Katakana: Kunio Takeda

Photo: Takeda family archives

Julie Tamiko Manning + Matt Miwa

The Tashme Project: The Living Archives
(Montral & Ottawa)
May 7 to 17, 2015

Creators and Directors Notes

Julie Tamiko Manning (Creator) Although my Japanese Canadian family was very close,

I always felt alone in my long-standing desire to know about their wartime experience. It was not a secret; its
just that no one wanted to talk about it. When I met Matt in 2009 it was like a door opened. I had found a
kindred spirit to dive into the silence with. We started interviewing people who had been children in Tashme
(mostly), because it was the camp our families came through. During this process we sometimes felt we
were witnesses to stories shared for the first time. Perhaps no one had asked. Perhaps they didnt care to tell
them. I felt unsure of provoking potentially painful memories, but we continued carefully, because the door
was opening wider: we felt trusted and confided in, but heavy with the responsibility of taking their stories
forward. If we can heal, honour, celebrate and revitalize our little community, even one iota, by listening to
and telling the stories of the generations that have come before...that is something good. A cousin of mine
had always fantasized about a childhood where she would sit comfortably at her grandfathers feet, listening
to him talk about the old days. I want this play to be that for every Japanese Canadian that never had that
experience. This piece is for my community and it is the thanks I owe them for persevering.

Matt Miwa (Creator) I am Japanese Canadian, and this is one of my most cherished and often
secret identities. In my life, one big thing I do is to search for Japanese Canadian spirit, or the particular
wisdom and spark of our people! In searching for this spirit I think it is very helpful to believe wholeheartedly
in ghosts as well as believing wholeheartedly in the living! This searching involves embracing a space where
repression and transcendence intermix as well as acknowledging that ones spirit catching net has many holes!
Thank you so much to our interviewees. I am grateful that I get to sink deeper and deeper into your words and
stories nightly, bringing them to an echo place where I can almost catch the Japanese Canadian spirit! And
lastly, thank you to Julie, my partner in crime. You have illuminated so much for me!

Mieko Ouchi (Director) I believe that every Japanese Canadian artist comes to a point in their

artistic career when they must come to terms with the history that their community has lived through, survived
and passed on to them, both consciously and unconsciously. For me, this time came when I was cast in a
film about the Internment, The War Between Us by Anne Wheeler. With that film, I had the chance to relive
much of the history that I had only heard snippets of from my father and grandparents. For Matt and Julie
this moment has happened for them with this incredible project. They have carefully gathered, documented
and now share the delicate stories of their families and others from the unique community who lived through
evacuation and internment at the Tashme camp and what life brought after. As we see them take on the bodies
and voices of each of the people we meet in the play, we have the powerful experience of seeing them literally
try on their own history. Thank you for sharing that with us.
We would like to acknowledge that The Tashme Project is performed on unceded Mohawk territory.

The script was developed with the support of Playwrights Workshop Montreal.
Music piece Sanya used with permission from Arashi Daiko.
Tashme Productions studio and theatre residency are supported by
Cirque de Soleil and MAI (Montral, arts interculturels).
Tashme engages under the terms of the Independent Theatre Agreement,
professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors Equity Association.
For more information please visit: thetashmeproject.com

MAI in association with Festival Accs Asie presents

The Tashme Project: The Living Archives

A Tashme Production
Produced in association with Playwrights Workshop Montral

Created and performed by

Julie Tamiko Manning & Matt Miwa
Directed by Mieko Ouchi
PRODUCTION TEAM
James Lavoie & Laurence Mongeau

Set & Costume Design

David Perrault Ninacs

Lighting Design

George Allister & Patrick Andrew Boivin

Video Design

Patrick Andrew Boivin

Sound Design

Merissa Tordjman

Stage Manager

Isabel Quintero Faia

Production Assistant

Tristynn Duhme

Technical Director

Janis Kirshner (Media Relations for Standing Ovations)

Publicist

June Park

Web, Graphics & Photography

Tashme Productions (Manning & Miwa)

Producer

KEM Document Design (Karin More)

Program Layout

Sandra Kadowaki

Community Outreach,
Lobby Installation

The show will run approximately 90 minutes without intermission.

There will be artist talks after the show on Friday May 8, Sunday May 10, and Friday May 15.

It is strictly forbidden to photograph or to record performances

by camera or audio device. Thank you.

PRODUCTION TEAM

ULIE TAMIKO MANNING - CREATOR

Julie has worked across Canada for the last 20 years from the independent to the
national stage. Selected theatre credits include Isabella Bird/Win in Top Girls (META
nomination, Segal Centre), Emilia in Othello (METAward, Segal/Scapegoat Carnivale),
Titania in A Midsummer Nights Dream (META nomination, Repercussion Theatre),
Doris Truscott in Innocence Lost (Centaur Theatre/NAC), Clarence in Richard III (META nomination, Metachroma) and Nancy in Oliver! (NAC). Her first play, Mixie and the Halfbreeds (cowritten
with Adrienne Wong) was produced in 2009 in Vancouver (Neworld Theatre). She is Associate Artistic Producer of Metachroma. She would like to thank her family for a lifetime of support and love.

