Event: Hold These Truths

Collaborative theatre production celebrates one person’s successful battle against anti-Asian racism and injustice. 

Tickets for Hold These Truths are by donation and can be reserved online at https://ejca.org/hold-these-truths

To mark Asian Heritage Month, the University of Alberta and the Edmonton Japanese Community Association (EJCA) are proud to present Hold These Truths, the true story of one person’s struggle against racism and injustice that inspired change across North America.

Jeanne Sakata’s award-winning play is based on the life of U of A sociologist Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi, whose brave resistance as a young man to the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War was recognized posthumously with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Hold These Truths features Kevin Takahide Lee and draws on the Kabuki theatre tradition of kurogo—black-clad performers who support the action on stage.

This live theatre event runs May 5-7, 2022 at The Second Playing Space in the Timms Centre for the Arts at the University of Alberta (112 St. and 87 Ave.) There will be a digital viewing option, as well as community engagement events later during Asian Heritage Month.

With support from:

• Government of Alberta
• Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF)
• University of Alberta (Prince Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching and Learning, Faculties of Arts and Education, Departments of Drama and Sociology, Timms' Innovation Fund, President’s Fund)
• Edmonton Japanese Community Association (EJCA)
• National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC)

The Hirabayashi Anti-Racism project was made possible through the financial support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation's National Anti-Racism Fund.