HOLD THESE TRUTHS Will Close Out soloNOVA Arts Festival, 6/4-11

terraNOVA COLLECTIVE and Producing Artistic Director, Jennifer Conley Darling, will present Jeanne Sakata's HOLD THESE TRUTHS, directed by Lisa Rothe and performed by the 2013 Drama Desk Award nominee Joel de la Fuente as a special headliner to close the 10TH Annual soloNOVA Arts Festival, the award-winning and longest-running solo performance festival in New York City, performing Tuesday June 4 at 7pm, Monday June 10 at 7pm and Tuesday June 11 at 7pm at Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street, NYC).

The eight other solo shows included in the soloNOVA Arts Festival will play Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, June 2 at IRT Theater (154 Christopher Street, inside the landmark Archive Building).

Inspired by a true story, HOLD THESE TRUTHS takes place during WWII in Seattle, University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi fights the US government's orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. As he struggles to reconcile his country's betrayal with his passionate belief in the US Constitution, Gordon begins a 50-year journey toward a greater
understanding of America's triumphs---and a confrontation with its failures.

President Obama posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hirabayashi (1918-2012), the nation's highest civilian honor, in April 2012.

According to de la Fuente, "Gordon's story teaches us that the actions of one individual can have tremendous power. Gordon believed long enough to remind us of what it means to be American. As history teaches us, this is a lesson so important that it cannot be learned just once. We must always be willing to learn it again.

Perhaps the biggest blessing of doing Jeanne Sakata's HOLD THESE TRUTHS is that not only do I get to be an instrumental part in telling the story of a remarkable hero, but I am being asked to draw on my experiences as an AMERICAN. Gordon Hirabayashi is of Asian heritage, but he is also a citizen of the United States. Asian American actors so rarely get an opportunity to be seen on our stages as Americans, so to do so while telling such a remarkable story has been one of the most satisfying artistic experiences of my life."

The production features scenic design by Mikiko Suzuki McAdams, costume design by Meg Weeden, and lighting design by Cat Tate Starmer. Daniel Kluger is the sound designer/composer.

HOLD THESE TRUTHS plays the following performances: Tuesday June 4 at 7pm; Monday June 10 at 7pm; Tuesday June 11 at 7pm. All shows play Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street, NYC). A complete list of the shows and their performance schedule can be found here: http://bit.ly/107S4cv.

Special Event tickets are $30 (IRT Festival or 2 for $30 pass not applicable). IRT Show Tickets are $20 for individual shows; $30 for two shows; $80. IRT Festival pass (50% discount for all shows at IRT Theater).

For more information and tickets, visit www.terranovacollective.org. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at Box Office ½ hour in advance of the performances. Running Time: All shows are 90 minutes (or less).

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