Joel de la Fuente to Star in HOLD THESE TRUTHS at ACT, 7/31-8/3

Central Heating Lab at ACT presents Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata, performed by Joel de la Fuente, July 31 - August 3, 2014 at the ACT Theatre Allen Arena, 700 Union Street, Seattle, WA.

Inspired by the true story of University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi, Hold These Truths follows Gordon during the U.S. Government's decision to forcibly remove and incarcerate people of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Hirabayashi openly defied the relocation and internment and refused to report for evacuation to an internment camp, instead turning himself in to the FBI to assert his belief that these practices were racially discriminatory. Consequently, he was convicted by a U.S. Federal District Court in Seattle of defying the exclusion order and violating curfew. Hirabayashi appealed his conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against him in 1943. Following World War II and his imprisonment, Hirabayashi obtained a doctoral degree in sociology and became a professor. In 1987, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Joel de la Fuente stars in Jeanne Sakata's solo show about Gordon Hirabayshi as he fights to reconcile his country's betrayal and to maintain his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution. In Hold These Truths we witness Hirabayashi as he journeys toward a greater understanding of America's triumphs - and a confrontation with its failures.

Sponsored by the Tateuchi Foundation, this production will bring the Drama Desk Award nominated performance of Joel de la Fuente to Seattle for the first time. ACT Theatre is pleased to partner with the Wing Luke Museum to present additional immersion activities surrounding the play and Hold These Truths is also supported with additional funding from the John Graham Foundation.

The creative team features: Director Lisa Rothe; Set Design by Mikiko Suzuki McAdams; Lighting Design by Cat Tate Starmer; Costume Design by Meg Weedon; and Sound Designer/Composer Daniel Kluger.

Hold These Truths Performances:

Thursday, July 31, 7:30pm (Post-show discussion)

Friday, August 1, 7:30pm (Post-show Panel - with Steve Sumida, Frank Abe, and Jeanne Sakata)

Saturday, August 2, 7:30pm (Post-show discussion)

Sunday, August 3, 2:00pm (Post-show discussion)

Additional Immersion Events:

· Saturday August 2, 2:00pm - "From Page to Stage" Playwright Jeanne Sakata will share her experiences in researching and writing the play Hold These Truths.

· August 9 Conscience and the Constitution a documentary by Frank Abe at Wing Luke Museum

Tickets: Adults: Single tickets start at $20. Also included on the monthly ACTPass Membership. Call (206) 292-7676 or visit www.acttheatre.org.

About The Central Heating Lab: Launched in 2007, The Central Heating Lab at ACT serves as an incubator and catalyst for new works. ACT cultivates, produces, and presents artists working in all performance genres and provides an artistic home for a variety of local performance groups and artists. Relationships develop daily with individual actors, performers and playwrights while established partnerships with groups such as the Azeotrope, The Seagull Project, 14/48, and Icicle Creek Theatre Festival grow and develop. New programs are added throughout the year. With year-round programming produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT alongside ACT's Mainstage plays, ACT offers its patrons a unique opportunity to maximize their theatre experience-the ACTPass: all you can see for only $30 per month. ACTPass Members can attend nearly all ACT produced performances.

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