The benefit premiere performance of “When Yuri Met Malcolm” will take place on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St. in Little Tokyo.
Told through the prism of her unlikely friendship with Malcolm X (1925-1965), this play, written by Rosie Narasaki and directed by Khalif J. Gillett, explores the legacy of Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014), tracing her journey from Japanese American incarceration camps to a lifetime of activism. What does it mean to be a citizen of a flawed country, and how much can one person do to change it?
Hosted by actor/playwright Jeanne Sakata, the program will feature the play, a post-show conversation about civil rights then and now moderated by May Lee of “The May Lee Show,” and dessert reception in courtyard.
East West Players’ Theatre for Youth touring production for ages 12-17 is being performed at schools and libraries around the Southland.
Tickets: $100, benefiting EWP Arts Education programs, available through Sept 10. Info: www.eastwestplayers.org/wymm-premiere
The next performance of “When Yuri Met Malcolm” will be on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Pio Pico Koreatown Library, 694 S. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles. Info: www.eastwestplayers.org/events/