No-No Boy (play)
Encyclopedia
No-No Boy is a play
written by Ken Narasaki
adapted from the novel of the same title
by John Okada
, originally produced at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California
, in association with Timescape Arts Group. It is a drama
in two acts. (Each act was approximately 50 minutes in length and there was a 15-minute intermission.) The play was directed by Alberto Isaac
, and received its world premiere
on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (There was a preview
on Friday, March 26, 2010 and it closed on Sunday, April 18, 2010.) The story follows a Japanese American
World War II
draft resister as he returns home from prison, in 1946.
, the play follows drafter resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and struggles to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
written by Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
adapted from the novel of the same title
No-No Boy
No-No Boy is the only novel published by Japanese American writer, John Okada. It deals with the aftermath of the Japanese American internment during World War II. The novel begins as Ichiro Yamada is returning home from prison, and follows him as he struggles to come to terms with his decision of...
by John Okada
John Okada
John Okada was a Japanese-American writer. Born in Seattle, Washington, he was a student at the University of Washington when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Okada and his family were interned at Minidoka in 1942...
, originally produced at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, in association with Timescape Arts Group. It is a drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
in two acts. (Each act was approximately 50 minutes in length and there was a 15-minute intermission.) The play was directed by Alberto Isaac
Alberto Isaac
Alberto Isaac was a Mexican film director and screenwriter. In 1980, he was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.-External links:...
, and received its world premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (There was a preview
Preview (theatre)
Previews are a set of public performances of a theatrical presentation that precede its official opening. The purpose of previews is to allow the director and crew to identify problems and opportunities for improvement that weren't found during rehearsals and to make adjustments before critics are...
on Friday, March 26, 2010 and it closed on Sunday, April 18, 2010.) The story follows a Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
draft resister as he returns home from prison, in 1946.
Play summary
Set after World War II as Japanese Americans return to the West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, the play follows drafter resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and struggles to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all.
Characters
- Ichiro Yamada: Nisei draft resister
- Pa: Ichiro's father, IsseiIsseiIssei is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify the Japanese people first to immigrate. Their children born in the new country are referred to as Nisei , and their grandchildren are Sansei...
- Ma: Ichiro's mother, Issei
- Kenji Kanno: wounded 442 vet
- Emi: wife of enlisted soldier
- Freddie: Ichiro's buddy, also a draft resister
- Eto: veteran
- Taro: Ichiro's younger brother
- Mrs. Kanno: Kenji's mother
- Mr. Kumasaka: friend of the Yamada family
- Jun: veteran, friend of the Kumasaka's
- 2A: neighbor of Freddie
- Cop
World premiere company
Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403; Opened March 27, 2010; Closed April 18, 2010.Original cast
(in order of appearance)- Ichiro – Robert Wu
- Eto / Jun – Chris TashimaChris TashimaChris Tashima is a Japanese American actor and director. He is co-founder of the entertainment company Cedar Grove Productions and Artistic Director of its Asian American theatre company, Cedar Grove OnStage. He is the son of U.S. Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima...
- Taro – Jared Asato
- Pa – Sab ShimonoSab ShimonoSab Shimono is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in character roles.-Career:An accomplished stage actor, he has appeared on Broadway and in regional theaters including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre...
- Ma – Sharon Omi
- Mr. Kumasaka / Cop – Ken NarasakiKen NarasakiKen Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
- 2A / Mrs. Kanno – Emily KurodaEmily KurodaEmily Kuroda is best known for her role as Mrs. Kim on TV's Gilmore Girls, but she has had a long career on stage and screen and is a veteran of East West Players, Los Angeles' premier Asian American theater group.-Life and career:...
- Freddie – John Miyasaki (March 26 - April 12); Mike Hagiwara (April 16–18)
- Kenji – Greg WatanabeGreg WatanabeGreg Watanabe is an American actor who played Isaac on the MyNetworkTV serial Watch Over Me. He appears in the independent films, Life Tastes Good, Only the Brave and Americanese. He is a founding member of the Asian American sketch comedy troupe,...
- Emi / Mrs.ka – Keiko AgenaKeiko AgenaChristine Keiko Agena is an American actress known professionally as Keiko Agena.-Personal life:Agena, a Japanese-American, was born in Honolulu, and began acting at the age of 10. She attended Mid-Pacific Institute preparatory school on O‘ahu, and Whitman College for one year as a drama major...
- Understudy for Emi, 2A, Mrs. Kumasaka, Mrs. Kanno - Junko Goda
Production staff
- Director – Alberto Isaac
- ChoreographerChoreographyChoreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
– Michael Hagiwara - Fight ChoreographerStage combatStage combat is a specialized technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. The term is also used informally to describe fight choreography for other...
– Aaron Pagel - Set DesignScenic designScenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...
– Alan E. Muraoka - Costume designerCostume DesignerA costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...
– Ken Takemoto - Lighting designerLighting designerThe role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
– Jeremy Pivnick - Sound DesignSound designSound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
/Music CompositionComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
– Dave Iwataki - Projection DesignVideo designVideo design is a creative field of stagecraft. It is concerned with the creation and integration of film and motion graphics into the fields of theatre, opera, dance, fashion shows, concerts and other live events. Video design has only recently gained recognition as a separate creative field...
– John J. Flynn - Property MasterProperty masterThe property master is an artistic and organizational employee in a film, television or theatrical production who is responsible for purchasing, acquiring and/or manufacturing any props needed for a production...
– Ken Takemoto - Stage ManagerStage managementStage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel...
– Darlene Miyakawa
Reviews
- 4/1/10 review by Paul Birchall for LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
- 4/16/10 student review by Jennifer Ta for Daily BruinDaily BruinThe Daily Bruin is the student newspaper at the University of California, Los Angeles.-Frequency and governance:When classes are in session, the Bruin is published Monday through Friday during the school year and once a week on Mondays in the summer quarter.It is overseen by the ASUCLA...