Creating a new style: Examining culture through theatre design [abstract]

Abstract

For most audiences worldwide, there is not much available in terms of Japanese American theatre. As a half-Japanese Theatre student, I wished to create a play that would help others become aware of Japanese American issues. Although most people know about the Japanese internment camps during World War II, not many are aware of the hardships faced by the Japanese sugar cane plantation workers in Hawaii during the late nineteenth and most of the twentieth century. In my studies of Ancient Greek drama as a Classical Humanities major, and have found that the themes behind the play "Antigone" by Sophocles relates to this overlooked moment in history. I decided to integrate this history with the play and rewrote it as a new script entitled "Stained Skin." Given that I am emphasizing in Design/Tech in Theatre, I also designed the scenery and costumes, with the intention of the production being performed at the MU Corner Playhouse. After researching the different aspects of this subject, my project was proposed to the Department of Theatre and will be further developed in the future.