ATT MIWA - CREATOR

Matt Miwa is an artist based in Ottawa. His practice includes theatre, performance art, and video making. His passions include singing, Amy Winehouse, drawing
and movie watching. Artistically, Matt is always trying to articulate, express, capture
and embody the subtlest manifestations or realities of Awe.

IEKO OUCHI - DIRECTOR

Mieko Ouchi is an Edmonton-based actor, writer and director. Recent directing

includes the Dora and Sterling award winning Routes, I Am For You and Are We There
Yet? all for Concrete Theatre, a TYA company that she co-founded and now heads as
Artistic Director. Other directing includes fifteen with Beau Coleman (Studio 303/Out
Productions) and The Cloister (Summerworks). She made her film debut in Anne Wheelers The
War Between Us. Since then, her films have screened at over thirty festivals and internationally.
Her plays have been produced across Canada, and been finalists for the Governor-Generals Literary Award for Drama and the City of Edmonton Book Prize.

AMES LAVOIE - Set & Costume Design

James holds a Masters degree in Scenography from Central Saint Martins in the
UK. A five-time recipient of the Montreal English Critics Circle Award for his design
work, he is also a coach for the scenography students at the National Theatre School.
Recent projects include costume design for the Cirque Du Soleils JOYA, in Mexico, Set
and costume design for: Pig at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Innocence Lost co-produced by the
National Arts Centre and Centaur Theatre, and Sherlock at the Segal Centre, for which he received
the Inaugural META for best costume design. This summer James is designing the set and costumes for Juste Pour Rires production of Grease.

AURENCE MONGEAU - Set & Costume Designer

Laurence was part of the 2010 promotion in set and costume design at the NTS. Since
then, she has worked on many plays (sets: Magicien dOz, Lveil du Printemps the musical; costumes: Macbeth, The Poster, La Chasse-Galerie, Le Clown, Motherhouse; assisting: Eo Sharp, James Lavoie and Danielle Lvesque), operas, with director Oriol Tomas
(costumes: Le Consul, Don Pasquale, Les Caprices de Marianne, sets and costumes: Don Giovanni
on which she started her European career in 2013) and a few circus shows assisting James Lavoie.

AVID PERRAULT NINACS - Lighting Design

Since graduating from NTS, David has designed over 70 theatre shows and has
done lighting for visual arts shows, corporate galas, dance and musical shows. After
almost twenty years of this life, he still believes that light in all its forms is worth looking into more closely.

EORGE ALLISTER - Video Design

George is a new media producer, specializing in the production of online videos and projection design for live performance and events. He has designed video for
the Segal Centre, Centaur, National Arts Centre, Copa De Oro, Geordie productions,
Crows Theatre and Infinithtre. Currently, George is working on the video design for
the Segal Centres production of The Dybbuk as well as Juste Pour Rires production of Grease. He
also produces videos for the Segal Centres marketing department, works as a director and editor
for Eclipse Productions and coaches video design for the National Theatre School.

ATRICK ANDREW BOIVIN - Video and Sound Design

Patrick is a multimedia artist and electronic musician based in Montreal. The

Tashme Project marks his first sound design credit. Selected video design credits include, The Graduate, Sherlock Holmes, Same Time Next Year, Scientific Americans,
and Equus (Segal Centre), The Book of Bob (Centaur Theatre), Innocence Lost (National Arts Centre & Centaur Theatre), and The Leisure Society (Infinitheatre). In the fall of 2014
he was an artist resident at Medea Electroniques Koumaria Residency in Greece and presented
his work at the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens and at Gallery 59 in Paris. Patrick is currently co
designing the projections for The Dybbuk (Segal Centre) and Grease (Just For Laughs) with George
Allister.

ERISSA TORDJMAN - Stage Manager

Merissa has been stage managing in Eastern Canada for 15 years, selected credits include: We Are Not Alone, Aint Misbehavin, Sherlock Holmes, Equus, Dangerous Liaisons, Houdini (Segal Centre); Game of Love and Chance, God of Carnage,
The Madonna Painter, Age of Arousal, Forever Yours Marie-Lou, Mambo Italiano
(Centaur Theatre); Plaid Tidings, The Miracle Worker, A Few Good Men, The Sound of Music, To
Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Rocky Horror Show (Neptune Theatre); Seeds,
Montreal La Blanche (Porte Parole), Eternal Hydra, Watershed (Crows) Blasted, Silicone Diaries
(Buddies in Bad Times).

