My Man Kono at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, continuing their educational initiative, will present a reading of the new play, My Man Kono by Philip W. Chung. Directed by Jeff Liu, the 8-member cast will feature David Dean Bottrell, Katie Lee Hill, Lily Holleman, David Lee Huynh, Zach Lusk, Jonathan Medina, Ron Nakahara, and Armin Shimerman. The FREE virtual presentation is set for Friday, APRIL 2, 2021 beginning at 5:00PM (EST). Link to access reading: https://forms.gle/43uwwRnatiM3QDHA8

My Man Kono is based on the life of Toraichi Kono, who worked as Charlie Chaplin's personal valet for two decades before being arrested as an enemy spy during the anti-Japanese hysteria of World War II. My Man Kono was awarded second place in the East West Players' Pacific Century Playwriting Competition.

Playwright Philip W. Chung had this to share about his new play, "I had no idea Toraichi Kono existed until I attended a Charlie Chaplin retrospective at the L.A. County Museum of Art. The Adventurer was one of the shorts screened and I noticed an Asian man in the film playing the chauffeur of Chaplin's character. I was surprised to see an Asian in a non-stereotypical role in a 1917 Hollywood production and wondered who this was. I became fascinated by how this Asian American man who had somehow become the confidant to the most famous person in Hollywood could also end up imprisoned as a Japanese spy. As more Asian-American stories are being discovered, rediscovered, and amplified, the time feels right to share Toraichi Kono's story and reclaim his place in Asian-American history."