ambitious 11-cast ensemble and nonlinear structure, “Paper Flower” examines the cycle of generational trauma and finding strength through community. Drawing parallels between 1970 and the World War II U.S. incarceration camps, the show plays with the continuity of memory and what it means to survive.
At its core, it’s about how love in all shapes and forms can be an active form of resistance. With “Paper Flowers,” Masloske aims to shine a spotlight on how the same hostilities and prejudices continue to get recycled throughout the decades, mirroring what many immigrant and Latino communities face today.
A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and Nikkei Progressives, organizations dedicated to advocating for immigrant rights and justice.
The teleplay was written during the CAPE New Writers Fellowship in 2024 and went on to win multiple awards, including the grand prize for a drama screenplay with the International Screenwriters Association.
Masloske has been working and writing in the TV, film, and game space for nearly a decade. They did take a brief detour during the writers’ strike and became a zookeeper. They pride themselves on telling stories that tackle tougher topics with grace, humor, and a lot of heart.
Masloske has previously worked on shows for Netflix, Netflix Animation, Amazon Studios, Lionsgate, Webtoon, AwesomenessTV, Yotta Games, and more.
In addition to writer-director-producer Masloske, the production team includes Tanya Giang, casting director and co-producer; Dominique Jakowec, set designer/props; Brielle Biscocho, intimacy director; Meleane Havili, mental health coordinator; Nyx Ciel, fight choreographer; Katie Lynn, hair/makeup artist.
The cast: Miley Yamamoto as Nanami Nishiyama; Miya Kodama as Keiko Nishiyama; Staci Ashley as Georgia Herburt; Hiro Matsunaga as Tom Nishiyama; Thomas Winter as Haruto Nishiyama; Evan Cooper Dodgen as Arnold Berggman; Tyler Hustable as Jebb Berggman; Melanie McNulty as Heather Berggman; Moimoi Gilmore as Frank; Dennis Delsing as Mr. Wilde; Nataliia Pierina as Kristine Walshski.
Recommended for ages 13+. The show has a content warning due to strong racial themes, language, staged fighting, implied violence towards protesters, and the implication of guns, which are made of cardboard.
This production is being presented under the auspices of the Actors’ Equity Association Los Angeles.
Tickets: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/ 13651?tab=tickets