SABEL QUINTERO FAIA - Production Assistant

Based in Montreal, Isabel works as a stage manager and theatre technician. A graduate of the Professional Theatre Production Program at John Abbott College, select
credits include: Nu Spyce Productions (Single Black Female), Kaleidoscope Theatre
Montreal (To Be: In Concert), La Tigressa Productions (Je rve en autisme), Persephone Productions (Oroonoko and The Nisei & The Narnauks), The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts (Top Girls and Belles Soeurs: The Musical), Black Theatre Workshop with urban ink
productions (Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy of), and with Imago Theatre (random), the
Montreal Fringe Festival and the Just for Laughs Festival.

ARIGATO!

This play is the tip of the iceberg. We have interviewed over 60

people and have over 80 hours of interviews This project would
not exist without the memories, thoughts and generosity of our
Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei and ShinIjusha interviewees. Their spirit is woven throughout this piece
and even though we were not able to use them all we would like to thank them ALL!

Arigato to our interviewees!

Alice Yasuko Aihoshi, Akiko Arai (Morishita), Margaret Ruriko Charron (Takeda), Jean
Fujimoto, George Masamichi & Pat Ryuko Ikeda, Terry Inoue, Daniel Iwama, Ko Kadonaga,
Sandra Kadowaki, Boon Kondo, Helen Tamiko Manning (Takeda), Ty Mariyama (Miwa),
Midori (Takeda) & Sed Mitobe, Danny Mitobe, Courtinay Mitobe, Harold Miwa, Barry
Miwa, Dan Miwa, Vicky Miwa-Hansen & Dave Hansen, Coco & Kazuko Burke (Taira),
Molly Morita, Frank Moritsugu, Wayne Nagata, Kai Nagata, Kesia Nagata, Vivian Nishi,
Shoji Nishihata, Dave & Etsuko (Taira) Sakamoto, Carol (Sakamoto), Jim, Brady & Carly
Anderson, Tracy & John Finklestein, Tina (Sakamoto), Tom & Taylor Lesnick, Glen, Norma
& Jessica Sakamoto, Jim Sasaki, Ron & Dorothy (Shimizu) Shigeishi, Tetsuro Shigematsu,
Eric Sokugawa, Kay (Fujino) & Tad Suzuki, Jeffrey Tajiri, Marie Michiko Takata (Morishita),
Kunio & Teiko (Sone) Takeda, Valerie Takeda, Richard Takeda, Trudean Mutsuko Yoshida
(Hirano), Sumire Uchiyama-Frye (Takeda), Jane Uesugi, Al Wakayama, Alice Oshiye
Yamamoto (Matsui), Terry & May Yasunaka.

Arigato to our supporters for the last 5 years!

Arashi Daiko, Deena Aziz, Stephanie Breton, Tamara Brown, Elsa Bolam, Adam Capriolo,
Sarah Carlsen, Ins Choi, Katherine Chou, Barry Cole & John Moran @ The Cole Foundation,
Donna Davidson, David Yee & FuGen Theatre Company, Alan Itakura, Lisa Uyeda & The
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Toronto, Melissa KamibayashiStaples, Michael
Toppings & Erika Kierulf & Christine Roy @ The MAI, Helen Tamiko & David Manning,
Jason Manning, Jennifer Matsunaga, Barry & Shauna Miwa, Momiji Residence, Montreal
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Bonnie More & Stphane Boutros, National Association
of Japanese Canadians, Nikkei Home, Nikkei National Museum, Junji Nishihata, Sachiko
Okuda, Ontario Arts Council, Ottawa Japanese Cultural Centre, Mike Payette, Emma Tibaldo
& Lois Brown & June Park & Charmaine Ciano & Molly Maguire @ Playwrights Workshop
Montreal, Kristen Lambertson & The Powell Street Festival, Tyler Reekie, Jen Roberts, Karen
ShigeishiWaite, Yasuo Ogawa & Naohisa Kiyama @ Shokokai Montreal, Amanda Silveira,
Mutsumi Takahashi, Takeda Family, Toronto Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Patrick
Gauthier @ Undercurrents, Annie Yao

A Special Arigato to...

Arashi Daiko for the opening night reception performance,
Au Papier Japonais for the origami paper in the lobby display,
Miyamoto, Big in Japan, Sho-dan, Mikado, Imadake and Sushi Yasu
for the opening night catering.

The Tashme Project is generously supported by:

Arigato to our donors!

