World Premiere of MASAO AND THEN BRONZE NIGHTINGALE Begins This Weekend

CASA 0101 Theater in association with the Japanese American National Museum will present the World Premiere of MASAO AND THE BRONZE NIGHTINGALE, written by Dan Kwong and Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara, based on a short story written by Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara, directed by Dan Kwong and starring Michael Sasaki as Masao Imoto and Angela Oliver as Charlene Williams, The Bronze Nightingale.

Other members of the cast include: Greg Watanabe (April 22 - May 1), Dan Kwong (May 6-15), Sachiyo K, Roberta H. Martínez, José A. Garcia, Isaac Cruz, Scott Golden, Jon Gentry and Pauline Yasuda.

In the aftermath of World War II, formerly incarcerated Japanese Americans are shocked to discover Little Tokyo has become "Bronzeville," an African American community. When a Japanese American jazz musician from Boyle Heights falls for a Bronzeville singer, the ripple-effect of their romance causes upheaval in every direction as the Japanese, Black and Mexican American communities react.

The show will be presented at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 East 1st Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights, CA 90003 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m., April 22 - May 15, 2022. Opening Night is Friday, April 22, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Thereafter, performances will be presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. through May 15, 2022.

Tickets are $30 for General Admission, $25 for Students and Seniors, $20 for Boyle Heights residents, $25 for Groups of 10 or more, $20 for Groups of 20 or more. Special Guest Speakers will be featured after Sunday matinee performances. For tickets and more information, please call 323-263-7684 or visit www.casa0101.org

Concurrently with the performances of MASAO AND THE BRONZE NIGHTINGALE, the Jean Deleage Art Gallery, located in the lobby of CASA 0101 Theater, and Co-Presenter, the Japanese American National Museum, are presenting an art exhibit through May 15, 2022, entitled, "BRONZEVILLE: MODERNITY, RACE, AND THE SEARCH TO BELONG," featuring the works of artists: Bryan Ida, Laura Vazquez Rodriguez, Sandra Vista, Aydee Martinez and Brandy Maya Healy. Curated by Jimmy Centeno, with the help of Assistant Researcher, Shelley Johnson II, the exhibit binds together the multiple contradictions and complexities of identity in a racialized modern society. Five artists share their personal relationship and their connections with the Japanese American experience through the visual language of art. The exhibit can be viewed prior to performances of the play and during regular Gallery Hours, which are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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