San Diego Repertory Theatre Receives Grant From California State Library

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) Managing Director Larry Alldredge announced today that the theatre has been awarded a grant of $29,500 as part of the California Civil Liberties Public Education program at the California State Library. The grant, one of 30 awarded in 2019, will support the theatre's production of Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata.

Created in 1998, the California Civil Liberty program's purpose is to "sponsor public educational activities and development of educational materials to ensure that the events surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of civilians and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry will be remembered so that the causes and circumstance of this and similar events may be illuminated and understood."

Hold These Truths tells the inspiring true story of American hero Gordon Hirabayashi, a young man who defied an unjust order. Join Gordon on a 50-year quest to avenge an injustice to his community, restore his faith in the U.S. Constitution and reconcile America's greatness with its shortcomings. Hold These Truths has played to sold-out audiences all over the country and features a tour-de-force performance by stage and screen actor Ryun Yu, who plays Gordon and 37 other characters.

In addition to supporting the production, the grant will also provide free tickets to students through San Diego REP's Project Discovery program, facilitate 11 audience and community engagement events, and support the creation of a comprehensive guide for audiences to explore the historical context and themes of the play. The California State Library awarded over $900,000 for the California Civil Liberties program this year, with a guarantee of similar amount of funding for the program in 2020.

Established in 1850, the California State Library is the oldest continuously operated public library in the American West and is the central reference and research library for state government and the Legislature - basically California's version of the Library of Congress. The State Library provides support for local libraries and civic engagement and educational programs. These efforts include the California Civil Liberties Program supporting educational and public awareness resources concerning the history and the lessons of civil rights violations or civil liberties injustices carried out against communities or populations. The program's central purpose and original intent is to ensure that the events surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of civilians and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry during World War II will be remembered and that the causes and circumstance of these and other similar civil-liberty violations may be illuminated and understood. More information at www.library.ca.gov.

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) produces intimate, provocative and inclusive theatre. Founded in 1976, San Diego Repertory Theatre is downtown San Diego's resident theatre, promoting an interconnected community through vivid works that nourish progressive political and social values and celebrates the multiple voices of our region. The company produces and hosts over 550 events and performances year-round on its three stages at the Lyceum Theatre. Since moving to the Lyceum, The REP has produced 45 main stage productions by Latino playwrights, and more than 40 world premieres. The company has received more than 200 awards for artistic excellence from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, Patté Theatre Awards, NAACP, Backstage West, Dramalogue and StageSceneLA. In 2005, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented The REP with the Craig Noel Award "For 30 Years of Artistic Dedication to Downtown and Diversity." San Diego Repertory Theatre feeds the curious soul. To learn more about San Diego Repertory Theatre, to purchase tickets, or make a donation, visit www.sdrep.org.

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