Barry Miwa, Fumi Torigai, Lisa Uyeda, Marcel Milot, Sandra Kadowaki, Lillian Maguire,
Linda Smith, Glenn Sakamoto, Danielle Skene, Richard Takeda, Margaret Ruriko Charron,
Stphane Boutros, Megan E. McLeod, Kay Goro, Caitlin E. France, Jennifer Sakai, Janice
Shimizu, Archie H. Ohno, Paul Butler, Bernice Sorge, Don Watanabe, David Manning,
Robert Hennessy, Yseult R. Sharp, Katherine Y Shimizu, Marie Barlizo, Micheline Chevrier,
Zach Counsil, Roy K. Surette, Margo Kane, JT Silver, NhaThy Vo, Lesley Elora, Howard M.
Borts, Greg Masuda, Gordon Ikeda, Joy RossJones, Tracy L. Sakamoto, Pierre Simpson,
Kris Joseph Lizuck, Joy Kadonaga, Matthew Hashiguchi, Brian T. Morimoto, Frances Parker,
Honora Harvey, Diane McLaughlin, Lillian Maguire, Jeff Chiba Stearns, Gord Hawkins,
Laura Murray, Emma Tibaldo, Jennifer A Roberts, Thomas K. Takeda, Elyse Quesnel,
Robert Langlais, Isobel J Salole, Danielle Mady, Elise M. Gauthier, David E. Hoe, Ronald K.
Kadowaki, Stacy Takeda, Taylor Lesnick, Lindsay Wilson, Theo Posthumous, Valerie Takeda,
Julie Arui, Naoko Shida Hawkins, Karen ShigeishiWaite, Alan Itakura, Julia Mitobe, Brady
Anderson, Naomi Takeda, Beth Carter, David Oppenheim, Warona Setshwaelo, Gayle
Height, Beryl Moser, Carla Ayukawa, Hisako Mori, Rea Nolan, Jan Nobuto, Jane Gilchrist,
Heather Hermant, Joseph Shragge, Alison Darcy Podbrey, Barbara Ford, Susana Vera,
Patricia Summersett, Helen Tamiko Manning, Kayo Yasuhara, Susan Shoji , Levesque,
Marion Takeuchi, Glenn Funamoto, Nicole Reynolds, Sumire UchiyamaFrye, Karen
Kurzac, Irene M. Mitobe, Anthony Charron, Dan Miwa, Paul Dearden, Nicole Miller, Lee
Pierre Shirey, Glenn R Crawford, Nicholas Valela, Deena Aziz, Lisa Kimiko Manning, Jane
DesJardins, Roy Whybro, Leni Parker, Alice Yamamoto, Louise Halperin, Brian Yamashita,
Laurentin Levesque, Rene Rivard, Yoko Sayeki. And many anonymous donors.

This play would not have been possible without all of you.

ARIGATO!!!

Japanese Canadian History Timeline

1877

Manzo Nagano, first Japanese individual known to land and settle in Canada.

1890s

Issei, Japanese immigrants, establish stores, boarding houses and other

businesses along Powell Street. This neighbourhood becomes the major settlement
of Japanese Canadians until WWII.

1938-40

RCMP kept surveillance on the Japanese community. However, they recorded no

subversive activity.

Dec. 8

1,200 fishing boats are impounded and put under the control of the Japanese
Fishing Vessel Disposal Committee. Japanese language newspapers and schools
closed.

Feb.7

All male "enemy aliens" between the ages of 18-45 are forced to leave the protected coastal area before April 1. Most are sent to work on road camps in the
Rockies.

Mar. 16

First arrival at Vancouver's Hastings Park holding center. All Japanese Canadian mail is censored from this date.

Mar. 25

B.C. Security Commission initiates a program of assigning men to road camps

and women and children to ghost town detention camps.

Oct.

22,000 persons of whom 75% are Canadian citizens (60% Canadian born, 15%
naturalized) have been uprooted forcibly from the coast.

1943 Jan

Order in Council grants the Custodian of Enemy Alien Property the right to
dispose of Japanese Canadian properties in his care without the owners' consent.

1944 Aug. 4

Prime Minister King states it is desirable that Japanese Canadians are dispersed
across Canada. Applications for "voluntary repatriation" to Japan are sought
by the Canadian government. Those who do not must move east of the Rockies to
prove their loyalty to Canada. "Repatriation" for many means exile to a country
they have never seen before.

Sept. 2

Japan surrenders. All internment camps, except New Denver are ordered closed
and settlements of shacks bulldozed

1947 Jan

Deportation orders are cancelled. 4,000 Japanese Canadians have already been
"repatriated".

1949 Mar

Restrictions imposed under the War Measures Act are lifted and franchise is
given to Japanese Canadians.

1984 Jan.

The National Association of Japanese Canadian Council meeting in Winnipeg

unanimously passes resolutions seeking an official acknowledgement and redress
for the injustices committed against JC during and after World War II.

1986 May 9

Price Waterhouse Associates assesses income and property losses at not less than
$443 million in 1986 dollars.

1988 Sept. 22

Acknowledgement, apology and compensation.

1996

The Census of Canada shows a Japanese Canadian population of 77,130,

indicating an intermarriage rate of over 90% in recent decades.